Live updates: King Charles set to arrive in Ottawa Monday afternoon

“He’s out of touch,” said Lee Kong, pointing to the 2023 coronation. “He’s dripping in gold and jewels, and it’s like, ‘Sir, now? At this moment?’ … The same people who have always benefited — not just benefited but actively reshaped the world to benefit themselves — are still in power.”

This indifference, she added, isn’t inconsequential. “If you’re an institution that has transitioned from actual political power to soft cultural power, it must be very scary to realize that your relevance is actually diminishing — and there’s not really a path forward because your brand-marketing succession plan is not really panning out,” she said. “For me, and maybe for a lot of people, there’s no part of this that is activating any kind of passionate response.”

Alyssa Ashton, a creative director and long-time Royal Family fan, feels differently.

“(King Charles) was in hospital not too long ago, and he’s maybe not feeling great, but he’s making this trek across the world to show how important Canada is as part of the Commonwealth,” said Ashton. “It’s made me go, ‘Oh Charles! What a sweetie you are.’”

Still, said Ashton, “Truthfully, I would have preferred Will and Kate — for most of us that would have been more interesting. But I think that this is what the royals do best, this soft diplomacy. I would even say that this (visit) feels like more bold diplomacy.”

Ashton said that Charles’s visit — particularly his delivery of the throne speech in Parliament on Tuesday, the first by a monarch since 1977 — will be particularly significant during this time of heightened Canadian patriotism ignited by U.S. President Donald Trump’s constant tariff threats and taunts of making Canada the 51st state.

“I’m sure (Charles) will still get negativity, but because the throne speech will likely have some words about how Canada is a sovereign nation, I think it might create some rah-rah.”

A new poll suggests that support for the monarchy is on the rise, with 48 per cent of Canadians saying it’s good for Canada’s sovereignty for King Charles to deliver the throne speech and only 22 per cent opposed.

Nathan Tidridge, a GTA high school civics teacher, who is also the vice-president of the Institute of the Study of the Crown, said that he believes this is the most important royal visit since 1939.

“We’re in this period of existential crisis, where Canadians are being asked to define their democracy and their sovereignty and the vehicle for that is we’re going to have the King read the speech from the throne,” said Tidrige. “I think a lot of Canadians will say, ‘Oh it’s symbolic,’ but it’s very important because it’s what our democracy is founded on, and it marks us as different from the United States.”

Tidridge met the King when he was part of a delegation of the Mississaugas of the Credit that travelled to Scotland to meet the monarch in 2023. The prevailing impression he had, Tidridge said, is that of a man on a mission. He characterizes the King as more forward-thinking than younger generations might assume.

“He’s hit the ground running. His whole life, he was cutting edge for the environment. He’s the King that we need for these times — if we let him do it.”

More Canadians now support the country remaining a constitutional monarchy than becoming a republic with 45 per cent backing the status quo and 39 per cent wanting to abandon the Crown while 16 per cent were unsure.

That compares to a September 2022 Pollara survey that found 35 per cent wanted Canada to remain a constitutional monarchy with the King as its head of state while 44 per cent opposed that and 21 per cent of respondents weren’t sure.

“At a time when we’re looking for stability, there’s something stable that the institution offers and that’s the biggest reason we see that growth in support,” Dan Arnold, Pollara’s chief strategy officer, said Friday.

“In the face of Trump and chaos and everything else, there’s a certain degree of stability that the institution and the King himself offer,” said Arnold.

Indeed, that’s a major reason why Prime Minister Mark Carney invited Charles to deliver the throne speech that will outline the new Liberal government’s legislative agenda.

Such speeches are normally delivered by the governor general — the last time a reigning monarch did so in Canada was in 1977 with Queen Elizabeth.

Pollara found the new prime minister’s move has been well-received with 48 per cent of respondents saying the King reading the speech is “good for Canadian sovereignty” while only 22 per cent felt it was bad and 30 per cent didn’t know.

“Certainly Carney is trying to position this as a counter to Trump annexation talk,” said Arnold, referring to the president’s comments that Canada should become the “51st state.”

“This (the monarchy) is obviously one of the connections Canada has in the world outside the U.S.,” the pollster said.

The King’s personal popularity is also on the upswing since the earlier poll — 45 per cent have a positive view toward him compared to 23 per cent with a negative view and 32 per cent unsure.

In 2022, 37 per cent had a favourable view with 33 per cent viewing him unfavourably and 26 per cent having no opinion.

Overall, his rating has climbed to plus 22 per cent from plus four per cent.

