King Charles recently welcomed Canada’s newly sworn-in Prime Minister, Mark Carney, to Buckingham Palace, as the Commonwealth nation faces mounting tensions with the United States. The meeting took place on Monday afternoon in the 1844 Room of the royal residence, with Charles, who holds the title of King of Canada, wearing a red tie, possibly as a nod to Canada amidst ongoing trade disputes with Donald Trump. Charles, who must remain politically neutral, acknowledged the significance of such audiences, telling Mr Carney, “I know these things are rather important.”
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Mr Carney, who assumed office last week, agreed with the King’s sentiment and remarked that they had “much to catch up on,” recalling their last meeting in March 2020 while Carney was Governor of the Bank of England. Following the formal greeting, the pair had a private 30-minute discussion, in keeping with the royal tradition of private meetings between the monarch and the prime minister, free from the presence of aides.
In recent weeks, Charles has subtly signalled support for Canada in the face of Mr Trump’s threats, including wearing Canadian military honours, planting a maple tree at Buckingham Palace, and choosing to sit on a Canadian chair at the Commonwealth Service. Meanwhile, following his royal audience, Mr Carney visited Downing Street for talks with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Sir Keir, who faced criticism over his lack of support for Canada during his recent visit to the White House, expressed his pleasure at Mr Carney’s early visit to the UK, highlighting the strong, shared history and values between the two nations.
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Mr Carney’s visit to London marks his first overseas trip since taking office, and follows discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. His visit also comes as Canada continues to participate in conversations about contributing to a peacekeeping force in Ukraine. During the meeting with Sir Keir, Carney emphasised the “remarkable” history shared by the UK and Canada and praised the leadership of the UK in organising the coalition of nations aiding Ukraine. The Canadian Prime Minister also responded forcefully to the trade war instigated by Trump, particularly criticising the US president’s tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium and his repeated claims that Canada should become the 51st state of America.
