The King and Queen are Here

King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Ottawa today

King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Ottawa today, and although their two-day visit is very short, it is loaded with significance.

When Prime Minister Mark Carney stopped in London in March before the federal elections, he paid a visit to the king, asking him if he would visit Canada and read the speech from the throne if Carney won.

It's a brilliant move by Carney to show US President Donald Trump that Canada is a distinctive country of its own with strong historical ties to Britain. 

The king held private talks with Carney

The pomp and circumstance these two days provide an opportunity for Canada to show itself off in a positive light globally, and signal the country is on track to stand its ground in the wake of threats of annexation.

King Charles has subtly shown his support for Canada in recent months by wearing Canadian medals and calling himself the king of Canada, and describes the flag as "a symbol that never fails to elicit a sense of pride and admiration."

The last time a monarch read the speech from the throne was back in 1977 by Queen Elizabeth II; she also read it 20 years earlier. Almost 50 years later, her son will do the same.

It should be interesting to hear the contents of the speech, particularly the choice of diction and phrases.

However, not everyone will be listening. The Bloc Quebecois have decided to skip the speech, and in fact are trying to make the oath of allegiance to the king optional.

Nevertheless, it's an historic visit that Canadians in Ottawa turned out in droves to see the royal couple, proving once again how Trump's threats only make us want to embrace our ties to the King even more.