Amid Trump's annexation threats, King Charles sends signals of support for Canada

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The signs tin beryllium small. And subtle. And not formally oregon publically acknowledged.

But those who ticker King Charles intimately spot an summation implicit the past small portion successful signals and royal symbolism successful enactment of Canada arsenic it faces repeated taunts from U.S. President Donald Trump astir becoming the 51st state.

The latest awesome came this past week arsenic Charles met caller Prime Minister Mark Carney astatine Buckingham Palace. 

"There is nary mode [King Charles] choosing a reddish necktie was accidental. Not to person chosen a reddish necktie would person been a snub," said Judith Rowbotham, a societal and taste student and visiting probe prof astatine the University of Plymouth successful southwestern England, successful an interview.

A necktie successful a colour truthful intimately associated with Canada whitethorn look similar a tiny sartorial detail, but successful the satellite of royal symbolism, it tin talk volumes.

"It really tin play a immense role, due to the fact that it's an look of what we telephone brushed power," said royal historiographer Justin Vovk.

WATCH | King Charles meets Prime Minister Mark Carney: 

"The monarchy can't wield subject oregon economical oregon governmental unit the mode governments do, truthful they're forced to edifice to indirect avenues to power oregon enactment groups and causes that are important to them."

These avenues, said Vovk, who is connected the advisory committee of the Institute for the Study of the Crown successful Canada, tin instrumentality the signifier of manner and the covering members of the Royal Family deterioration oregon the kinds of non-political events they instrumentality portion in. 

In mid-February, Charles issued a connection commemorating Canada's Flag Day. Over the past fewer weeks, helium has worn Canadian subject medals portion visiting a Royal Navy vessel, presented a ceremonial sword to his Canadian attendant and planted a maple histrion down Buckingham Palace (there's a study from CBC workfellow J.P. Tasker detailing immoderate of these below).

There's besides been dense proposition that the bright-red formal Catherine, Princess of Wales, wore to the Commonwealth Day work was different sartorial motion of enactment for Canada.

"HRH The Princess of Wales near nary doubt!" Ralph Goodale, Canada's precocious commissioner successful the U.K., posted connected X. "On Commonwealth Day successful London she wore Canada's colours. And truthful did the U.K.'s Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. In diplomacy, symbols are important."

Vovk sees value successful the timing of what Charles has done, with astir of it coming aft the King met with Justin Trudeau conscionable days earlier helium stepped down arsenic premier minister.

King Charles, who arsenic a law monarch acts connected the proposal of the governments wherever helium is caput of state, hasn't made immoderate authoritative nationalist statements connected existent high-level governmental matters that are captious for those countries. Nor would he, unless a premier curate asked him to.

"I deliberation it's a harmless stake to accidental that successful that backstage audience, the King got the advice, the permission, immoderate you privation to telephone it, from the present erstwhile premier curate that Canadians request immoderate benignant of amusement of support," Vovk said.

The royals, says Rowbotham, are bully astatine symbolism and person generations of acquisition showing it.

"There is nary mode that Charles is not arsenic alert arsenic his parent was of the value of royal symbolism," she said, noting the precocious Queen Elizabeth's comment, "I person to beryllium seen to beryllium believed."

Still, fixed the existential quality of the menace Trump keeps levelling toward Canada, immoderate Canadians mightiness spot thing similar the colour of a necktie arsenic a alternatively constricted mode to marque a connection oregon effort to exert immoderate benignant of influence.

"It's precise understandable that radical consciousness that way," Vovk said.

WATCH | Signs of enactment for Canada: 

But if you look astatine the illustration of clothing, helium said, it is 1 of the most "clear and recognizable ways of sending a connection without utilizing words."

For the Royal Family, it's thing that goes backmost to the earliest days of Elizabeth's reign successful the 1950s, Vovk said. 

"The wardrobe was chosen to beryllium recognizable. It was a mode by wearing a definite colour that was associated with a radical oregon a state [that] the Queen could amusement that she was recognizing that narration without having to marque a connection that risked violating the law part of power."

When she went to Ireland, she often wore green. On trips to Canada, reddish was a predominant choice. 

Whether determination are further signals of enactment for Canada from Charles is thing that volition beryllium considerably connected Canadian agendas, Rowbotham suggested.

"If Canada wants much and that is conveyed done the premier minister, done the different elder officials, the precocious commissioner, etc., it volition beryllium responded to positively."

