King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in Ottawa on Monday afternoon to kick off a two-day visit to Canada. The primary focus of the first visit to Canada as King is to deliver the speech from the throne to open the new session of Parliament on Tuesday. Their Majesties participated in two public appearances on Monday – at Lansdowne Park and at Rideau Hall. CTV News Ottawa will provide live updates on the royal visit to Ottawa. Tuesday’s itinerary King Charles and Queen Camilla will have a busy Tuesday morning in Ottawa before departing the capital. His Majesty will deliver the speech from the throne to open the new session of Parliament. Here is the itinerary for Tuesday in downtown Ottawa: 9:50 a.m. - Wellington Street King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel on Wellington Street from the Bank of Canada building at Bank Street to the Senate of Canada Building. Canadian Heritage says the royal couple will travel using Canada’s State Landau, drawn by horses of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride. 10:15 a.m. - Senate of Canada Building King Charles will receive full military honours upon arrival at the Senate of Canada Building, which will include a Royal Salute, a 100-person guard of honour from the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment, an inspection of the guard and the band, and a 21-gun salute. 11 a.m. Charles will deliver the speech from the throne to open the 45th Parliament. 11:55 a.m. - National War Memorial Canadian Heritage says before concluding their visit, King Charles and Queen Camilla will lay a wreath and flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial. King Charles and Queen Camilla will then travel to the Ottawa Airport to depart Canada. Monday in Pictures Governor General, Prime Minister meet with the King Governor General Mary Simon and Prime Minister Mark Carney met with King Charles at Rideau Hall. The Canadian Press reported The Governor General could be heard saying “welcome home” as they met Monday afternoon. 3:08 p.m. O Canada Some people in the crowd sang O Canada as King Charles and Queen Camilla continued to meet with the public at Rideau Hall. Their majesties have now entered Rideau Hall. 2:52 p.m. – Rideau Hall King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived at Rideau Hall, the official residence of the Governor General of Canada. They participated in a tree-planting ceremony on the grounds of Rideau Hall. The King and Queen planted a Blue-Beech tree, a small deciduous tree native to eastern North America. This is the fifth tree plant at Rideau Hall by King Charles and the second planted by their Majesties together. They planted the tree near the site of the sugar maple tree, which the King and Queen planted during their 2017 visit. 2:43 p.m. - Travelling to Rideau Hall Several people lined up along Sussex Drive to wave to King Charles and Queen Camilla as they travel to Rideau Hall. The Ottawa Police Service’s Traffic Escort and Enforcement Unit have been deployed to help their Majesties travel through Ottawa. 2:40 p.m. – departing Lansdowne King Charles and Queen Camilla depart Lansdowne after a 40-minute visit to the park in Ottawa. Thousands of people packed the area for a chance to meet their Majesties. They will now travel to Rideau Hall. 2:12 p.m. Hockey at Lansdowne Former Ottawa Senators defenceman Chris Phillips took park in a ceremonial puck drop at Lansdowne with King Charles. Olympic soccer gold medalist Desiree Scott took part in the game. The two hockey associations are the African Hockey Association and the Association de Hockey Féminin Vallée de Gatineau. 2:10 p.m. Visiting vendors at Lansdowne King Charles and Queen Camilla are walking through the area that hosts the Ottawa Farmers Market every Sunday. Some vendors from the market have set up for the special market on Monday. Canadian Heritage has called the visit to Lansdowne a community gathering. Groups at Lansdowne on Monday include Mādahòkì Farm, Upasana the Spirit of Dance, Ballet Folklórico Aztlán, African Hockey Association, the Association de Hockey Féminin Vallée de Gatineau, OrKidstra and Civic Gardens. Organizations in the Horticulture Building include the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum/Central Experimental Farm, Operation Come Home, the First Peoples Innovation Centre, Ukrainian Canadian Social Services Ottawa, United for Literacy, the Canadian Red Cross, LiveWorkPlay, Skateboard Exhibit, La Tablée des chefs, and Whitefeather Forest Community Resource Management Authority. 2:05 p.m. Crowds at Lansdowne Their Majesties are taking time to greet some of the people who lined up at Lansdowne hours before their arrival. King Charles and Queen Camilla have been joined by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Diana Carney. There is a large police presence at Lansdowne. 1:58 p.m. - Arriving at Lansdowne King Charles and Queen Camilla were greeted by a large crowd at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa. Their Majesties took time to shake hands with people at the park, some of them lining up hours before their arrival. Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe will welcome the royals to the park in the Glebe. 