Sarah Mills: Throne speech was a big moment for Canada - and King Charles
Sarah Mills says no monarch can ever surpass Queen Elizabeth II, but if there was moment to finally feel that King Charl...
OTTAWA — King Charles will formally open Parliament today by reading the speech from the throne — a rare event for Canada’s monarch.
Before reading the speech, the King will take part in a short parade through downtown Ottawa alongside Queen Camilla in a horse-drawn carriage.
The King and Queen will wrap up their royal visit later today.
Here’s the latest. All times Eastern.
—
9 a.m.
Members of Parliament are arriving at the Senate, where the King will read the throne speech in about two hours’ time.
They’re taking photos and greeting one another as they arrive.
A group of MPs will be at West Block this morning. There they’ll await the Usher of the Black Rod, who will knock on the doors of the House of Commons and invite them to the Senate to hear the speech.
—
8:30 a.m.
Early-bird royal watchers are lining up behind the barricades on Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
The King and Queen are set to begin their procession around 10 a.m. in a landau, a horse-drawn carriage, escorted by mounted RCMP officers. The entourage will head to the Senate building, where the King will receive full military honours, including a 21-gun salute.
The landau was built in Quebec and donated to Canada for royal visits.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2025.
The Canadian Press
