King Charles gives his Canadian attendant a sword as sovereignty threats intensify

John Paul Tasker · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 13, 2025 2:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

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

It's the latest determination by Charles, the country's caput of state, to show solidarity with Canadians arsenic Trump repeatedly calls for the Commonwealth realm to go the 51st U.S. state, royal watchers say.

In the past 2 weeks alone, Charles has met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a backstage audience, wore his Canadian medals during a high-profile subject visit, planted a reddish maple leafage histrion connected the grounds of Buckingham Palace and present he's giving his idiosyncratic Canadian liaison and elder protocol serviceman successful Parliament a sword.

Charles, arsenic the law monarch, does not usually remark successful nationalist connected governmental issues of the day, but helium tin nonstop a connection done what helium does and who helium meets with, similar the Queen often did with her outfit choices.

In that vein, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, besides wore a reddish formal with a akin colouring to the RCMP tunic, and a achromatic pearl necklace arsenic she sat successful the beforehand enactment astatine the Commonwealth Day Service connected Monday.

Charles gave Greg Peters, the Usher of the Black Rod successful Canada's Senate, the sword during an audience at his authoritative royal residence successful London connected Wednesday. Peters was accompanied by Senate Speaker Raymonde Gagné for the diplomatic outreach.

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

Buckingham Palace does not publicly comment connected the King's backstage audiences.

But a palace source told CBC News that 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."

A spokesperson for Gagné said the Speaker was successful transit and not disposable for an interview. Peters was besides not disposable to speak.

Peters is possibly champion known to the nationalist for carrying a achromatic rod to lb connected the doors of the House of Commons to summon MPs connected behalf of the monarch to the Senate enclosure for a code from the throne astatine the opening of a caller league of Parliament. It's a signifier rooted successful 600 years of Westminster parliamentary tradition.

In summation to his ceremonial role, Peters is besides liable for information successful the Senate and administrative functions similar organizing affairs of authorities and swearing-in ceremonies, among different duties.

Nathan Tidridge is simply a precocious schoolhouse teacher successful Waterdown, Ont., an adept connected Crown-Indigenous past and the vice-president of the Institute for the Study of the Crown successful Canada.

He 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," Tidridge said successful an interrogation with CBC News.

"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," helium said.

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," helium said.

Wednesday's sword exchange and assemblage is the 2nd clip successful 2 weeks the King has 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 precocious committee thanked the King for what it called a "meaningful gesture."

WATCH | King Charles signals enactment for Canada during 'uncertain times':

And, earlier this week, Charles 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 is an adept connected Canadian honours and the Crown. He said these gestures are similar Elizabeth's "brooch warfare," wherever she'd take a circumstantial brooch to deterioration for a circumstantial authorities visit.

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