and
Queen Camilla after the ceremonial planting of a
blue beech tree at
Rideau Hall May 26 In the morning, the King and Queen departed
RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, aboard a
CC-330 Husky aircraft of the
Royal Canadian Air Force with the callsign
ROYL 01. The
Governor General of Canada,
Mary Simon, issued a statement welcoming them, which ended with "Welcome home, Your Majesties." The King and Queen landed at
Macdonald-Cartier International Airport,
Ottawa where they were greeted by a guard of honour of
Royal Canadian Dragoons as well members of the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police and
Canada Border Services Agency in ceremonial dress; the governor general; Prime Minister
Mark Carney;
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario,
Edith Dumont; and
Indigenous leaders. The King and Queen travelled by motorcade to
Lansdowne Park and toured a nearby
farmers' market, before taking part in the
ceremonial puck drop at a youth hockey game. They greeted representatives from the
King's Trust Canada, a charitable organization founded by the King, while the watching crowd sang "
God Save the King" and .
May 27 The King and Queen departed Rideau Hall in the morning, travelling in the
State Landau of Canada, and escorted by the RCMP on horseback. Upon arriving at the
Senate of Canada Building, the temporary home of the
Senate of Canada, the King was greeted by a guard of honour of the
Royal Canadian Regiment and received full military honours, including a
21-gun salute and the playing of the royal anthem and national anthem. Whilst inspecting the honour guard, cheers of "God Save the King" were heard from the crowd. Accompanied by the Governor General and Prime Minister, the King and Queen watched a First Nations drum performance after entering the Senate building. in the senate chamber They then processed into the senate chamber, and took their seats on the
sesquicentennial thrones. Officially starting the new
session of the Canadian Parliament, the King began his speech with an Indigenous
land acknowledgement, referencing the
Algonquin Anishinaabeg people, and delivered parts of the speech in French. Charles and Camilla, accompanied by Prime Minister Carney, greeted crowds outside the senate building. The King and Queen then moved to the
National War Memorial and paid their respects at the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, laying a wreath and greeting veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces. The ceremony ended with the King and Queen receiving a final farewell royal salute of "O Canada" from the
Royal Canadian Air Force Band and a flyover by RCAF fighter jets. The King and Queen then said goodbye to officials gathered, and waved to the crowds before departing for the airport. The King thanked the police, military and civil authorities who had helped the trip, before boarding
ROYL01 and departing Canada. To mark the visit, the Government of Canada donated $50,000 to the
King's Trust on behalf of all Canadians, reflecting its commitment to youth and inclusion. The government's invitation to the King to read the speech was criticized by the
Bloc Québécois, which referred to him as a "foreign monarch" and called the move "disrespectful" of the
Québécois people. The Bloc protested by boycotting the throne speech and announcing that they will table a private member's bill to end the requirement for MPs to pledge loyalty to the monarch. ==Commentary==