King Charles III's three-day visit to Canada cost taxpayers at least $1.4 million
Share
King Charles III's three-day 2022 Royal Tour of Canada cost Canadian taxpayers at least $1.4 million, according to documents obtained by CTVNews.ca.
The whirlwind May 17 to 19 trip saw the then- Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visit Newfoundland, Ontario and Northwest Territories over approximately 57 hours, at a cost of more than $25,000 per hour.
The $1.4 million does not include government, military and police salaries, or normal operational costs, which would make the true bill higher. It also does not include costs covered by local governments and police forces.
It does include overtime, fleets of vehicles, VIP flights and armed security paid for by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Department of National Defence and Canadian Heritage, the federal department that oversaw the trip and its planning.
"This is the nature of being a monarchy," CTV News royal commentator Richard Berthelsen said. "You have a royal family that are going to travel, and they are going to do so at the expense of the government."
The figures are based on a pair of access to information requests filed with Canadian Heritage, as well as data provided by the Department of National Defence, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other government departments and agencies. The Canadian Heritage figures should be considered preliminary, and are very likely to increase when official data is released in March 2023.
"The accounting process for the 2022 Royal Tour is still ongoing," a Canadian Heritage spokesperson told CTVNews.ca. "For all Royal Tours, costs are shared between federal and provincial/territorial governments, based on the duration and the number of events taking place in each region."
Charles III became King and Camilla became Queen Consort following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 8, 2022. Their May 2022 visit to Canada was meant to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee, which marked a historic 70 years on the throne.
National Defence footed the bill for Charles III and Camilla's air transportation to, from and within Canada aboard what's commonly known as Can Force One: the bedroom-equipped VIP Airbus CC-150 Polaris jet that frequently shuttles the prime minister and dignitaries overseas. In total, the trip would have covered over 12,000 kilometres.
According to a National Defence spokesperson, the $568,000 is approximate and includes the costs of flying the plane "and associated support services to transport members of the Royal Family, along with personnel for the Royal Tour as identified by Canadian Heritage." Approximately 450 Canadian Armed Forces personnel participated, including roughly 100 who supported air transportation and at least 100 for the honour guard at a May 17 welcoming ceremony in St. John's, N.L.
The RCMP was primarily tasked with security. Outside of salaries, the RCMP spent $172,175 on overtime and $189,156 on travel expenditures like meals, accommodation and transportation for a total of $361,331. An RCMP spokesperson said additional costs may still be processed.
According to two access to information requests filed by CTVNews.ca, the more than $509,714 spent by Canadian Heritage included at least $221,634 on travel and hospitality costs like flights, accommodation, meals and per diems; more than $11,453 on fleets of rental cars, taxis and buses; more than $11,496 in overtime for just three employees; $6,404 in fees to Ottawa's historic Lord Elgin Hotel; at least $5,287 for scores of COVID-19 rapid tests; $3,550 for image copyrights; $2,945 for printing services; and other costs like flowers, medical personal protective equipment, "VIP Agency Services" and gifts. Canadian Heritage also footed the hospitality bill for 20 to 30 members of the British delegation, who included staff from Clarence House, which is King Charles III's London residence. A breakdown of the preliminary Canadian Heritage costs can be found at the bottom of this article.
"It is customary for hospitality costs, including those for Clarence House staff, to be assumed by the host country," an April 2022 memo prepared for Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez states. "As the lead federal department for the planning and delivery of the 2022 Royal Tour, the Department of Canadian Heritage will assume hospitality costs."
Canadian Heritage also covered $140,685.64 in costs from Public Services and Procurement Canada, which included overtime for 20 employees, and $35,718.91 from the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, which went towards planning work, accommodation and meals for royal visitors and support staff, and a reception at Rideau Hall, which is home to the Governor General, the monarch's appointed representative in Canada.
Berthelsen, who has been a CTV News royal commentator since 2009, has worked for four governors general and provincial lieutenant governors, and has participated in organizing Royal Tours and ceremonies across Canada since 1978.
"It is consistent with how much visits of this kind cost, and it's also consistent with the costs of visits by the governor general or the prime minister abroad," Berthelsen explained. "There were probably about 30 to 35 events or more in that trip, many of them dealing with reconciliation, many of them dealing with other issues like the environment, like the different charitable activities of the Prince."
Additional costs were likely absorbed by other departments, police forces and levels of government.
In statements to CTVNews.ca, the Ontario government and the cities of Ottawa, Yellowknife and St. John's reported incurring no costs due to the 2022 Royal Tour. The governments of Newfoundland and Labrador and Northwest Territories said numbers are not yet finalized. Ottawa Police Service and Royal Newfoundland Constabulary did not respond to requests for comment, and Ontario Provincial Police stated figures would only be released through a freedom of information request. The National Capital Commission, a Crown corporation that oversees federal properties in and around Ottawa, reported spending $283.40 on audio-visual services for an event at Rideau Hall. The $1.4 million also does not include costs covered by British taxpayers.
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla's last Royal Tour of Canada, which spanned three days in the summer of 2017, cost Canadian Heritage $487,660. Since 2010, there have been eight official Royal Tours to Canada by members of Royal Family, which have come at a price of more than $7 million to Canadian Heritage alone. The late Queen Elizabeth II's final nine-day visit to Canada in 2010 was the most expensive of all, costing Canadian Heritage at least $2.79 million.
Visits like these represent just a fraction of what Canada's ties to the throne cost Canadian taxpayers each year.
According to the Monarchist League of Canada, our constitutional monarchy cost the government almost $58.75 million in just the 2019 to 2020 fiscal year, which includes costs associated with operating the Governor General's Office, their overseas trips, the salaries and expenses of provincial lieutenant governors, and royal tours. That's approximately $1.55 per Canadian a year – slightly below the nearly $2.10 the Crown costs each citizen of the U.K.
The Monarchist League of Canada believes that represents good value for Canadians.
"The Queen and now the King, together with members of their Family, do not come to Canada to benefit Britain or indeed any of the other Commonwealth Realms," the league's dominion chairman, Robert Finch, told CTVNews.ca. "The purpose of these homecomings is to highlight Canadians, their achievements, yes – their challenges and problems being worked on – and to celebrate important events in the life of the nation."
The Monarchist League of Canada was recently awarded a $187,500 grant from Canadian Heritage to distribute 70,000 educational booklets to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee this year. Finch explains that all Royal Tours come on invitation of the host nation, and that there are also many private visits, such as by members with hospital patronages or honorary military ranks. He describes Canadians' relationship and attitude to the monarchy as "deep and abiding."
"Canada’s polity is one of democratic institutions and freedom under the Crown," Finch said. "To change that polity would demand the unanimous agreement of the ten provincial legislatures and Parliament – and the complexity would not merely centre on why such a change should be made, but what new institution would replace it, and be demonstrably better."
Tom Freda, director of the Citizens for a Canadian Republic advocacy group, believes that Canadian support the monarchy is "declining," partially because of the large costs of hosting visiting royals.
"We don't see much purpose at all, really," Freda told CTVNews.ca. "Obviously, state visits in general are a necessary part of international relations and diplomacy. As a host country, we cover the costs of all visiting dignitaries."
The group, which wants to replace the British monarch with a Canadian head of state, has used access to information requests to uncover data on the costs of past Royal Tours.
"Canada does seem to go overboard on royal visits," Freda said. "Near as we can tell, they're designed to bolster support for the royals (ironically, it does the opposite by raising attention to their presence and the cost), and to allow political and business elites the opportunity to socialize with royalty."
Obtained through two access to information requests, the above documents outline costs incurred by Canadian Heritage during King Charles III's 2022 Royal Tour of Canada.
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Human trafficking-fuelled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to US$3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels.
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Canada's real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December, Statistics Canada said Thursday.
In just under two years, the Artemis II mission will depart for the moon and on board will be Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. He will be the first Canadian to travel to the moon, but before his 2025 departure, he spoke to UBC students Wednesday about his journey.
The prime minister chose an East Vancouver community centre to woo Millennials and renters with an announcement Wednesday that was big on populist rhetoric but apparently light on impact.
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.
The Ontario government and the City of Ottawa have reached a new deal to provide $543 million in operating and capital funding to Ottawa over 10 years, including uploading Highway 174 to the province.
Premier Doug Ford is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to bring federal workers back to the office for "a few days" to help boosts the downtown economy, as the Ontario government provides funding to revitalize Ottawa's downtown core.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Quebec Minister responsible for Democratic Institutions Jean-François Roberge has accepted the opposition parties' request to postpone the reform of the electoral map.
The owners of the Magic Palace poker house in Kahnawake are planning to appeal the decision to order its doors closed on Monday. An investigation led to ' numerous concerns' about the establishment's operations.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government won’t intervene but — if asked — would help the City of Edmonton navigate a reported rocky patch of financial and staffing dysfunction.
Premier Tim Houston announced the establishment of the Nova Scotia Guard, a group of volunteers that will support communities during and after emergencies.
Environment Canada is warning of a “prolonged rainfall event” in the forecast this week, issuing special weather statements in Nova Scotia and rainfall warnings in New Brunswick.
It's believed no personal information was leaked after the University of Winnipeg was hit by a cyber attack on the weekend, however, the school is still working to get all services back up and running.
Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill and Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) president Jamie Smith-Windsor are expected to address the media from the legislative building Thursday morning as teachers’ job action continues.
Recruitment of workers from other countries have helped drive Saskatchewan’s population to a new high of 1,225,493 which is up by 30,624 in 2023. The vast majority were newcomers to Canada.
Ochapowace First Nation hockey star Ethan Bear will be away from the Washington Capitals and the NHL for an indefinite period of time after entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
A Cambridge, Ont. family, evicted from their rental home after the landlord allegedly lost possession of the property, gives us an update on their living situation.
Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill and Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) president Jamie Smith-Windsor are expected to address the media from the legislative building Thursday morning as teachers’ job action continues.
A blind Saskatoon man is speaking out about a lack of accessibility services offered to him and a group of blind curlers by West Jet while at the Saskatoon airport.
Emergency services in Sarnia are on scene of a train derailment. According to CN, a 14-car derailment with three tanker cars on their side happened at Vidal Street and St. Andrews Street.
It’s business as usual Thursday morning after a school in Chesley was placed in a ‘hold and secure’ Wednesday morning. Just after 11:30 a.m., police got a report of a robbery in a wooded area in the town.
It's a scene reminiscent of Tom Cruise's film Top Gun, as several Royal Canadian Air Force jets soared through the sky and landed at the Collingwood airport, but it's not for a sequel; instead, the CT-155 Hawk aircraft are being retired.
In accordance with the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, the city is making public the salaries and benefits to municipal employees who earned $100,000 or more as reported on their 2023 T4.
The British Columbia government has filed an unexplained wealth order in an effort to seize a quarter-million dollars in cash, as well as 45 gold bars and luxury jewelry from the operator of a fraudulent cryptocurrency exchange company.
B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a man's body on Vancouver Island this week – one day after RCMP officers were asked to search for him at the same location.
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
A 49-year-old man has been charged with assault, uttering threats and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose after an incident in Kelowna Monday night.
A B.C. judge has given the City of Vernon 14 days to make a decision on a business licence application it has left pending without explanation for more than a year.
A protester who unleashed a "race-based tirade" outside a vaccination clinic in B.C.'s Okanagan at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic did not cause a criminal disturbance, a judge has ruled.
The City of Lethbridge has renewed its master service agreement with Alberta Health Services to deliver emergency medical services through Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services.
The administration at Laurentian University is hoping to start a new chapter for the beleaguered institution as it releases its plan for the next five years after months of consultation.
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
The owner of an e-bike business says he has doubts police will find the roughly $500,000 worth of product that was stolen from a shipping container last week, while police say he “complicated” their investigation by posting video of the theft.
At least one Costco store in Ottawa has implemented a digital card scanner for member entry, a departure from the traditional in-person card check, in an effort to crack-down on shoppers who have not paid a membership fee.
Canada's chief electoral officer, Stephane Perrault, is slated to testify this morning at a commission of inquiry into foreign meddling allegations and how the government responded to them.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
The federal government will create a new 'Canadian Renters' Bill of Rights,' which would require landlords to disclose their properties' rental price history to prospective tenants.
“We don’t want to suspend,” says Dr. David Aoki with Waterloo Region Public Health. “We want to get them up-to-date and also remind parents you need to get this shot. It’s important.”
Visualizing a memory is a common occurrence for many people. A whiff of cinnamon and ginger may whisk you back to your childhood kitchen to relive eating freshly baked cookies, while hearing a particular tune may trigger images of dancing with a special someone.
The number of confirmed measles cases in Canada so far this year is more than three times higher than all infections recorded in 2023, the country's chief public health officer said as she urged people to ensure their vaccinations are up to date.
For over half their lives, twins Rainey and Evelyn Hauser have shared their dad's attention with a leafy sibling of sorts — an endangered tropical plant called an Amorphophallus titanum.
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
In February, the artist and ink-maker Thomas Little loaded up his van and travelled around North Carolina to paint 20 delicate, lonely vignettes of American landscapes — each one representing a city in his home state that experienced at least one mass shooting in 2023.
Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December.
The U.S. economy grew at a solid 3.4 per cent annual pace from October through December, the government said Thursday in an upgrade from its previous estimate. The government had previously estimated that the economy expanded at a 3.2 per cent rate last quarter.
Former crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried faces the potential of decades in prison when he is sentenced Thursday for his role in the 2022 collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for trading digital currency.
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
In an interview with the Big Time Podcast released on Wednesday, the 36-year-old Messi revealed that he doesn’t see his advancing years as an important factor in determining when to end his career.
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.
Officers say 48 vehicles with a combined value of just under $4 million were recently seized as part of a Toronto police investigation focused on the trafficking, shipping, and re-vinning of stolen vehicles.