Date: 2025-07-04 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00028588
CANADA
IN ADVANCE OF KING CHARLE'S VISIT
CBC News: Canada prepares for King Charles’s historic two-day visit
IN ADVANCE OF KING CHARLE'S VISIT
CBC News: Canada prepares for King Charles’s historic two-day visit
Original article: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6C8--TkCDY
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess
- 0:00
- in just over 24 hours King Charles III
- will touch down in the capital for a
- whirlwind 2-day visit The king is coming
- at the request of the prime minister to
- open the 45th Parliament and deliver the
- throne speech which will lay out the
- Liberal government's agenda The last
- time a monarch delivered the throne
- speech was in 1977 Just days ago King
- Charles celebrated the 100th anniversary
- of Canada House in London Canada's high
- commissioner in the United Kingdom Ralph
- Goodell was there of course with the
- king to mark the special occasion And
- Ralph Goodell joins me now live from
- London this morning Good morning Mr
- Goodell Nice to see you Good morning
- Rosie How are you I am good Uh I want to
- start with the last time a monarch
- delivered the throne speech It was Queen
- Elizabeth uh King Charles's mother
- obviously in 1977 And without giving
- away your age Mr Goodale I I believe you
- were in the House for that speech or you
- were in the Senate um for that moment
- and and I wonder what you remember about
- it Uh well it was a a very special
- occasion As as you know in these
- procedures uh the senators get to sit in
- 1:02
- their usual places and all the official
- guests sit in and around the Senate
- floor The members of the House of
- Commons crowd into the lobby area at the
- end of the Senate They are commoners uh
- treading on the uh on the on the
- Senate's turf So they don't get past the
- bar they have to stand kind of outside
- the door on the doorstep Uh so I was uh
- among a couple of hundred MPs uh trying
- to crowd into the into the lobby that
- day It was a very special day when when
- uh when the head of state in person uh
- is is opening uh parliament that is the
- that is the pinnacle of our our
- democracy and our our our freedoms and
- our sovereignty and it's a very special
- time to be there So virtually all the
- MPs were crowded into that uh small
- space Uh what I remember of uh of that
- speech is her majesty talking about her
- affection for Canada uh and her uh her
- 2:02
- pride at the success of the country uh
- over the uh the years particularly uh
- during her reign So this this visit this
- and this uh throne speech is is coming
- at the request of the prime minister the
- prime minister asked the king to do this
- Um and obviously it will be the
- government's message but there there is
- an opportunity for his majesty to to say
- some of his own words either about the
- country or other things And I wonder
- what what you might expect there and
- whether you think the king will uh
- either overtly or subtly talk about
- Canada's sovereignty
- Uh well I I I have no knowledge
- whatsoever of what's in the throne
- speech or uh or what the monarch might
- add as as you point out Sure Um whether
- it's whether it's the the sovereign in
- person or the governor general as the
- representative of the sovereign Uh they
- do have the prerogative to add a few
- words uh to the throne speech I think
- we'll just have to uh wait until Tuesday
- 3:01
- and and see what uh uh what transpires
- But I I I think it is an important
- moment Yeah Uh it's an impactful moment
- Uh there's obviously a lot of uh
- geopolitical turbulence in the world
- There's economic turbulence in the world
- Uh and it uh it is important for uh for
- the sovereign to to be performing this
- function uh in person Um this is this is
- really following very closely a
- precedent set by Queen Elizabeth II Uh
- when she delivered her first throne
- speech for Canada back in 1957 It was
- immediately after an election The
- election had generated a somewhat
- surprising and controversial result Uh
- there was a minority parliament and a
- new prime minister Uh well all of those
- factors are together again This will be
- King Charles first visit as reigning
- monarch although he's visited Canada 19
- times before This will be his 20th visit
- 4:00
- but the first is reigning monarch And
- he's performing that that critical
- constitutional function of opening the
- dulyeleed democratic parliament of
- Canada And that's a that's a powerful
- symbol You met with the king just uh
- last week to commemorate the 100th
- anniversary of Canada House which is
- remarkable in it of itself What was that
- meeting like uh Mr Goodale I I know
- you've you've seen you've met the king
- many times previously of course when he
- was prince as well What what uh what did
- he have to say about Canada just last
- week
- Well he he he has deep affection for uh
- uh for Canada Uh and his uh his love for
- the country is something that he has uh
- expressed on on on many occasions Um he
- was uh once in Newfoundland and talked
- about uh Canada getting into his
- bloodstream and and uh rather poetically
- then said and that flows directly to my
- heart Um and it was those kinds of
- sentiments again uh Canada occupies a a
- 5:03
- very special place in the uh in the
- hearts and the minds and in the
- constitutional functions of the royal
- family uh and uh it is it is significant
- that uh uh despite considerations about
- health or other matters uh he's
- determined to make this visit himself I
- want to ask you a couple of uh more
- political questions One about trade Um I