1:37 - Heading to Lansdowne The motorcade with King Charles and Queen Camilla are departing the Ottawa Airport. They will travel to Lansdowne. Expect temporary closures on: 1:30 p.m. - Welcome to Ottawa Lila Graham, 14, of Carleton Place presented Queen Camilla with a bouquet of flowers at the Ottawa International Airport. Since 2015, Graham has asked for food donations instead of birthday gifts. In March, she received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her community service. Some students from Sacred Heart Catholic High School in Stittsville and Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School in Gatineau are at the airport to greet the King and Queen. There are 52 students from Grades 9 to 12 at Sacred Heart Catholic High School that are completing the final challenge to satisfy requirements for Bronze Level of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award immediately after meeting their Majesties. 1:12 p.m. Royal arrival King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at the Ottawa International Airport at 1:12 p.m., kicking off a two-day visit to Ottawa. Governor General Mary Simon, Prime Minister Mark Carney and National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak are among the dignitaries at the airport. Their Majesties will be greeted by a 25-member honour guard from the Royal Canadian Dragoons and the Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces. 1:10 p.m. - Lansdowne A large crowd gathered at Lansdowne more than an hour before the King and Queen arrived at the Ottawa park. At least one person appeared to be carrying a Trump flag while at Lansdowne. 12:50 p.m. Royal preparations Vendors set up at Lansdowne ahead of the arrival of King Charles and Queen Camilla on Monday afternoon. A vendor’s daughter made a sign for the King and Queen. Lansdowne Park Dozens of people lined up at Lansdowne Park before 12 p.m. to greet King Charles and Queen Camilla. Mayor to welcome Charles and Camilla to Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe will be at Lansdowne to welcome King Charles and Queen Camilla. “It’s a great honour to welcome the King and Queen to Ottawa on behalf of the people of Ottawa,” Sutcliffe told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s The Morning Rush with Bill Carroll. “I’ll be there when he arrives at Lansdowne Park for a little tour and he’s going to see a couple of things happening at Lansdowne and meet with a couple of community organizations.” Prime Minister welcomes the King and Queen Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a statement Monday morning to welcome their Majesties to Canada. “The Royal Visit is a reminder of the bond between Canada and the Crown – one forged over generations, shaped by shared histories, and grounded in common values. A bond that, over time, has evolved, just as Canada has, to reflect the strength, diversity, and confidence of our people,” Carney said. “Tomorrow, His Majesty King Charles III will deliver the Speech from the Throne in the Senate Chamber, nearly 70 years after Canada’s Sovereign first opened Parliament. This historic honour matches the weight of our times. It speaks to our enduring tradition and friendship, to the vitality of our constitutional monarchy and our distinct identity, and to the historic ties that crises only fortify.” Travelling to Canada Buckingham Palace posted a video on Instagram of King Charles boarding a plane for the flight to Ottawa. “Concerned for Canada” Royal commentator Bonnie Brownlee says the visit by King Charles to read the speech from the throne Tuesday morning is a “political statement.” “I think, on this occasion, he is concerned for Canada as we move forward with our relationship with the United States,” Brownlee told CTV Morning Live Monday morning. The visit comes during a period marked by a trade war between Canada and the United States, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestions that Canada become the 51st state. CTV Morning Live host Jeff Hopper asked Brownlee if Trump’s name will be mentioned during the throne speech. “I don’t feel (the King) will say his name out loud, but he will work his way gently and kindly around it. It’s also to strengthen our relationship with the United Kingdom and Europe,” Brownlee said. “I think he will be fairly direct. I think he will sort of top and tail the speech with his own personal comments about things. I’m sure he will bring up his mother, Queen Elizabeth.” 20th visit to Canada This is King Charles 20th visit to Canada, and the first visit as King. King Charles III and Queen Camilla last visited Canada in 2022, with stops in Ottawa, St. John’s and Yellowknife and Dettah, Northwest Territories. Charles first official tour of Canada was in July 1970, visiting Ottawa. This is Queen Camilla’s sixth visit to Canada. Traffic disruptions Motorists are being warned to expect temporary road closures this afternoon between the Ottawa Airport and Lansdowne Park, along with through downtown Ottawa. The city says there will be temporary closures between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on the following roads: During the movement of the royal motorcade, there will be intermittent and temporary closures of both the Macdonald-Cartier and Portage bridges today. Public events in Ottawa Two events are open to the public today. 1:50 p.m. – Lansdowne King Charles and Queen Camilla will attend a “community gathering” at Lansdowne. “Their Majesties will meet and engage with individuals and organizations showcasing Canadian identity and diversity and take part in various activities,” Canadian Heritage said. The stop will include touring a farmers’ market and watching a road hockey game. 2:50 p.m. – Rideau Hall The King and Queen will arrive at Rideau Hall and participate in a tree-planting ceremony with community groups and school groups. According to Buckingham Palace, their Majesties will plant a tree near the site of the sugar maple tree which the King and Queen planted during their 2017 visit.
