The Royals with Roya and Kate - Diplomatic Diamonds - how the King and Queen help Canada shine

Episode Date: May 27, 2025

"Welcome home" shouted the crowd welcoming the King and Queen in Ottawa at they started their whirlwind visit to Canada - and Roya and Kate were there too! Amid tensions between Canada and the United States the inference was clear: No matter what they’re called in Britain, Charles and Camilla are the King and Queen of Canada. After months of subtle signs of support for Canada in its trade war with the US, this visit was the full seal of approval - but how well are the Royals walking the diplomatic tightrope? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome back to the Royals where we unpack the people, politics and patentee of the British monarchy. I'm Roya Nikar. And I'm Kate Mansi. Today we are coming to you from Ottawa, where we've been with the King and Queen on their visit to Canada. Yes, this is the King's first trip here as monarch and it's much more than just a ceremonial tour

because how does this visit reaffirm Canadian sovereignty? And at a time when Canada is at odds with President Donald Trump, what will King Charles do to negotiate a tricky diplomatic tightrope? Now, Roya, the King and Queen are on a historic visit to Ottawa on May 26th and 27th, and here we are too. We are here.

We arrived only a few hours ago. So how did you find the flight? Well, I tell you what, I enjoyed the flight because when I went to check in at RAF Bries Norton to make my way onto the Canadian government plane, my name on my boarding pass was Kate. I do know because you told me for joy earlier on but please tell the listeners. It wasn't rare. My boarding pass said Royal Nikar, Royal with an L so I think that's new branding for us here Kate. Yeah but they missed the HRH. They did miss the HRH. We made our way onto the flight, the flight number was Royal One. Yes it was, yeah there we were on the Canadian, one of the new Husky jets,

one of nine new jets acquired by the Canadian government. Thanks Mark Carney for the wheels. Thanks Mark Carney for the ride. Obviously as King of Canada it's on the Canadian dime so they come over, they pick up King and Queen when they're visiting Canada. And us. And us.

Crucially. Hi. In the back. We turn right, they turn left. And yeah it has been a bit of a whirlwind so far. It's been a very long day. We're packed it in there, haven't they? And they hit the ground running. So arriving in Ottawa, Mark Carney was there to greet them

and Royal Dragoon Guards. So Kate, it's a massive coup for Mark Carney to get the King here as quickly as he has for the state opening of Parliament, pretty much within weeks of him being elected as Prime Minister and all the symbolism of having the King of Canada here to read out Mark Carney and the Canadian government's words in that state opening Parliament. Huge coup. This is why it matters now, isn't it? So we were told last

year there was going to maybe be a spring visit, of course the King had cancer that was put on the back burner, then we had a huge election and Mark Carney's come in off the back of that. Now it was really interesting to see, not only did he meet them at the airport but he's been playing host the whole time they've been here. He's going to be glued to the King isn't he, he's going to be shattering him. So we've gone off the plane, got down to Lansdowne Park which was the first engagement and we had crowds of people behind barriers. It was heaving wasn't it? It was heaving, really hot midday sun and we had

people shouting welcome home to the king because of course that's what the late Queen used to always say that she always felt that she was at home when she came to Canada But Carly got a very good reception as well because he's the man, you know that they elected in To stick it to Donald Trump and he duly did that in the Oval Office He said Canada's not for sale, but there were people taking selfies with him You know, they were saying mr. Prime minister and God save the king and you know, there was a huge raptious welcome I think. Well it's gonna be a fascinating visit we're only here for less than 24 hours and on the surface it's a very quick two-day trip for the King and Queen but we know Kaye don't we this visit is absolutely laden

with political weight because from domestic Canadian unity to cross-border tensions with America every moment of this trip has been carefully scrutinized and we noticed that already the diplomatic diamonds are out aren't they because the Queen when she came off the plane the diplomatic diamond the diplomatic diamonds was wearing the diamond maple leaf brooch which King George VI gave to the Queen Mother in 1939 and the late Queen Elizabeth wore it so many times didn't she in Canada and we've seen the Princess of Wales wear it in Canada as well. So already that was you know a big sign that we're here to support. That 1939 trip

was very important at the time as well because that came just a few months before the Second World War and it was a two month visit from King George VI and the Queen Mother, as we know her. And they toured Canada, trying to shore up that transatlantic support for Britain at a time that it really needed allies in North America. And, you know, all those parallels are coming into play. Even before the King and Queen arrived Canada's new Prime Minister praised the historic ties between Canada and the UK and he said that crises only fortify that bond. He's talking about the crises

