19 Jun The King’s Speech from the Throne and The Future of UK-Canada Relations

2025 has been a challenging year for Canadian foreign policy, with President Trump’s comments about turning the nation into the United States’ 51st state putting a fairly hefty spanner in Canada’s relations with one of its biggest allies. So defining have President Trump’s remarks been that in Canada’s general election in late April, the Canadian Liberal Party – led by new leader, Mark Carney – managed a major reversal of political fortunes, largely founded upon Carney’s forthright commitment to protect Canada from President Trump and ability to harness a new found sense of Canadian patriotism that President Trump helped fuel. 

His Majesty King Charles III’s visit to Canada at the end of May, to deliver the Speech from the Throne, his first visit as Sovereign, therefore came at a significant time. The Speech from the Throne opens every new session of Parliament, setting out the government’s ambitions for the parliament and is traditionally read out by the Governor General on behalf of the Sovereign. Only twice before has the Head of State read the Speech directly and King Charles’ decision to deliver the speech himself in itself was an important symbol for reaffirming the UK’s commitment to Canada and, importantly, to Canadian sovereignty. 

So what did the Speech tell us? And where next for UK-Canada relations?

1) A Focus on Canadian Values 

One of the most integral parts of King Charles’ Speech was his emphasis on building Canada’s soft power assets as a country with “a unique identity, which is recognised across the world for bravery and sacrifice, in defence of national values and for the diversity and kindness of Canadians.” King Charles also emphasised Canada’s history, embracing its British, French, and Indigenous roots, as a constitutionally bilingual and multicultural state with a commitment to reconciliation. In focusing on and leveraging these values, King Charles argued that “Canadians can give themselves far more than any foreign power on any continent can ever take away…Canada can build new alliances and a new economy that serves all Canadians.” 

2) Building New Relationships with the United States and Diversifying Canada’s Relationships

While reaffirming the continued importance of Canada’s relationship with the United States, King Charles also emphasised Canada’s commitment to strengthening its international partnerships and identifying opportunities to build coalitions of like-minded partners. Reading between the lines, it is clear that Canada will be looking more towards the UK and Europe as partners moving forwards, as it looks to diversify its relationships and move away from its reliance on the US. 

With fresh leadership in both the UK and Canada, and with Prime Minister Carney’s strong personal links to the UK, there is plenty of opportunity for the UK and Canada to strengthen relations. The UK’s membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) provides particularly strong opportunities to strengthen relations, and there are also potential opportunities to strengthen bilateral trade. CANZUK – which comprises Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK – could also prove an increasingly useful grouping, especially with the United States currently reviewing its AUKUS agreement with the UK and Australia, necessitating that the UK find new routes and opportunities to engage outside of Europe.

3) Strengthening Canada’s Military and Defence

King Charles’ Speech also emphasised the importance of strengthening Canadian defence and national security, in response to an increasingly volatile global environment. The speech emphasised how Canada will focus on rebuilding, rearming, and reinvesting in the Canadian Armed Forces, boosting its defence industry by joining ReArm Europe, and strengthening its presence in the North.

This focus on strengthening Canadian defence and security mirrors trends seen in Europe, where concern about reliance on the United States for national security has seen nations rapidly invest in their own defensive capabilities. As King Charles affirmed, Canada is arranging to be in the Arctic on a near-permanent basis, while Prime Minister Carney has vowed to raise defence spending to 2% from 1.4% of Canada’s GDP. 

With the UK also rapidly investing in defence, this creates renewed opportunities for the UK to collaborate with Canada on defence, particularly when it comes to the Arctic, an increasingly geopolitically important region which is often under-considered in European foreign policy decision making.

4) Bolstering Canada’s Role as a Foreign Policy Leader

As the United States retreats from its position of global leadership, King Charles also emphasised Canada’s commitment to building a coalition of “like-minded countries that share its values”, not least through its Presidency of the G7, which it hosted earlier this week. The Summit began “a new era of co-operation that promotes long-term resilience over short-term efficiency,” according to Carney with a firm focus on security and trade.

But with President Trump leaving the Summit early, the Summit also stood as a timely reminder of the need to form new coalitions and partnerships that may not always involve the United States. Here there is a renewed opportunity for both the UK and Canada, both of whom have emphasised their commitment to global leadership and global values, to step up at this critical juncture in global politics.

5) A Commitment to Canadian Sovereignty

While King Charles’ decision to deliver the Speech from the Throne himself can be seen as a subtle nod to Canadian sovereignty, the speech itself was less subtle, with multiple references to Canadian sovereignty included. Here King Charles is uniquely positioned to reaffirm the importance of Canadian sovereignty, both as Sovereign of Canada, and given President Trump’s well known affinity for the Royal Family. With President Trump’s aggressive overtures towards Canada, that could be increasingly important over the coming years.

The views expressed in this article are the authour’s own and do not necessarily represent those of BFPG.