King Charles III and Queen Camilla visit Canada House in London

The visit marked the 100th anniversary of Canada House, a magnificent building in London’s famous Trafalgar Square that houses Canada’s diplomatic mission in the UK and showcases Canadian art, music and culture.

During the visit, Charles and Camilla met with dignitaries including Ralph Goodale, Canada’s High Commissioner to the UK. The monarch was presented with a symbolic key, a relic of the one presented to King George V (Charles’ paternal grandfather) at the official opening of Canada House in June 1925. The key is made of Canadian bronze, silver and nickel.

In a video posted on the royal family’s official Instagram page, Charles and Camilla are seen touring various parts of the building, chatting to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (the Mantis) and staff, while a remix of Celine Dion’s hit song “I’m Alive” plays in the background.

Charles and Camilla are due to travel to Ottawa on May 26 and 27 to attend the opening of the new Canadian parliament. In a rare move, Charles will deliver the Speech from the Throne on May 27, setting out the priorities of Canada’s new Liberal government.

Normally, the speech is delivered by the Governor General of Canada, who is the monarch’s official representative in the country, but this time, at the request of Prime Minister Mark Carney, the monarch will attend. This will be Charles’ 20th visit to Canada but his first as monarch. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, also delivered similar speeches to Canada in 1957 and 1977.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said when announcing the news:

“This is a historic honour, fitting for the times and the importance of our times.”

Although Charles did not directly respond to former US President Donald Trump's recent comments about making Canada the 51st state of the United States, the trip is seen by many as a sign of Charles' support for Canadian independence and sovereignty.

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