that are happening in the world today obviously what's going on with the trade wars that Donald Trump has said that Canada's the 51st state. We're much better off being the 51st state and Mark Carney keeps saying it's not for sale. He said it again in the White House the other day didn't he? He kept you know Trump won't let it go he keeps talking about it and Carney sat there bit his tongue kept his calm and just said you're a man you know in real estate you know something's never for sale and our country's never for sale. So today we've had Charles and Camilla arrive in Ottawa, they've gone to Lansdowne Park, they've done this community event, a bit of culture, a bit of a food market. This evening or late this afternoon we had Charles having an

official audience with Mark Carney at Riddohall which is the official residence of the Governor General and we had Camilla being sworn in as a member of the Peruvian Council here which means that technically she can now advise and support Charles on matters of Canadian state affairs which is quite interesting. Yeah in the same way that Prince Philip did of course when he was consort. I think oh to be a fly on the wall in that audience because we were allowed in just to see just a few seconds at the top. Yeah. And then out you go. And then they have the private chat. Because of course Mark Carney and his government have written this speech for Charles which he's going to deliver and he's only going

to be the second British monarch to do the state opening of parliament. The late queen did it in 1957. So it's a very, very big deal and there's all eyes gonna be on him and all ears gonna be on every word of that speech Last week Perry Bellegarde who's a chief Indigenous leader here and he was over at Canada House. He described as a huge deal the throne's yeah What they're calling the throne speech that he will deliver this speech from the throne It will be the words of the government, you know their new policies, but there will be flourishes from the king You know, we expect to hear how much affection he has for Canada You know, he's spoken in the past about how it runs in his bloodstream

And of course, we know that the Queen Actually literally that is the case for the Queen because she has connections here So she's a great great great granddaughter of Sir Alan McNabb Who was Prime Minister of the United Province of Canada And he lived in Hamilton, Ontario, so she can claim a bloodline going back to the country We're here for that tomorrow army was it was fun today. It was great They were talking about the two peas the public and Parliament the two elements of the visit Yeah, we did the public today, but Parliament will be the big deal. Parliament's gonna be the biggie. So why does Charles coming and

opening the State of Parliament actually matter and what's the significance? Well we've touched on it earlier that you know at the moment Canada feels very buffeted and slightly attacked by America and by Donald Trump and we have the King coming here as King of Canada. Of course he's King of the United Kingdom but King of Canada and what Canadians really want to see I think from him is him standing up for Canada and standing up to Trump in that speech which makes it slightly tricky doesn't it? You have the expectations of the

Canadians, you have the expectations of Mark Carney wanting, you know, the king to deliver a punchy message you have all the diplomacy of a King having to be above politics and not get involved in all that and one of the things that was quite interesting that I put Up on last week speaking to someone who's been across this visit was that they had picked up that the Canadian government Had been lobbied by the British government, please don't get the King involved in any kind of diplomatic hoo-ha with Donald Trump in that speech. And the Canadians have really resisted that and been very keen on ramming whatever point they want to home by that speech. Yeah, because this is him wearing the two hats, isn't it? Yeah. This is the problem

with being head of state for Canada and head of state for the UK. Now Carney's made it quite clear that Canadians didn't think it was very helpful that the King extended an invitation to Donald Trump as head of state for the UK for him to come to the UK. He's very second state. Pretty annoyed about it, isn't he? Yeah, and he put it on the public didn't he think, well I know the Canadians don't really like that But he but that's that's the role that that Charles now finds himself in that You know that isn't something that he would be doing as head of state for Canada But that is something that he was requested to do by the British government It's all these different roles because the here is King of Canada like he is in the other Commonwealth realms that still have him

As head of state so the diplomatic tightrope is he's got to come to Canada as King of Canada, he's got to show Canadians he's got their back and he's got to show Mark Carney he's got the new Prime Minister's back and he's got to not annoy Donald Trump and not have caused any offence to Donald Trump. Frank I think he'll be absolutely fine with that because Donald Trump is so reverential and has so much respect for Charles that I don't think any strong messages from the House of Parliament here is going to personally offend Donald Trump. But I think what's interesting here is his other test here is to really show Canadians what the monarchy is for because when I was talking to some Canadians last week, you know, before we came here and you know a

lot of people here are not purely for constitutional monarchy anymore. The Canadians are much more ambivalent about that relationship now. Why do we have a king representing us from the other side of the Atlantic? There's a woman called Pauline Newton who's known Mark Carney for a very long time and she's a CNN anchor here and correspondent and she said that actually it's interesting since Trump started banging on about the 51st date that support for the monarchy here is slightly uplifted she posed the question if you don't have the King here in Ottawa in Parliament standing up for Canadians and the Commonwealth what's the monarchy for?

