The Latest: MPs elect new Speaker as Ottawa welcomes King and Queen

OTTAWA — King Charles and Queen Camilla touched down in Ottawa today to begin their first visit to Canada since the King’s coronation two years ago.

Parliament also opened today and MPs voted to elect the next Speaker of the House of Commons.

Here’s the latest. All times Eastern.

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5:35 p.m.

King Charles meets leaders of national Indigenous groups.

ITK President Natan Obed was announced and entered the room. The King thanked him for coming and asked if it’s been two years since they last met. Obed said their last meeting was November 2023 and the King said “how fast the time goes by” with a chuckle.

The King invited Obed to sit and media was ushered out as they began to talk.

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4:30 p.m.

The King and Queen take part in photo ops. One is in the large drawing room at Rideau Hall, with Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife Diana Fox Carney. The second, which follows the Queen’s swearing-in as a member of the King’s Privy Council for Canada, is held in the reception room at Rideau Hall with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and Carney. —

4 p.m.

Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with the King.

A member of the Canadian Armed Forces announces the arrival of the prime minister, who enters the room and bows in front of the King before the two shake hands.

They speak in low voices. After the King says it’s great to be here, Carney replies, “It’s our honour to have you here.”

The pair sits down in front of the fireplace as the media is ushered out.

The King and Queen are also set to hold audiences today with the leaders of three Indigenous organizations — Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse, ITK President Natan Obed and Métis National Council President Victoria Pruden. This is an addition to the schedule and should happen at 5:15 pm.

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3:43 p.m.

The King and Simon sit down for a meeting that lasts about 20 minutes. The Governor General can be heard saying “welcome home” as the two shake hands.

Simon tells him that Canadians who came out to see him today are very happy. Responding in a low voice, the King says, “It’s very kind.”

The two sit down as representatives of media outlets are ushered out of the room.

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3:20 p.m.

At Rideau Hall, people in the crowd sing “God Save the King” as the royals shake hands with members of the public. As the King meets the lieutenant governors who represent him across Canada, he remarks that Canada is “huge.” Members of the crowd sing “O Canada” and yell “God Save the King” as the royals make their way inside.

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3 p.m.

The King and Queen arrive at Rideau Hall for a tree planting ceremony.

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2 p.m.

The King and Queen take part in a community gathering at Lansdowne Park which draws a large crowd. A small group of people chant, “God Save the King! God Save the King!”

The pair meet with local vendors and artisans and enjoy cultural performances. The King drops a puck to start a street hockey game.

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1:58 p.m.

The King and Queen arrive at Lansdowne Park.

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1:30 p.m.

Ballet Aztlan performs at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa ahead of the King’s arrival. Aztlan is the Aztec word for “lands of the gods.” Several groups are performing to showcase Canada’s unique mosaic of cultures.

Children from the African Hockey Association and l’Association de hockey féminin Vallée de Gatineau are set to play a street hockey game, with the King dropping the puck.

Honorary coaches are introduced before the game starts. They include former Senators defenceman Chris Phillips and Olympic soccer gold medalist Desiree Scott.

The receiving line for the King includes Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Steven Guilbeault and Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.

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1:30 p.m.

The King and Queen shake hands with people in the crowd before getting into a vehicle. They drive away with a motorcade. This afternoon, they’re expected to take part in a community gathering at Lansdowne Park and a ceremonial tree planting at Rideau Hall.

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1:15 p.m.

The plane carrying the King and Queen lands in Ottawa. Carney and Simon are on hand to greet the King and Queen at the airport.

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12:50 p.m.

Carney arrives at the Canada Reception Centre. Carney’s motorcade is followed closely by Simon’s. Both go directly inside to await the King and Queen. A RCAF band plays some warm-up tunes, including “Teddy Bear’s Picnic.”

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12:30 p.m.

Dozens of First Nations leaders from across the country gather in front of Parliament Hill with a message for the King: respect your treaty partners. The leaders say they also want the Liberals to take action on reforming the child welfare system, protecting traditional lands and building infrastructure desperately needed in Indigenous communities.

Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice Chief David Pratt says King Charles, and in turn Canada, should uphold and respect the treaty relationship they began with his ancestors. He says the relationship between First Nations and the Crown was not intended to be one-sided and that the Crown should not be dictating to them on how to live their lives.

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12:20 p.m.

MPs hold a moment of silence in the House of Commons for the victims of the April 26 car ramming in Vancouver, which killed 11 people and injured many others.

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12:15 p.m.

A large crowd of journalists has arrived at the Ottawa airport to await the arrival of the King and Queen.

Groups of schoolchildren have gathered inside the Canada Reception Centre about an hour before the plane is set to touch down.

A military band has been warming up.

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11:59 a.m.

Members of Parliament have chosen Quebec Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia to be their next Speaker of the House of Commons.

His election follows an unusually dramatic race that saw the only Conservative contenders drop out of the running at the last minute.

In his speech to the House making his pitch for the job, Scarpaleggia compared adjudicating parliamentary proceedings to hockey. There’s nothing wrong with a “board-rattling, polemical bodycheck in the corners,” he said, but the “problem is when sticks go high.”

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10:35 a.m.

Carney has issued a statement welcoming the King and Queen to Canada.

“The Royal Visit is a reminder of the bond between Canada and the Crown — one forged over generations, shaped by shared histories and grounded in common values. A bond that, over time, has evolved, just as Canada has, to reflect the strength, diversity and confidence of our people,” Carney said in the statement.

The prime minister said that tomorrow’s throne speech will describe the government’s plan “to define a new economic and security relationship with the United States, to build the strongest economy in the G7, to bring down the cost of living, and to keep communities safe.”

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9:31 a.m.

The candidates for Speaker each have been allotted five minutes to address the House before members vote by preferential secret ballot.

The vote is being presided over by Louis Plamondon, currently the longest-serving MP.

Liberal MP Greg Fergus, the last Speaker, is seeking to win the role back — although critics accused him in the last Parliament of being overly partisan.

He has presented himself as an experienced hand who has learned and grown into the role.

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9:02 a.m.

Newly elected MPs have gathered in the House of Commons to vote for their next Speaker and two candidates have already withdrawn from the running.

Conservative MPs Chris d’Entremont — a former deputy Speaker — and John Nater had put their names forward but withdrew at the last minute.

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8:51 a.m.

Simon says the presence of the King and Queen “at this pivotal moment in our history holds profound significance.”

She says their role in Canada is more than symbolic, and serves as a “cornerstone of the democratic freedoms and rights we cherish.”

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8 a.m.

Newly elected MPs will vote by secret ballot when Parliament returns today to decide who will become the next Speaker of the House of Commons.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2025.

Canadian Press Staff, The Canadian Press