King Charles landed in Canada's capital Ottawa on Monday for a highly symbolic visit showing support for the nation that recognises him as its sovereign but is coveted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a 51st U.S. state, APA reports citing Reuters.
Travelling with his wife Queen Camilla, the king met on the airport tarmac with Prime Minister Mark Carney and Governor General Mary Simon, his representative in Canada.
Following an invitation from Carney, Charles will open parliament on Tuesday, the first time a British monarch has carried out the duty since his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, did so 68 years ago.
The 76-year-old king is undergoing cancer treatment, which has limited his workload, so the two-day trip shows his commitment to Canada, one of 15 countries where he is monarch.
Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to annex Canada, a proposition fiercely rebuffed by Carney, whose election win last month came partly on the back of that stance.
"The prime minister has made it clear that Canada is not for sale now, is not for sale ever," Canada's envoy to the UK, Ralph Goodale, told reporters during a visit last week by Charles to Canada's high commission.
"The king, as head of state, will reinforce the power and the strength of that message."
Charles has made subtle signals of his backing for Canada in recent months, wearing Canadian medals, calling himself the king of Canada, and describing its flag as "a symbol that never fails to elicit a sense of pride and admiration."
Follow us on Telegram
t.me/apanewsaz
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
