Why is King Charles opening the Canadian parliament?

King Charles III is on a trip to Canada today and tomorrow.

Charles will open the 45th session of Canada’s parliament on Tuesday with his Speech from the Throne.

Charles, who has visited Canada over a dozen times as Prince, is making his first visit to Canada as a king.

He is doing so at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Charles is making the speech in this capacity as head of state of Canada – which remains a constitutional monarchy to this day.

But what is a constitutional monarchy? How does it work?

Let’s take a closer look

What is a constitutional monarchy?

A constitutional monarchy is when a king or queen remains the head of the state of a nation.

Under this system, the head of state and the head of the government are two different people – like in Canada and Britain.

Canada has been a constitutional monarchy since 1534 – when it was claimed by the king of France.

Since then, Canada has witnessed a number of monarchs take the throne.

Queen Elizabeth II – or ‘mummy’ as Charles referred to her – was the first monarch to be proclaimed Queen of Canada.

This occurred in 1953 when Canada passed the Royal Style and Titles Act.

In neither place does the monarch actually “rule” the country.

So how does it work?

The sovereign’s powers are usually defined by a country’s constitution and its other laws.

While Britain has no written constitution –  its governments and monarchs hew to centuries of traditions, conventions and laws while conducting the affairs of state – Canada does.

The monarch in Canada is usually represented by the governor general.

The governor general is appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister.

It is the governor general that carries out most of the monarch’s duties in Canada in a non-partisan manner – constitutional duties such as ending a session of parliament, presenting honours to the military, and overseeing ceremonies and welcoming dignitaries.

The current Governor General is Mary Simon, as per BBC.

While it would usually would fall to Simon to make the Speech from the Throne – on behalf of the prime minister – Mark Carney has personally invited Charles to do so.

This is seen as Carney sending a message to the United States – Canada is a sovereign nation and will remain so.

“Because we have a constitutional monarchy, the king can only operate inside a box that is defined by parliament – because we don’t want a king, or any unelected person, affecting policy and laws,” Justin Vovk, a royal historian and author, told The Guardian. “Any influence the monarch exerts is done through subtlety.”

In short, King Charles’ role as a representative of the crown in Canada is to bring people together.

Charles III in his declaration to the Accession Council on September 10, 2022 Acknowledged his role thus:

“I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty which have now passed to me. In taking up these responsibilities, I shall strive to follow the inspiring example I have been set in upholding constitutional government and to seek the peace, harmony and prosperity of the peoples of […] the Commonwealth Realms and Territories throughout the world.”

New citizens of Canada, Members of Parliament and the Legislatures, military and police officers all swear allegiance to the monarch.

Canada and Britain aren’t alone – Charles is king of over a dozen Commonwealth states including New Zealand and Australia.

However in every state, the monarch plays a different role.

With inputs from agencies