- I I'm going to speak to the UK high
- commissioner to Canada later and
- obviously we talk about the the trade
- deal between Canada and the UK which is
- stalled and has been for some time Do
- you have the sense that because of what
- is happening in the world um that there
- is a renewed priority or interest in the
- United Kingdom to try and get that deal
- done with Canada Well we actually have a
- full-fledged free trade agreement
- between Canada UK It's it's it was it
- was implemented right at the end of of
- Brexit Yes uh and it gives each of us uh
- 6:00
- 99% tariff-free and quote access to each
- other's markets So that all that uh
- remains to be discussed is that
- remaining 1% Of course all of the tough
- issues are in the remaining 1% But we
- both what we both agreed upon is we will
- continue to work it at uh at that uh
- small margin that's left But we need to
- take advantage of the
- 99% that is uh that is already
- negotiated settled implemented and
- signed Uh there's a there's plenty of
- room uh in areas like critical minerals
- for example Uh AI as another example the
- digital economy uh science technology
- and and innovation Uh we are both for
- each other major sources and
- destinations for foreign direct
- investment all of that can grow and
- flourish Uh and if some markets are
- getting more difficult then let's focus
- on where we both really want to do
- 7:01
- business with each other Uh and there's
- plenty of good business to be done So I
- think the potential for for growth and
- success economically growing
- partnerships uh is is is very real One
- of the the first things that the prime
- minister did even before the election
- was of course as you know to to visit
- London and he has since then uh tried to
- I think strengthen even further the ties
- between Canada and the United Kingdom
- and France as well Uh but he he did that
- either through uh partnership on on the
- coalition of the willing with the prime
- minister Starmer Uh there was a
- statement around the Middle East that
- Canada signed on to last week How is
- that being received This this sense that
- Canada is trying to reestablish those um
- those ties at a time when our
- relationship with the United States is
- strained to say the least Oh I I think
- it's very welcome in the UK Uh we have a
- a longstanding relationship It goes back
- hundreds of years If you put it in
- dollar terms it's worth about $500
- 8:02
- billion in investment and trade Um but
- it's really it's really more than just
- dollars and cents It is all of that
- accumulated lived experience with one
- another The trust and respect that uh
- that comes with that uh the uh the
- promotion and defense of common values
- around the world that we've worked on
- together for for generations uh there's
- a there's a real feeling that I think in
- in the economic sphere uh but perhaps
- even more so in security defense
- intelligence in the geopolitical issues
- of the day that there are there are
- great opportunities to deepen and
- broaden the partnership in the best
- interests of both countries Do you think
- uh Mr that the king understands how
- Canadians are feeling about the threats
- um against Canada made by the president
- over the past number of months though
- not recently but but in the past Uh I I
- I I think he's uh he's he's got that
- sentiment pretty clearly He's uh met
- 9:01
- with the former prime minister and the
- current prime minister uh he's met with
- uh other distinguished Canadians like
- indigenous leaders for example uh and
- leftenant governors that that come
- through town uh to make their official
- audience with the with with the king Um
- I I think yes he uh he is uh he is very
- well tuned uh to the type of issues that
- Canadians are facing and the strong
- sentiments among Canadians about those
- issues They're very much on his mind
- Ralph Goodale always nice to see you
- Thank you for making the time for us
- this morning even though it's evening
- there Appreciate it very much My
- pleasure Thank you Okay
- To talk more about the king's visit I'm
- joined by royal commentator Rafe Hedel
- Manu Thank you so much for being here
- Rafe
- A great pleasure Just want to start with
- the fact that the king is coming Uh I
- know that this has been something that
- you know they had been talking about
- doing for some time uh his his health
- 10:02
- got in the way and now he is making this
- first trip to Canada as king How how big
- a deal is this It it's hugely important
- As you said this visit has been delayed
- obviously from when it was first
- intended This will be the king's 20th
- official visit to Canada And there is no
- realm in the Commonwealth which the
- monarchy has visited more than Canada
- actually Uh it's it's always been a
- favorite realm of of of the of the
- monarchy Hugely important at this time
- as well to come But for the king
- personally an extremely important
- occasion for him to introduce himself to
- his Canadian people Uh the queen used to
- say her Queen Elizabeth II I have to be
- seen to be believed And that applies to
- the monarchy more general If the
- monarchy is more present in Canada
- people will get to understand the value
- and the role that it has to play
- Particularly of course at this time when
- tensions with America have never been uh
- more intense And I think the the the
- value of the monarchy as an asset as a
- symbol of sovereignty uh is wonderful to
- 11:01
- see being utilized in this way Well let
- me ask you a bit more about that before
- I turn to to the throne speech and the
- significance there Um you know there