I think that's exactly what he does intend to do I think Canada is a really important realm for him and he wants to maintain that bond and maintain that relationship and maintain the link to the monarchy and he can come away from this visit with people going that's what the monarchy is for that's exactly it to show to reinforce this message by Mark Carney that Canada's not for sale that it's you know as Ralph Goodell the the High Commissioner for Canada in the UK last week was saying that that's what the visit will do. It will reinforce that message to Trump and that idea that, you know, it comes from the Canadian anthem, that we are the true North, strong and free, and that the wording, I think, of tomorrow's message will be key

the optics are gonna look quite different on there because a state opening of Parliament here is Not quite as fancy as in the UK. So there are no there will be a carriage There will be an open top carriage where the state lander But there won't be a crown. They won't be wearing their crowns, they won't be wearing their robes of state like they do. It's a little bit more low-key, but I think that's not going to distract from the significance of it. It's going to be, as people have said, a huge deal. And we're going to be in the press gallery, aren't we, watching it? Which is going to be quite a moment, I think.

I think you're going to have this procession. They're going to go down Wellington Wellington the old Historic Street you're gonna have horses in front horses behind you're gonna have the Mounties you're going to have All the kind of bells and whistles of that kind of somber moment Followed by laying of the wreath of the tomb of the unknown soldier Afterwards and I think that will be a really key point because there they will be looking a direct link between war, wars where Canadians and Brits have served alongside each other. They'll be paying respect to those who've lost their lives in the pursuit of freedom and you know we've had hints of that of course today although it was quite jolly know, there were sports events down at the Public Community Centre. There were hints of it as well because Kamila met people who were helping

people in Ukraine, Ukrainians living in Canada who are helping women out there in the war zone. You had... She was quite pointed actually. I was listening to what she was saying. It was an organisation here, the Ukrainian Canadian Social Services, and they work with a foundation that supports women in Ukraine who've lost children or loved ones because of the conflict and they sell scart and all the money goes back to support women in Ukraine. And she was very pointed in talking about how important their work is and the Royal Family's support for Ukrainian Ukrainian people she made a point of saying to the volunteers and people that

work with those organizations how important that was I thought that was quite interesting that she said that. Yeah I think yeah I think it was I think that there was another element wasn't there a freedom so we had a hymn to freedom just as they were leaving that kind of public engagement and then you know it was a kind of a kid orchestra, a youth orchestra essentially. But then, you know, everything has been chosen. It feels, it all feels very deliberate. It's all very choreographed, isn't it? Absolutely.

The choreography is very, it's very carny, isn't it? The choreography, he's not missing a trick here. Even before they landed landed he issued a message saying 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, confidence of our people. His Majesty King Charles III will deliver a speech from the throne in the Senate chamber nearly 70 years after Canada's sovereign first open Parliament. This historic honour matches the weight of our

times, it speaks to our enduring tradition and friendship, to the vitality of our constitutional monarchy and our distinct identity and the clincher and to the historic ties that crises only fortify. So he's going to be making the most of this time I think, Connie. It's a bit of a coup for him to get him over here at this time. It's all worked out rather well and all eyes on the Senate. We talk about choreography here. The choreography of state visits is quite interesting at the moment because this is not a state visit but Charles is over here.

It's a huge deal for the state opening of parliament. It's very visual. It's going to travel around the world. It'll travel to the White House and beyond. Then we've got Macron coming in July for the state visit and then Trump after that probably in September. So this trip although he's here on beha- you know at the request of the Canadian government you know it's Keir Starmer and the government are going to be watching it very closely as to how that choreography plays out and how things are sort of set between Canada and America and the UK after this visit. And I think you know this was a very last-minute invitation and the fact that the King came and the government were keen for him to come shows that we are you know, this was a very last minute invitation and the fact that the King came

and the government were keen for him to come shows that we are, you know, through the visual symbolism of the crown being here, we are setting out our priorities in terms of our partners all over the world and possibly what order they come in. What's really interesting as well is the relationship that Charles is going to have with Carney and it's already, I think...

