OTTAWA -- Before Astronaut Jeremy Hansen gets a chance to wear Canada's colours on a flight around the moon next year, he is set to carry the Canadian flag at the coronation of the country's new King.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office released a list of dignitaries and eminent Canadians who have been invited to join him, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and their spouses at Westminster Abbey this weekend as King Charles is officially crowned.
During the coronation service, Hansen is slated to carry the flag in a procession of people who have received national honours. They include historian Margaret MacMillan, who is a companion of the Order of Canada, and Cross of Valour recipient Leslie Arthur Palmer.
The delegation list also includes Indigenous and youth leaders, astronaut Jennifer Sidey-Gibbons and the clerk of the Privy Council, Janice Charette, who is the federal government's highest-ranking civil servant.
Simon's itinerary for the trip includes an audience with the King on Thursday at Buckingham Palace, where they will be joined by the leaders of the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Metis National Council.
The King is also expected to host a reception Friday for overseas guests.
A contingent of 45 members of the Canadian Armed Forces have been tapped to take part in the coronation military parade in London, including 16 members from the army, 11 from the navy, 11 from the air force, six from the special forces and one officer cadet from the Royal Military College.
The military members were chosen as a representation of the "best of those who serve in uniform today," the Prime Minister's Office said in a press release.
Five RCMP musical ride members will also be part of a procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.
The King was officially proclaimed Canada's monarch in a ceremony in September in Ottawa attended by both Trudeau and Simon.
The prime minister and Governor General also attended Queen Elizabeth II's funeral last year with two former governors general and four former prime ministers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2023.