- were some subtle um nods that the king
- did to Canada as as the president was
- calling Canada the 51st state But when
- the prime minister asked uh King Charles
- to come and deliver the throne speech
- was that viewed as uh a way to reassure
- Canadians or reassert Canada's
- sovereignty h how are we supposed to
- interpret that move do you think Yes To
- have the king of Canada deliver the
- speech from the throne of his majesty's
- government is about as strong an
- assertion of Canadian sovereignty as
- you'll find And it's clearly intended to
- show the soft power of the monarchy
- which of course we know is very
- respected by Donald Trump This is a man
- who had great respect for her late
- majesty Queen Elizabeth has great
- respect for the king as well but for the
- institution of the monarchy more
- generally He's also going to be going on
- a state visit to Britain and so have
- understanding all of that maybe maybe he
- 12:01
- didn't even know that that the king was
- king of Canada as well as king of
- Britain As you say the king has made
- every effort to remind people that he is
- just as much king of Canada as he is
- king of Britain in recent months but
- this is going to be the most obvious and
- visual demonstration of that And I I
- think that's great to see It's a shame
- that the Canadian government took so
- long to actually remember the importance
- of the monarchy Many Canadian
- monarchists wanted Queen Elizabeth to
- come over in 2012 and in 2002 to open
- parliament for her diamond and golden
- jubilees as she did for her silver
- jubilee But for the past 30 or 40 years
- the Canadian government has tried to as
- it sees Canadianize the institution by
- focusing just on the governor general
- However it's at times of great crisis
- actually that the value of the monarchy
- can be seen and appreciated You know the
- queen was as Queen Elizabeth II came
- over during the 1990 when you had the
- great Quebec referendum threatened to
- break up the nation and she said at that
- time I'm not just a fair weather friend
- I'm here for the for the difficult times
- 13:01
- too And that's a phrase I suppose could
- apply just as equally to today and to
- King Charles Yeah And the last time
- obviously a monarch delivered the throne
- speech was uh Queen Elizabeth II in 1977
- So how is it being viewed this trip um
- in the UK I is it being viewed as this
- is part of his duty as as king Um is it
- being viewed as a sort of a
- demonstration that his health is
- improving Give me a sense of how people
- are talking about it there
- is actually making a lot more news here
- than you would expect from previous
- royal visits and tours that that we've
- seen over the years Part of that of
- course is because of the context in
- which it's happening geopolitically in
- North America A lot of interest in that
- but also of course it's great to see
- that his majesty is now unable to
- undertake overseas visits You know he
- was in Italy of course the last head of
- state to have a meeting with the Pope
- Francis And this is just another way in
- which we can all draw encouragement from
- that But also of course that there's
- great interest to see of course that the
- king is actually being incorporated into
- Canadian life Now you know Prime
- 14:01
- Minister Carney formerly Governor
- General of the Bank of England There's
- recognition of him here as well But his
- brother actually Mark Carney's brother
- has a role in the in the in the British
- royal household here at Kensington
- Palace too So it's good to see those
- links between the Commonwealth being
- strengthened all the more particularly
- of course when Canada needs friends and
- allies around the world Royal
- commentator Rafe Hadel Manu Thank you so
- much for this Appreciate it very much
- Great pleasure Thank you so much Of
- course we'll have lots of special
- programming around the visit of King
- Charles Tune in tomorrow for the CBC
- News special The King in Canada hosted
- by chief correspondent Adrienne Arseno
- That begins at 12:30 Eastern 9:30
- Pacific And then on Tuesday I'll be
- hosting CBC's special coverage of the
- speech from the throne That begins at
- 9:00 a.m Eastern 6 Pacific You can catch
- it here on CBC News Network on CBC
- television or wherever you stream CBC
- News Lots of things happening this week
- King Charles will be following as we
- said in his mother's footsteps in
- 15:00
- delivering the throne speech speech
- rather Tuesday will mark the third time
- a monarch has opened a new session of
- Parliament the last time almost 50 years
- ago during Queen Elizabeth II's reign I
- have always been full of admiration for
- what Canada is The new generation fill
- me with confidence for what Canada can
- become
- Queen Elizabeth also delivered the
- throne speech in 1957 during her first
- visit to Canada as reigning monarch
- Television cameras appeared in the House
- of Commons and the Senate for the first
- time as the CBC broadcast that speech
- right across the country As we head to
- break we'll leave you with some of those
- moments You're watching RBL
- I wish to express to you and to the
- people of Canada my gratitude and that
- of my husband for the warmth of the
- loyalty and affection with which we have
- been welcomed here in
- Canada As I now address you here for the
- first
- 16:00
- time I will call to your minds the words
- of the earlier
- Elizabeth when more than three centuries
- ago she spoke from her heart to the
- speaker and members of her last
- parliament and said 'Though God hath
- raised me high yet this I count the
- glory of my crown that I have reigned
- with your loves
- [Music]