King Charles III and Queen Camilla are expected to touch down in Ottawa today for a quick, two-day Canadian tour. But this trip by the royals—unlike some—isn’t intended as a sweet photo opportunity or a casual visit. Instead, Canadian officials say, it is an effort to remind President Donald Trump that—despite his repeated claims to the contrary—Canada has no interest in becoming the 51st state.
Along with Taylor Swift and trophy wives, in recent months Trump has fixated on Canada, saying in March that “If you look at a map, they drew an artificial line right through it, between Canada and the U.S. Just a straight, artificial line. Somebody did it a long time ago, many many decades ago. Makes no sense. It’s so perfect as a great and cherished state.”
Trump makes an excellent point about borders and how arbitrary they appear to be! But this was not the president’s heel-to-face turn on some of the more confounding aspects of US immigration policy. Instead, it was a declaration that our neighbor to the north should probably just belong to us because it’s sitting right there.
“Canada only works as a state,” the president said, following it confoundingly with “We don’t need anything they have.” But “As a state, it would be one of the great states anywhere. This would be the most incredible country, visually.”
Trump doubled down on that sentiment when speaking with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. After Carney told Trump that Canada is “not for sale,” Trump responded, “Never say never.” Soon thereafter, Carney extended an invitation to King Charles to come visit.
Then-Prince Charles, Prince of Wales arrives at Fredericton International Airport on May 20, 2012 in Fredericton, Canada.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
“The king, as head of state, will reinforce the power and the strength of that message,” Ralph Goodale, Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom says of the royal tour, which is expected to begin on Monday afternoon.
“We are the ‘true north strong and free,’ and we will stay that way.”
Charles is the official head of state in Canada, which remains a member of the British Commonwealth of former colonies. It’s more of a symbolic position these days, but as it’s enshrined in Canada’s constitution, the title remains.
During his visit, Charles will give the opening speech for Canada’s 45th parliament, which is typically delivered from a gilded throne in the senate. Charles will only be the second monarch to open a Canadian parliamentary session, preceded by his mother, Queen Elizabeth, in 1977.
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