They're all buddies, aren't they? They already know each other, you know, from when Carney was leading the Bank of... I mean, it was the Bank of Canada. He did lead the Bank of Canada, then led the Bank of England. Sean Carney, his brother, works for Prince William in the royal household. Does all their money. And Carney's big thing of course is the economy and the economic impact of climate change. Yes, because he has been a kind of a major leader on it's been some of the work he's done that has been really interesting. Well after the Bank of England he was then, and where wasn't he to the UN on climate issues where, you know, you can imagine how much work

there. Charles would have thought that was absolutely right up history because he's an advocate for, he's sort of like a bit of a John Kerry figure, isn't he, Charles, in that he was a, you know, someone who's done, had a sort of leadership role, then gone to the UN, then, you know, made the environment his big kind of champion kind of cause and he's a liberal. Well I think he agrees with John Kerry in that he thinks that there will be World War Zero and that will be the fight that we will have against climate change to save the planet essentially and Charles is... So it's a meeting of the mind isn't it, Carney and Charles? Yeah, and Charles agrees with that.

There's even a chat on the tour here one of the ministers Stephen Gilbo who Scaled the CN tower in 2001 to ensure that the Kyoto Protocol was ratified And so he Carney is surrounded himself by kind of green campaigners as well So I think it could be really interesting going forward the honey King Charles as well. So I think it could be really interesting going forward, the tiny King Charles partnership. Not that there wasn't, you know, warm feelings before, but I do think there could be a real fire under this relationship now.

Most Commonwealth experts you speak to will say that Canada is considered the most important realm to the UK in terms of Commonwealth realms. Why is that more important than Australia, just because Australia is always on the brink of pulling away? Well the monarch's role here is symbolic but it's been essential to the state's legitimacy since 1867. The Statute of Westminster in 1931 gave Canada full legal independence from Britain but crucially Kate the monarchy remained by Canadian choice as a Canadian

institution. Now Canadians as we know are much more ambivalent about that than they are you know than they were back in the day things have changed and even from you know the time of Queen Elizabeth's state opening of Parliament here in 1957 there was was a much stronger, I think, feeling of ties towards the constitutional monarchy than there is now, just because the country has evolved. But even as they step, I mean, the history goes even further back, doesn't it? Because even as they were walking across the map, the giant map on the floor of the House,

Canada House last week, Trafalgar Square, there are points of historical importance on the map and a lot of those along the border with the US are from the 1812 war in which Britain fought America, for Canada, with Canadian allies essentially and blood was spilled on that border that you know Trump seems to be thinking is some sort of fictitious line that's just been created. And what does, you know, I suppose it's interesting when you see the choreography and the optics of Charles and Camilla, the King and Queen, here for two days, what does it mean? What does it mean for the Crown to be here? When countries like Canada come under threat and fire and instability or attempts of

instability from the likes of Donald Trump, who, you know, Canada has seen America as an ally for, you know, Canada has seen America as an ally for, you know, such a long time. Suddenly it's finding itself under threat. Is it that Canadians feel having Charles and Camilla here, you know, the sort of the visualization of the crown and sovereignty, does that add to the stability of the nation? Does it make them feel a bit more rooted? I don't know, it's an open-ended question. But what I think we are gonna hear a lot of in that speech,

echoing what we've heard a lot of from Mark Carney in the last couple of months, is that word sovereignty. That Canada is sovereign and independent, and we'll always stand on its own two feet. And free. And be sovereign. And for the king to be saying that, it's like him sort of saying you

know we are the monarchy is that the lines that sort of goes through the stability of this country in its history. Yeah I mean there were there have been moments when they nearly break away so in Quebecois in the 1990s it very very narrowly came to a kind of a breakaway as Quebec breaking away from the rest of the country. And you and I have been to Montreal and Quebec. I studied in Montreal. And McGill.