One of the much disposable signs of enactment that could travel from Charles — an authoritative sojourn — isn't successful the cards successful the adjacent future, fixed the upcoming national predetermination campaign. Plans for a sojourn past twelvemonth were postponed aft his crab diagnosis.

More broadly, symbolism could instrumentality connected a greater value for the Royal Family.

"Monarchy is nary longer seen arsenic being the default signifier of authorities astir the world, and surely not successful Europe and North America," said Vovk.

"The Royal Family has to tread much cautiously than ever with the nationalist and with the premier ministers of the assorted Commonwealth realms. By utilizing symbolism, it allows the Royal Family to inactive nonstop retired messages, to inactive amusement solidarity."

This has emerged implicit the warfare successful Ukraine, and the Royal Family's noticeable usage of the country's colours astatine assorted events oregon engagements.

"Symbolism allows the Royal Family to person a dependable without utilizing words that could get them constitutionally into trouble," Vovk said.

A sword from the King

Our person successful the CBC Politics bureau, J.P. Tasker, had this study the different day:

King Charles presented his Canadian idiosyncratic attendant and messenger with a caller ceremonial sword astatine Buckingham Palace past week, a symbolic motion that carries added meaning arsenic the state stares down U.S. President Donald Trump and his progressively forceful annexationist taunts.

Charles gave Greg Peters, the Usher of the Black Rod successful Canada's Senate, the sword during an assemblage astatine his authoritative royal residence successful London. Peters was accompanied by Senate Speaker Raymonde Gagné.

In the royal tradition, a sword similar this is seen arsenic a awesome of sovereignty. The Senate commissioned the sword to people the alteration of reign from Elizabeth to Charles. 

Buckingham Palace does not publically remark connected the King's backstage audiences.

But a palace root told CBC News determination was a peculiarly lukewarm speech betwixt Peters, a staunch monarchist primitively from Prince Edward Island, and the sovereign during the sword presumption and the assemblage that followed.

The King, Peters and Gagné had a 30-minute treatment astir topics of large interest successful Canada and internationally, the palace root said.

The King besides reaffirmed his Flag Day message, the root said, a notation to Charles's February connection erstwhile helium said Canada is "a proud, resilient and compassionate country" and the show of the Canada's maple-leaf emblem elicits "a consciousness of pridefulness and admiration."

Nathan Tidridge, vice-president of the Institute for the Study of the Crown successful Canada, said handing implicit a sword to idiosyncratic similar Peters astatine this juncture is "deeply meaningful symbolism."

"The sword is being presented astatine this clip erstwhile the state is nether onslaught — it's remarkable," said Tidridge, who is besides a precocious schoolhouse teacher successful Waterdown, Ont., and an adept connected Crown-Indigenous history. 

"What you're seeing is the Crown reinforcing Canadian sovereignty. I interest his authorities advisers conscionable don't cognize what to bash with him. He tin bash truthful overmuch to item Canada, helium conscionable needs to beryllium amended utilized." 

Tidridge said it's casual to disregard the sword ceremonial arsenic a meaningless awesome — but symbols and ceremonial are "so tied to nationalist identity" and Canada needs to cherish them present much than ever.

"We're successful an existential situation and Canadians are looking for things to truly rally astir close present — the Crown should beryllium 1 of them." 

The sword speech and assemblage was the 2nd clip successful 2 weeks the King received a Canadian delegation.

Charles met with Trudeau and Ralph Goodale, Canada's precocious commissioner to the U.K., astatine Sandringham House, northeast of London, aft a acme connected Ukraine's future.

Trudeau said the 2 discussed Canadian sovereignty and the country's "independent future."

The time aft that Trudeau meeting, Charles toured a Royal Navy vessel wearing a naval azygous outfitted with his Canadian medals.

In a societal media post, the Canadian High Commission thanked the King for what it called a "meaningful gesture."

Charles besides planted a reddish maple leafage histrion connected the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

The tree-planting was described arsenic a tribute to his precocious parent and to commemorate the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy, a pan-Commonwealth web of wood conservation projects — but the symbolism was not mislaid connected royal watchers.

Christopher McCreery, an adept connected Canadian honours and the Crown, said these gestures are similar Elizabeth's "brooch warfare," wherever she'd take a circumstantial brooch to deterioration for a circumstantial authorities visit.

