President Donald Trump has doubled down on his mission to claim Canada as the 51st state, all as the United Kingdom's King Charles III stands behind the Great White North. Ever since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has set his sights on Canada and thrown his weight around as he tries to keep the USA's neighbour to the north in line.
While Donald Trump has made no bones about wanting to usher in Canada as the 51st state, there's been some obvious backlash. As well as Mike Myers repeatedly telling Canada to stand strong, major tech contracts have been canceled, and petitions have called for Elon Musk's Canadian citizenship to be revoked.
Although there was some confusion about whether Google Maps was inadvertently enacting Trump's plans, Canada remains independent...for now.
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Canada has already been hit with some hefty trade tariffs, but now that Trump has issued an ultimatum telling the country to secede or feel his wrath, King Charles has seemingly delivered his own warning.
As the reigning monarch of Canada, King Charles was invited to open the Canadian parliament for the first time in nearly 50 years. While there in Ottawa, he read a speech written by the government.
When Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the King's visit, he told the world how "Canada has a steadfast defender in our sovereign," adding that Charles "would open parliament with a speech from the throne, and that clearly underscores the sovereignty of our country."
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Even though the POTUS wasn't directly named, it was clear who this was aimed at. King Charles similarly seemed to cast shade Trump's way, telling parliament: "Today, Canada faces another critical moment. Democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, self-determination and freedom are values which Canadians hold dear, and ones which the government is determined to protect.
"The system of open global trade that, while not perfect, has helped to deliver prosperity for Canadians for decades, is changing. Canada's relationships with partners are also changing."
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Admittedly, the King said that Carney and Trump "have begun defining a new economic and security relationship," that would be "rooted in mutual respect and founded on common interests to deliver transformational benefits for both sovereign nations."
The ever-vigilant Trump appeared to take note of the King's visit, posting on Truth Social and trying to sweeten the deal as he said that Canada becoming "our cherished 51st State" means it wouldn't have to pay for his Golden Dome.
It's important to note that King Charles just read the speech that was given to him, and while he's the monarch of 14 realms in total, he doesn't have any political power in any of them.