'History is being made': Canada's high commissioner on meeting with King Charles III

London -

Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom says it was emotional to be received by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, but added that the new monarch was clearly prepared for this moment.

The King met with the secretary-general of the Commonwealth on Sunday before holding a reception with the U.K.’s foreign secretary and high commissioners from those countries, including Canada.

In an interview in London with CTV News Chief Anchor and Senior Editor Omar Sachedina, Ralph Goodale said the King was "very calm, very collected, [and] well organized."

• Complete coverage of the Royal Family

"[He is] somebody, I think, who's had the occasion to think about this for quite some time. So he is prepared," Goodale said.

Queen Elizabeth II, the sovereign of the United Kingdom, Canada and other nations of the Commonwealth realm since 1952, died on Sept. 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She was 96.

Her coffin left Balmoral Castle by hearse on Saturday for the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. It will be flown to London on Sept. 13 ahead of the state funeral on Sept. 19.

As for the Canadian presence at the funeral, Goodale said "according to rules of protocol" there are three "official mourners" -- the Governor General, the prime minister and the high commissioner.

"Now obviously there will be more than three Canadians at the funeral, but the detail of all that is still being worked through by Buckingham Palace," he said.

Goodale said he felt a "combination of a lot of different emotions” being inside Buckingham Palace following the Queen’s death.

"This hasn't happened in 70 years and an era is changing from one to another, so history is being made," he said. "So there's that kind of sense that you're part of a historical process."

Goodale recalled being at Buckingham Palace only months earlier, celebrating the Platinum Jubilee. Now, he says there's a real sense of grief among those in the U.K.

"That huge personality that you see every day on your stamps and on your money and in the news and in books and publications and suddenly, she is no longer there," he said.

Goodale said the Queen has been a dominant presence in the lives of U.K. residents for more than 70 years.

"These people would not be here [at Buckingham Palace] if they weren't very impressed by those seven decades and the selflessness of Her Majesty; that sense of duty and service and dignity and honour that she epitomized in everything that she did in her life," he said.

"Always putting duty and responsibility ahead of her own comfort or self interest -- I think people admire that. They're very grateful for it."

Goodale said those same emotions can also be felt in citizens across the Commonwealth.

"Her impact is really very difficult to measure. It's huge and that will make the challenge even larger for her successor. Prince Charles, now King Charles, has very large shoes to fill," Goodale said. "Same time, he's had the best tutor he could ever hope for."

In addition to the feelings of sadness and loss, Goodale said there's a lot of anticipation as King Charles III's reign begins.

"There's also a sense of excitement about the new monarch, somebody that we think we know but now he has the mantle of real responsibility," he said.

While is not yet known when or where the King will make his first trips as sovereign, Goodale expects him to be a "pretty frequent visitor" to Canada.

"Look at the record: the Queen visited Canada 22 times, more than any other country and in that same timeframe, Prince Charles, now King Charles, visited Canada 19 times, including just this last spring," he said.

Goodale said he and the King discussed his most recent trip to Canada, where he and Camila, now Queen Consort, visited St. John’s, Ottawa and Yellowknife.

"I think he appreciated the opportunity to be in Canada and he appreciated the reception that he received, recognizing that there are issues for the future that need to be dealt with," Goodale said.

He said these issues include the future of the monarchy, the future of the Commonwealth and the future relationship between Indigenous people in Canada and the Crown.

"The treaties were signed with the Crown -- not with any government -- with the Crown, and that relationship is one that is exceedingly important to Indigenous people," he added.

While the King has previously said he wants to modernize the monarchy, Goodale said he gets the impression he will work to do so, but also ensure the legacy of his mother's reign remains in tact.

"He will want to demonstrate the relevance of the monarchy by being present and not aloof in a palace, but on the ground with people talking, but equally important, listening and then having other conversations with other people who need to get the message," he said.