The Queen, for example, wore a sapphire snowflake brooch talented to her by Canada's Governor General aft gathering Trump during a sojourn to the U.K. successful July 2018. Canada and the U.S. were sparring astatine the clip implicit his first-term alloy and aluminum tariffs and the fraught NAFTA renegotiation talks.

For his sojourn to the naval vessel, Charles "could've worn a clump of antithetic uniforms" that don't see his Canadian regalia, McCreery said.

"The 51st authorities speech has already go precise tiresome for, I think, each azygous Canadian. So I'm definite it's arsenic tiresome for the King arsenic King of Canada."

A Canadian connected the King's euphony list

Canadian crooner Michael Bublé tin number King Charles among his fans.

Bublé's 2009 chart-topper Haven't Met You Yet is 1 of 17 tracks connected Charles's Apple Music playlist, which debuted connected Commonwealth Day earlier this month.

The King's Music Room serves up songs spanning 10 decades and offers genres ranging from Afrobeat to disco and reggae from artists passim the Commonwealth. 

The database kicks disconnected with Could You Be Loved by Bob Marley & The Wailers and My Boy Lollipop from Millie Small. It ends beyond the Commonwealth and connected an American note, with Crazy successful Love from Beyoncé and Upside Down from Diana Ross.

"Throughout my life, euphony has meant a large woody to me," Charles says, portion seated astatine his table astatine Buckingham Palace.

It is thing that "can assistance our spirits" and "brings america joy."

The playlist is some "a clip capsule and spot capsule," said Catherine Moore, an adjunct prof successful the module of euphony astatine the University of Toronto.

"This is galore antithetic parts of the world, galore antithetic types of music." 

Moore was funny astir the singers connected the King's database and looked them each up.

"The youngest is property 27, that's RAYE. The oldest was calved successful 1899 and really died successful 1941, truthful 7 years earlier King Charles was born," she said.

For those listening to the playlist, the songs could spark assorted memories oregon connections. For Moore, that ranged from reasoning of buying her archetypal Grace Jones (La Vie En Rose) cassette to however Anoushka Shankar (Indian Summer) is playing successful Toronto connected March 25.

"It brings each these things together, and I'd similar to ideate that it does the aforesaid for King Charles."

It's besides a reflection of however times person changed.

'Here we are successful the integer age, entering what he's calling The King's Music Room. And truthful you deliberation … backmost successful time, you'd person to spell to the palace and beryllium a courtier to perceive the King's music," said Moore.

Thinking astir what mightiness person led Charles to take each opus is interesting, Moore suggested.

"Music connects people. It opens doors. It makes america deliberation astir what was the narration betwixt these artists and however bash they link successful a person's mind."

Royally quotable

"That's the slightest I tin do."

— Catherine, Princess of Wales, aft members of the Irish Guards thanked her for putting wealth down the bar. Catherine joined the soldiers for a portion aft celebrating St. Patrick's Day with the regiment. She became its colonel successful main successful 2023.

Royal reads

1. If royal visits are astir sending a message, past the representation of Prince William successful a vessel adjacent the Russian borderline indispensable beryllium 1 of the astir direct. [BBC]

2. Queen Camilla sent a idiosyncratic missive of enactment to French rape subsister Gisèle Pelicot. [BBC]

3. Heavily redacted tribunal documents related to Prince Harry's U.S. visa person been released successful the U.S., with his "exact status" remaining confidential implicit fears helium could beryllium subjected to harassment. [The Guardian]

4. King Charles learned astir groundbreaking probe into crab therapies during a sojourn to Northern Ireland. [BBC]

5. King Charles and Queen Camilla are inactive readying to conscionable Pope Francis successful the Vatican erstwhile they question to Italy adjacent period contempt the Pope's ongoing illness. [ITV]

6. Police person admitted acting unlawfully successful arresting a trainee Baptist curate who called retired "Who elected him?" astatine a section proclamation of the accession of King Charles. [The Guardian]

7. She was known arsenic the "nine-day queen" and was utilized arsenic a pawn successful the ruthless ambition that defined the Tudor court. But for centuries, historians person struggled to find a azygous representation of Lady Jane Grey that was painted during her lifetime. Now, probe suggests a mysterious representation depicts the royal who reigned implicit England for somewhat much than a week successful the summertime of 1553. [The Guardian]

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