5 key messages in King Charles's speech from the throne

Peter Zimonjic · CBC News

· Posted: May 27, 2025 2:33 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

King Charles began and concluded the throne code successful Ottawa connected Tuesday with references to his parent Queen Elizabeth's longstanding narration with this country, portion highlighting the challenges Canada faces from its confederate neighbour and however the Liberal authorities plans to code them.

The speech, which was written by Prime Minister Mark Carney's government but presented by the Sovereign, is usually a regular matter successful Canada. But aft the annexation threats by U.S. President Donald Trump successful caller months, it took connected an added governmental significance.

The King's beingness successful the Senate, by itself, reminded the White House that Canada is not an American authorities successful waiting, with an identical signifier of government. It highlighted Canada's chiseled identity, culture, past and traditions of governance.

The contented of the speech, meanwhile, attempted to show that Canada is prepared to carve retired its spot successful the Trump era.

Here are 5 cardinal moments from the throne speech.

The Queen and Canada

The code started with Charles harking backmost to erstwhile Queen Elizabeth was the archetypal monarch to work a Canadian throne code astir 70 years ago.

"When my beloved precocious mother, Queen Elizabeth II, opened a caller Canadian Parliament successful 1957, the Second World War remained a fresh, achy memory," the King work Tuesday.

"The Cold War was intensifying. Freedom and ideology were nether threat. Canada was emerging arsenic a increasing economical powerfulness and a unit for bid successful the world."

Watch | Charles reflects connected his mother: 

Painting a representation of opposition betwixt the U.S. and Canada, Charles noted that the monarchy has "for truthful agelong been a awesome of unity for Canada," saying that the Crown "represents stableness and continuity from the past to the present."

Once again referencing his mother, Charles said she believed that "no federation could unrecorded unto itself."

"It is simply a root of large pridefulness that, successful the pursuing decades, Canada has continued to acceptable an illustration to the satellite successful her behaviour and values, arsenic a unit for good," helium said.

Threats to economy, democracy

While referencing the challenges Canada has flooded since Elizabeth's 1957 visit, Charles said caller hurdles were present presenting themselves. 

"Today, Canada faces different captious moment," The King said. "Democracy, pluralism, the regularisation of law, self-determination and state are values which Canadians clasp dear, and ones which the authorities is determined to protect."

"The strategy of unfastened planetary commercialized that, portion not perfect, has helped to present prosperity for Canadians for decades, is changing," The King added. "Canada's relationships with partners are besides changing." 

Watch | Canada is 'strong and free': 

Trump's caller suggestions that Canada should articulation the U.S. — and that helium is consenting to wage economical war to marque that hap — inspired Charles's travel to Canada. One of the past lines successful the code was intelligibly a notation to Trump's comments.

"As the anthem reminds us: The True North is so beardown and free," helium said, garnering wide applause. 

Ready to pb connected trade, defence

As the U.S. continues to endanger Canada's economical wellness and aboriginal with tariffs, the code affirmed Carney's run promises that he would forge deeper trading relationships with nations that worth escaped trade. 

"Canada is acceptable to physique a conjugation of nations that stock these values — that judge successful planetary co-operation and the escaped speech of goods, services and ideas," Charles said. 

"In this new, rapidly evolving world, Canada volition pb the way. This volition beryllium demonstrated arsenic aboriginal arsenic June, erstwhile Canada chairs the G7 summit."

The code noted that Canada and the U.S. "have begun defining a caller economical and information relationship" and that Canada is committed to rearming and reinvesting successful the Canadian Armed Forces.  

It said Canada "will boost Canada's subject manufacture by participating successful the 'ReArm Europe' plan, thereby contributing, with European partners, to transatlantic security."

Nods to Indigenous and Quebec culture 

The U.S. president often refers to the borderline with Canada as an "artificial line" that divides radical who are akin capable to beryllium arsenic American arsenic Canadian. 

The code pushed backmost against that narrative, noting that "The French connection and Quebec civilization are astatine the bosom of Canadian identity. They defined the state that Canadians and I emotion truthful much."

The code goes connected to accidental that the Liberal authorities is committed to protecting Canadian civilization by supporting CBC/Radio-Canada.

The King besides made a constituent successful his opening to admit Indigenous people in Canada arsenic a founding radical of the modern state.

"It is my large anticipation that successful each of your communities, and collectively arsenic a country, a way is recovered toward information and reconciliation, successful some connection and deed," helium said.  

Hitting a fig of run promises

The code from the throne usually flags the policies a authorities volition prioritize successful the coming league of Parliament and this code from the throne was nary antithetic successful that regard.

Carney's predetermination level promises that made it into the code included:

• Cutting income taxes, improvement fees and the GST connected homes nether $1 million.
• Introducing authorities to destruct national barriers to interior commercialized by Canada Day.
• Reducing earthy assets task support clip from 5 years to two.
• Boosting lodging by supporting prefabricated modular location construction.
• Increasing information astatine the borderline with further unit and powers.
• Reforming the bail strategy to people repetition offenders.
• Creating caller nationalist parks and protecting marine areas.
• Limiting migration and impermanent overseas workers to rebalance the migration system.

WATCH | King Charles's afloat speech: