For the first time since 1977, the British monarch will give a speech to open Canadian Parliament. This begs the question: Is the Crown making a Canadian comeback?
Driving the news: King Charles III will open the 45th session of Parliament this morning. The job is typically done by the Governor General, the Crown’s representative in Canada, but Prime Minister Mark Carney said the invitation for King Charles to do it himself “underscores” Canadian sovereignty.
- On his two-day trip to Canada, the King also held visits with various community groups and ceremonially dropped the puck in a road hockey match.
Why it matters: With Donald Trump still making 51st state overtures, more Canadians have warmed up to having the King as our head of state, viewing it as a concrete separator between us and the U.S. This newfound view of the Crown as a sovereignty security blanket has drained some anti-monarch sentiment that strengthened after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
- Two years ago, 58% of Canadians felt that the country should end formal ties to the monarchy. Per a new Ipsos poll, that’s now just 46%, the lowest level since 2016.
Bottom line: The odds were already low that Canada would make like Barbados and Jamaica have in recent years and try to cut ties with the Crown, given the complicated process and lack of economic rationale (as the monarchy costs taxpayers only $1.61 per year). That scenario now seems even less likely.—QH