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.
Iran fired air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones, which were suspected to be part of an Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
The premier of British Columbia is continuing to defend the three-year pilot program underway in his province that’s decriminalized personal possession of hard drugs, even as the federal government sends its minister responsible to discuss growing concerns and controversies.
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
He was a loving son and brother, a loyal and kind friend, and a dedicated volunteer in Toronto’s east end, say those who knew and loved Mohammad Khasim.
Blake Coleman scored his 30th goal and MacKenzie Weegar got his 20th as the Calgary Flames set multiple personal milestones in a season-ending 5-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.
Calgary fans of pop superstar Taylor Swift were among the millions of 'Swifties' celebrating the release of 'The Tortured Poets Department', and they were doing it in style.
The driver killed in a head-on crash on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa's east end was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes when the vehicle collided with a second vehicle, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) is celebrating what it calls a 'significant win' in court after a judge stayed parts of Quebec's language laws that apply to English school boards across the province.
Quebec intends to follow Ottawa's lead and increase its capital gains tax rate. The Quebec government announced late on Thursday that its tax system will be adjusted to bring it into line with five measures proposed in the latest federal budget.
The Mobile Overdose Prevention Site operated by Sunshine House has been in operation since late 2022, and now a report is being released sharing the results of its first year.
On Thursday, Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill apologized for remarks he made to a mother who had advocated for better classroom supports earlier this week.
Chris Ross was pleasantly surprised when Tim Hortons sent him an email summarizing his "Roll up the Rim" winnings for the season. The email claimed Ross had won a boat valued at over $50,000 – but it was a mistake.
A property management company in Fergus is still cleaning up after they say a tenant trashed one of their units and refused to pay rent -- and they say it's not the only similar case they've dealt with recently.
Gas prices across Ontario have spiked to levels not seen in nearly two years as the switch from winter fuel to a more expensive summer blend pushes the price at the pumps.
Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) President Samantha Becotte says two days of "difficult" negotiations has led to a "final offer" with slight improvements to salary and the inclusion of a line in the collective agreement – promising to address classroom complexity issues.
A Saskatchewan village and a contractor it hired are facing significant fines after conservation officers discovered they dumped demolition waste at an illegal landfill.
A private career college in North Bay is under intense scrutiny from students for taking tuition but not offering courses, and from former teachers who say they haven't been paid.
One person suffered life-threatening injuries after a collision with a commercial vehicle on Highway 12 at Forest Avenue in Orillia early Thursday afternoon.
As inflation tightens its grip on the economy, many people are feeling the pinch, from housing to transportation to retail and services, including restaurants.
The hearing for a Barrie police officer charged with discreditable conduct following an OPP investigation continued Thursday morning over teleconference.
Police said a person went to a market in the 2100 block of Huron Church Road near McKay Avenue and left the store without paying for about $200 worth of items.
The premier of British Columbia is continuing to defend the three-year pilot program underway in his province that’s decriminalized personal possession of hard drugs, even as the federal government sends its minister responsible to discuss growing concerns and controversies.
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
Nurses held a rally Wednesday at a hospital in the B.C. Interior that closed its emergency department more than a dozen times last year due to insufficient staff.
British Columbia is planning to add 240 new units to its complex-care housing program, providing homes for people with mental-health and addictions challenges that overlap with other serious conditions.
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
A pricing agreement has been reached between crab fishers and seafood processors that will allow for Newfoundland and Labrador's annual crab fishery to get started.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized stringent new regulations on levels of six perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in public water systems. This explainer tells consumers what they can do right now to limit the levels of PFAS in their drinking water.
Facebook parent Meta Platforms unveiled a new set of artificial intelligence systems Thursday that are powering what CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls 'the most intelligent AI assistant that you can freely use.'
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
An attorney has been added to the special prosecution team that is pursuing an involuntary manslaughter charge against actor Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western movie 'Rust,' court officials confirmed Thursday.
Booming sales of cold drinks at Starbucks have created a problem: growing amounts of plastic waste from the single-use cups that Frappuccinos, Refreshers, cold brews and other iced drinks are served in.
Google has fired 28 employees in the aftermath of protests over technology that the internet company is supplying the Israeli government amid the Gaza war, further escalating tensions surrounding a hot-button deal.
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
After knocking out her opponent in the fourth round, Ottawa’s Tayler Kelly is the World Boxing Council (WBC) Muay Thai Canadian amateur champion, a milestone in the fighter's young career.
Tesla will ask shareholders to reinstate a US$55 billion compensation package for CEO Elon Musk that was rejected by a judge in Delaware this year and to move the electric car maker's corporate home from Delaware to Texas.
Tesla has hit a series of roadblocks, including increased competition and declining sales. The company announced Monday it is slashing 10 per cent of its global workforce.
A driver from London will have to find alternative transportation after an OPP officer clocked them travelling nearly 200 km/h on Highway 401 over the weekend.