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The king was invited to open Canada’s Parliament as a subtle rebuke to President Trump’s economic and annexation threats against Canada.
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‘The True North Is Indeed Strong and Free’: King Charles III to Canada
King Charles III addressed the Canadian Parliament during his first visit to the country since his coronation.
Today, Canada faces another critical moment: Democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, self-determination and freedom are values which Canadians hold dear and ones which the government is determined to protect. The True North is indeed strong and free.
May 27, 2025Updated 4:55 p.m. ET
The invitation to King Charles III from Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada to deliver the formal speech that opened Canada’s Parliament on Tuesday was meant as a rebuke of President Trump’s threats to the country’s sovereignty.
While Mr. Trump’s name did not come up during the king’s address, he painted a grim picture of the state of the world since the president returned to office and imposed a flurry of tariffs that have upended the global trading system and threatened Canada’s economy.
“We must be cleareyed,’’ Charles said, sitting in an ornate chair. “The world is a more dangerous and uncertain place than at any point since the Second World War. Canada is facing challenges that are unprecedented in our lifetimes.”
“The system of open global trade that, while not perfect, has helped to deliver prosperity for Canadians for decades is changing,’’ he added. “Canada’s relationships with partners are also changing.”
Charles is Canada’s head of state and its monarch, but his speech was written by Mr. Carney’s office. It is only the third time that the monarch has opened Canada’s Parliament. Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, did it twice.
While the speech noted that Canada would attempt to negotiate a trade and security agreement with the United States, it also emphasized Mr. Carney’s pledge to find ways around the economic hold the United States has on Canada. The country’s economy is heavily dependent on exports to the United States, and both countries are each others’ largest trading partners.
