King’s speech offered plenty of pomp, little else

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This article was published 29/05/2025 (220 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was touted by some as a “pivotal moment” in Canadian history, a “momentous” occasion and a “historic honour” which, in the words of our prime minister, “matches the weight of our times.”

But was this week’s visit by King Charles, the central purpose of which was to have the figurative head of state deliver the speech from the throne, really all of that?

It depends who one asks. But there’s no disputing — assuming, that is, the Royal Family remains at all relevant in the post-Elizabethan 21st century — the timing and tenor of the visit and speech were interesting, both to Canadians here at home and to a very specific target audience abroad.

The throne speech traditionally marks the opening of a session of Parliament, and is typically delivered by the governor general as the Crown’s representative in Canada. Only on rare occasions — the previous two being 1977 and 1957, by Queen Elizabeth — has the speech been delivered by the reigning monarch.

Clearly, the decision by Prime Minister Mark Carney to invite the King was profoundly strategic and designed to deliver a strong message. And while there was plenty of pomp and circumstance to remind Canadians of our enduring connection to the United Kingdom, the intended target of the clearly worded speech — prepared by Carney’s government “in collaboration with the Palace” and read aloud by the King in the Senate chamber — was undoubtedly U.S. President Donald Trump, whose scattergun tariff threats and tiresome prattling about annexing Canada as the 51st state have galvanized patriotic resolve across this nation.

The primary goal of a throne speech is to set out the government’s priorities for the session ahead; this one did that, outlining Carney’s ambitious plans for the largest economic transformation since the Second World War, including middle-class tax cuts, affordable housing initiatives, immigration reform and the removal of interprovincial barriers to ensure free trade within the nation “by Canada Day.”

But the throughline of the speech was the disruption created by the erratic and largely irrational antics of the Trump administration. And while the address never mentioned the U.S. president by name, the emphasis on rebuffing Trump’s expansionist delusions was undeniable.

King Charles opened by expressing “deep pride and pleasure” at visiting at a time when Canadians are “coming together in a renewed sense of national pride, unity, and hope,” and made reference to the unique identity that makes Canada “a bold, ambitious, innovative country that is bilingual, truly multicultural, and committed to reconciliation.”

He also warned of the uncertainty of the currently unsettled global order, and the unprecedented challenges faced by Canadians as traditional trading relationships are changing — both clear references to Trump-induced turbulence.

The speech noted the new government’s intention to define a new economic and security relationship with the U.S., while at the same time enhancing relations with “reliable trading partners and allies around the world” to create “a coalition of like-minded countries that share (Canada’s) values, that believe in international co-operation and the free and open exchange of goods, services, and ideas.”

He concluded with a reminder from Canada’s national anthem: “The true north is indeed strong and free!”

Was the U.S. president paying attention? And if so, did he get the message?

The answer to the former is probably yes (Trump is a known royal-watcher), but a quick scan of his social media late Tuesday — which included the nonsensical suggestion Canada is “considering” his latest offer of security-focused annexation — shows the answer to the latter is “not likely.”

In the end, the King’s visit provided plentiful pomp, but propelled precious little in the way of a pivot.