Britain's King Charles III gave a warm welcome to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday as the two met for a private audience at the monarch's royal residence Sandringham.
While royal officials did not provide details about the private talks, the pair were expected to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to make Canada the 51st state.
Trudeau said on Sunday that he will discuss matters of importance to Canadians with Charles, who is the head of state in Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth of former colonies. Trudeau said “nothing seems more important to Canadians right now than standing up for our sovereignty and our independence as a nation.”
The king has come under criticism in Canada for being silent about Trump’s threats to annex Canada.
While the antiroyal movement in Canada is small, the silence of the monarch on Trump’s threats have spurred discussion in recent days.
Former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said “for Canadians disappointed that King Charles has not commented” on Trump’s threats he can only act on the advice of Canada’s prime minister.
“The Government of Canada should ask the Head of State to underscore Canadian sovereignty,” Kenney posted on X.
Trudeau, who flew to London to join an emergency defense summit on Ukraine over the weekend, clasped the king's hand as the pair posed for photos on Monday at Sandringham House.
The royal estate, near the eastern English coast, has been the private home for generations of British monarchs.
The meeting came after Charles met Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to show solidarity with Ukraine after Trump lashed out at Zelenskyy in a heated exchange in the Oval Office.
Last week British Prime Minister Keir Starmer invited Trump to come to the U.K. for a state visit, noting it was an “unprecedented” honor since Trump already had been given the royal treatment by Queen Elizabeth II during his first term.
