The Throne Speech Heard Around the World

In the lead-up to King Charles III’s throne speech in Ottawa, the mood was part royal visit, part political litmus test. No one knew exactly what he’d say, only that every word, pause, and brooch would be scrutinized.

With Trump dangling annexation like a minor formality, Canada found itself in a strange moment. Sovereignty suddenly trended, and the throne speech became more than tradition, it became a statement. The question: Would he address the elephant in the room? And how?

Spoiler: he did. Not with a full-bodied rebuke, but with something far more effective, measured, pointed language.

The speech stayed within royal decorum (no mic drops, no off-script flair), yet some lines landed heavy. “Many Canadians are anxious about a drastically changing world,” he said. “Fundamental change is unsettling. Yet this moment is an incredible opportunity. An opportunity for renewal.” Not a battle cry, but far from filler.

This wasn’t the Prince of Wales of spider-letter fame, the passionate commentator on modern architecture and alternative medicine. This was King Charles III, fully aware of the stage, cameras, and geopolitical undercurrents.

Restraint, yes, but no passivity. You could hear it in how deliberately he spoke of Canada’s identity and autonomy. This wasn’t routine throne speech, it was a message built to travel. And travel it did: across news feeds, headlines, and group chats of people who hadn’t cared about the monarchy in years. Trump, in his own way, united Canadians like hockey finals do. Suddenly, those who never cared about sovereignty were sitting up straighter.

Even the line about Canada building a coalition of like-minded countries sharing values, believers in cooperation and open exchange, sounded less like policy and more like a diplomatic side-eye. Subtle, pointed, unmistakable.

Everything from his tone to his tree planting was loaded with meaning. Exhausting? Absolutely. But that’s the role. He played it, then flew home.

If anyone came for royal fireworks, they likely left disappointed. But for those paying attention, this was a quiet yet firm assertion, delivered with unmistakable Canadian clarity. He didn’t write the speech, but he knew exactly how to land it.

Enough to make even cynics stop scrolling.

© Marilyn Braun 2025

 Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

Elbows Up: A Royal Visit That’s Mostly Just Symbolic

If you haven’t already heard, King Charles III and Queen Camilla are dropping by Canada. For a quick pit stop, just long enough to remind the world we still have sovereignty. Because nothing screams “strong, independent nation” quite like having the King pop in for 48 hours to say, “Yep, we’re still here.”

His visit has been hyped as rich with symbolism. But let’s be honest: what Canadians will really be watching for is the raised elbows. Not the usual royal wave, all delicate wrist flicks and finger flutter, but the full elbows-up move: arms bent sharply, elbows thrust high and proud, forearms jutting out like tiny barricades.

Picture the scene: photojournalists scrambling, cameras firing away. T-shirts, souvenirs, commemorative magazines and coins in production. Breathless commentary as royal watchers obsess over every micro-movement. Historians analyzing what this means for Canada's future. Hockey analysts and body language experts called in to judge: Did Charles nail the elbows-up? Did Prime Minister Carney brief him properly? Should we have sent Mike Myers instead?

Because elbows up is more than just a physical stance. It’s a diplomatic dance move. A way of saying, “We appreciate the gesture, but hands off the maple syrup and the moose.” It’s the polite, Canadian version of a “Back off,"  delivered with just enough stiff upper lip to confuse the Americans.

The King and Queen will visit the Senate chamber to make a historic throne speech, plant a tree (because what else do you do when you want to say, “We’re here, but we’re leaving soon”), make polite small talk with select individuals and watch a street hockey game. Meanwhile, Canada will do its best to look excited without breaking into a full parade, after all, this is a 48-hour visit, not a hockey final.

Some might wonder why the monarchy still bothers. Isn’t this visit just a fancy postcard from the past? Maybe. But in a world where political chaos is the new normal, the sight of a man and a queen showing up just to say “we’re watching” has its own odd charm.

And when it comes down to it, if elbows up is the way we say “We’re still sovereign, thanks very much,” then Canada might just have found its next great national pastime.

So get ready, Canada. Keep your elbows sharp, your politeness sharper, and maybe practice your own elbows-up move for when the cameras come around. Because this royal visit? It’s less about allegiance to the crown and more about staging just enough pageantry to remind the world Canada is not for sale.

© Marilyn Braun 2025 

Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.