Yeah, university. We were there on that tour, weren't we, in 2011 with William and Kate? Yeah, and I think there's an affinity, the French element, there is an affinity to Europe, I think. And increasingly, I think, you know, people you speak to anecdotally here say that they feel they have more in common with Europe than they do With a Donald Trump USA and I think we were I suspect we will hear the king speaking partly in French in that speech Definitely well, yeah you know people were speaking to him today in French and he was speaking with a French back and

Speaking in English back sometimes but he does have a really good understanding of French Which comes in handy when you're in a country like Canada. It certainly does. Now Kate you mentioned earlier on Camilla's got some very strong ties to Canada. Quite historic. Historic ties. The King has historic concurrent ties to Canada beyond just being the King in Canada because I know I've written about this, I suspect you have, we've definitely put some wonderful pictures to it,

but over the years when people have marked on the King's fitness and his physique and his trimness, he keeps in shape by doing exercises every day, the Canadian Air Force exercises. Do you remember a few years ago when he went to Cuba, when he was photographed in his swimming shorts at the beach, much to the then press secretary's absolute horror until The then press secretary had a light bulb movement that he realized these photos were actually Really rather good and the King looked rather good than them and there wasn't much he could do about stopping people using them And then we all did write-ups of how the King assiduously followed his Canadian Air Force Military exercises.

We heard about Prince Harry's autobiography, Spare, as well. Yes. His father would do kind of headstands and things like that in the morning. And sometimes you burst into his study and he'd be behind the other side of the door doing a headstand against the door and you sort of folder into him. So, yeah, I think he has stayed there. And he's he's followed that Canadian RAF. Shall we see on the flight back if there's a manual for them?

I've seen the manuals. They're pretty hardcore. But actually if you just do a few minutes a day, I could be bothered. They're supposed to keep you very fit. I think what we've had for months now have been very, very subtle signs. You know, we've had Princess of Wales wearing a red dress at Commonwealth Day, we've had the King in a red tie, we've had his rare message in support of Canada for Canadian Flag Day, something he doesn't normally do. He had him wearing medals when he went and visited the aircraft carrier day.

He did. He planted a red maple leaf tree at Buckingham Palace. So there've been all these little kind of Easter eggs, but it all feels like it's leading to this big trail which is you know the denouement, the raison d'etre of the trip, this big King's speech, in which we'll see what he really thinks, we'll see what the government think and it'll be a big sign to Donald Trump who I'm sure is watching. Of course he'll be watching, he'll be watching. He'll be watching but you know like I said however strong the message is sent to what's going on with America and I'm sure there will be plenty of messaging

in that speech, veiled or not veiled, about Canada's sovereignty. It never being the 51st state. It being a successful nation, independent nation on its own. You know Donald Trump's got a state visit in his back pocket. He's looking forward to that and there'll be bells and whistles aplenty in Windsor come September. So actually, I think his relationship and admiration for the royal family, the fact that you almost, I don't think the King could possibly offend Donald Trump on this trick, whatever he he says I think that will give Charles free rein to deliver a punchy message. Yeah I think I think Carney's actually got it wrong when

he thinks it's not very helpful that Britain has given Trump a second state visit because if he brings him over to the UK you know lays out the red carpet for him again and I think he can have those very, very long chats with Trump and he can say, look, you know, hands off Canada, by the way. And he might be minded to listen to him under those circumstances in a way that he's not going to want to listen to Carney. Does Donald Trump listen to anyone? I think he does. I think he does. He has a lot of respect for them. He was forewarning over Prince William in Paris when they met, when Notre Dame was

reopened. Saying how handsome he was, what a great guy he was, he said similar things about Charles. We know how much he adored the late Queen Elizabeth II. I think he does. I think he, if there's anybody perhaps that Donald Trump will listen to, it's the king. Just not on things like climate and the environment. The things that matter most to the king. Steady on. Now I've got a crown, Donald. Will you be listening to me on green things? One battle's a sign.

Anyway, we look forward to that very much in September when we think Donald Trump is coming. But for now, we're going to carry on with this this whistle-stop whirlwind, less than 24 hours visit and tomorrow is a whole new day We'll be in the press gallery in Parliament Short sweet but impactful was how the visit was described to us by a royal source and I think that's what it will be. It's definitely delivering on those adjectives so far, Kate. We better crack on. We better crack on. It's definitely time for some sort of maple leaf scenario cocktail. Thanks for joining us in Canada.

And on the way back, what's your, why are you going to check in? What's the name on your boarding pass going to say? Duchess Kate? Duchess, yeah. Dame Kate. Just a few, just a HRH or something. Hopefully the King will come back and tell us how... what he thought about it all. Royal Nico will be fine for me. Bye Royal. Bye Kate. Thank you.

I'm going to stop the recording. Alright, fab.