Why is King Charles in Canada, and what is the throne speech?

The pomp and pageantry were on full display when King Charles arrived in Canada on Monday, on his first trip to the country since his coronation.

He is due to deliver the Speech from the Throne to open the 45th session of Canada’s parliament in Ottawa on Tuesday.

The King is the head of state of Canada – and of 13 other Commonwealth realms such as Australia, New Zealand and several Caribbean states – as well as the UK.

The King, who has travelled with Queen Camilla, previously journeyed to Canada several times as the Prince of Wales. This is his 20th visit.

Tuesday’s address would traditionally be given by the governor general, who is the monarch’s top representative in Canada. They read it on behalf of the prime minister, to set out the government’s agenda when a new parliamentary session is about to begin.

Canada’s House of Commons and Senate cannot conduct any public business before the Speech from the Throne is made.

It is so-called because it is typically read from the seat in the Senate chamber that is reserved for the monarch or their representative in Canada.

The current governor general is Mary Simon. But this time, newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited the King himself to inaugurate the new parliament.

While it is not unprecedented for the throne speech to be read by the monarch, the last time this happened was in October 1977, when Elizabeth II read the speech for the second time. The first was in 1957.

This will be the first time a king opens a new session of parliament. King Charles’s grandfather George VI granted royal assent to several bills when he visited Canada in 1939, but he never delivered a throne speech.

Earlier in May, Prime Minister Mark Carney said he had invited the King to formally open Canada’s 45th session of parliament.

His request was viewed as a strategic one, as it came amid strained ties between Canada and its powerful neighbour the United States.

US President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on Canada, and has repeatedly referred to it as the “51st state”. He also disparagingly referred to Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau as “Governor Trudeau”.

Speaking in Ottawa, Carney said the King’s visit “clearly underscores the sovereignty of our country”. He told reporters: “This is a historic honour that matches the weight of our times.”

Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon said the visit “highlights the enduring relationship between Canada and the Crown”.

“Now more than ever, we need to come together to ensure a future that builds on our shared global values of democracy, equality and peace,” she said.

King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at Ottawa’s Macdonald-Cartier International Airport at 13:15 EST (17:15 GMT) on Monday, and were greeted by Governor General Mary Simon, Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife, Diana Fox Carney.

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed, and Métis National Council President Victoria Pruden were also at the airport.

The trip began at Lansdowne Park, where the royal couple met individuals and organisations showcasing Canadian identity and diversity.

They then made their way to Rideau Hall – the residence of Canada’s governor general and the official residence of the monarch when in Canada. There, the King took part in a tree-planting ceremony.

He then held separate private meetings with Simon and Carney.

On Tuesday morning, the King and Queen will head to Canada’s Senate accompanied by a royal escort, where they will receive full military honours – including a 100-person guard of honour from the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment, an inspection of the guard and the band, and a 21-gun salute.

Shortly after 11:00 local time, the King will deliver his Speech from the Throne to open the 45th session of parliament.

The royal couple will then pay their respects to Canada’s fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial, before leaving the country later that day.

In his role as head of state, the monarch is expected to avoid straying into politics. He instead appears to have sent coded signals and made symbolic gestures of support for Canada amid Trump’s threats.

The King praised Canada as a “proud, resilient and compassionate country” in February, on the 60th anniversary of the first raising of the country’s maple leaf flag – an event that might have otherwise passed without royal intervention.

When he visited aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales on 4 March, he appeared wearing a set of Canadian medals.

The same month, when he sat for the Commonwealth Service – an annual celebration of Commonwealth countries in London – he did so on a Canadian chair.

And at a tree-planting ceremony at Buckingham Palace earlier this year, the tree he chose was a maple.