Throne speech was an 'emotional moment' for the King, Buckingham Palace says
CBC
Some observant royal watchers thought King Charles looked emotional at times throughout his trip to Canada last week — and a Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirms to CBC News that the normally stoic monarch found delivering the throne speech to be a particularly poignant moment.
"His Majesty was deeply moved and touched by the enthusiastic response to his visit," the palace spokesperson said.
"On the speech, the standing ovation in particular was an unexpected and emotional moment for His Majesty. You can hear his voice go a bit crackly in the final lines."
Footage shows Charles looking pleased by the warm reception he received as the assembled dignitaries rose to applaud him and his speech.
Charles's line about Canada "indeed" being the Truth North "strong and free" was particularly well received in the Senate chamber. There was no act of protest like when an Australian Indigenous senator shouted at the King in Parliament during his visit to that realm last year.
His voice then wavered and his eyes appeared to well up as he said the final line to the gathered parliamentarians: "May you honour the profound trust bestowed upon you by Canadians, and may God bless and guide you in all your duties."
Charles also seemed to tear up outside the Senate building as thousands of people watched him arrive in the royal landau and inspect the military honour guard while the Royal Canadian Air Force band played O Canada. After the speech, he cheerfully greeted many of the onlookers and there were no obvious signs of protest.
"It was the warmest of welcomes and the fondest of returns to a nation and a people we love," Charles and Queen Camilla themselves said in a joint statement released after they left Ottawa.
The U.K. press took note of Charles's unusual display of emotion on this trip — his 20th official visit to Canada and his first as monarch.
"Royals don't normally 'do' emotion, at least they do their very best to hide whatever feeling they have. But for some reason, King Charles seemed unable to do that on this occasion at the end of a short, but highly significant, visit," ITV's royal correspondent Chris Ship wrote in his coverage of the speech.
In an interview with CBC News, Justin Vovk, a royal historian at McMaster University, said there was "more emotion than we've come to expect from members of the royal family."
"I think Charles was taken aback somewhat. The King had been itching to get here and eager to make his presence felt in Canada but no one really knew what kind of reaction he would receive," Vovk said.
"Journalists, academics, royalists, we were all watching and wondering: would there be a tepid turnout? Would there be protests? And I think once Charles saw the level of reaction from the people, it floored him; it seems he wasn't expecting it."
The emotion may also have been driven by just how high-stakes the visit was for him and the country, Vovk said.