“That probably speaks to him putting some of the doubts to rest,” said Arnold.

“He certainly took over the role of monarch at a time when people were very down on him, given everything that happened with (his late ex-wife Princess) Diana and other controversies,” he said.

Arnold said the King’s very public fight with cancer, which has increased awareness of the need for people to get screened for the disease, has also left an impression on Canadians. 

“He’s managed to put some of the questions around him to rest for the people who were negative towards him.”

But not all Canadians want the country to remain a constitutional monarchy with a sovereign who lives in the United Kingdom.

Only 25 per cent of Quebecers support the Crown while 58 per cent want to end the monarchy.

“That’s the only area where this is potentially dicey for Carney. Other than Quebec, there’s not really any demographic or part of the country where there’s opposition to this,” said Arnold.

In Ontario, 54 per cent back the monarchy with 32 per cent opposed. Similarly in Atlantic Canada, it was 54 per cent in favour and 31 per cent against.

That compared to 52 per cent in favour in Manitoba and Saskatchewan with 32 per cent opposed.

Alberta, home to a smouldering secessionist movement, was 46 per cent in favour with 37 per cent opposed while British Columbia was 43 per cent in favour and 37 per cent against.

That law was originated by Conservative MP Michael Chong to embolden individual MPs to hold their party leaders to account by allowing them to force leadership reviews, among other things.

But Maloney refused to say anything more about the vote or the secret deliberations, insisting that should all remain private.

“The Reform Act was voted down,” Maloney said after the Liberals met for their first caucus meeting since the April 28 election. “What happens in caucus stays in caucus, and you’re going to hear me say that today, and tomorrow and every day going forward.”

The internal debate was prompted by Liberal MPs who were frustrated former leader Justin Trudeau was able to remain at the helm despite numerous calls from within caucus for him to step aside.

Adopting the Reform Act rules would have given Liberal MPs a road map for such situations. That’s how the Conservatives ousted Erin O’Toole from the leadership after the Conservatives lost the 2021 election.

The rules let a fifth of the party’s MPs move to trigger a leadership review. Then, a majority vote would be required to eject the leader.

Liberal MPs refused to talk about the outcome following their meeting on Sunday, but a few chimed in beforehand to share how they personally felt.

Whitby MP Ryan Turnbull said he had planned to support adopting the rules because it’s “important to have caucus accountability in every party.” 

But Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma MP Terry Sheehan said he doesn’t see the need for the new rules, which his party has never adopted.

“I’ve come in with a pre-set mind that I will not be supporting the Reform Act because we don’t need to. Our caucus is strong,” he said. “Behind those doors right there, that’s our caucus and we can let our hair down any time and have frank and open discussions.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney rallied his Liberal caucus Sunday afternoon with a speech that laid out his governing agenda for the re-opening of Parliament.

The Liberals briefly let the TV cameras and reporters into their first caucus meeting since winning the April 28 election to watch Carney address his new colleagues.

Carney said his government’s immediate focus will be on affordability measures, such as quickly passing the tax cut he promised during the campaign.

From dealing with a chaotic White House to building up the economy, he set the stakes high for his new MPs.

“Our government has been elected to do nothing less than define a new economic and security relationship with the United States,” he said. “Canadians also want their life to become more affordable. They want their communities safer. We will deliver these mandates with urgency and determination. We are going to get going from minute one.”

Carney said his ministers will immediately introduce legislation to fast-track infrastructure projects deemed to be in the national interest and bring in a bill to eliminate all federal barriers to free trade in Canada.

Parliament returns on Monday to elect a new Speaker for the House of Commons, followed by a throne speech on Tuesday to be delivered by King Charles III.

Carney promised his government would move at a brisk pace with “one of the most busy returns to Parliament in Canadian history.”

Parliament, however, is only scheduled to sit for a month before a pre-scheduled summer break until September, and the new government has not made time to table its budget until fall.

Still, Carney said his minority government team will be “very, very busy” in not just the coming weeks, but also over the next few years, and accomplish things “previously thought impossible at speeds not seen in generations.”

The previous minority Parliament found itself gridlocked for months last year amid procedural obstructions, and the Trudeau government had largely failed to pass legislation or advance much of its agenda in its waning days in office.

Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon said he has spoken to the House leaders of all the opposition parties and is hoping for a reset in relations in the new Parliament.

“We are a minority government, so that obviously means that we need to attract support from all sides of the House to get anything done,” he said. “At the same time, we believe very, very clearly that Canadians have given us a mandate, and I think it will be incumbent on all parties to respond to that mandate.” 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2025.