Buckingham Palace says it's a matter for the Canadian government, on whose advice the King acts
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By Eeyore on February 28, 2025 |
"The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives,
but of the products of human labour. War is a way of shattering to pieces,
or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea,
materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable,
and hence, in the long run, too intelligent. Even when weapons of war are
not actually destroyed, their manufacture is still a convenient way of
expending labour power without producing anything that can be consumed.
A Floating Fortress, for example, has locked up in it the labour that
would build several hundred cargo-ships. Ultimately it is scrapped as
obsolete, never having brought any material benefit to anybody, and with
further enormous labours another Floating Fortress is built. In principle
the war effort is always so planned as to eat up any surplus that might
exist after meeting the bare needs of the population. In practice the needs
of the population are always underestimated, with the result that there is
a chronic shortage of half the necessities of life; but this is looked on
as an advantage. It is deliberate policy to keep even the favoured groups
somewhere near the brink of hardship, because a general state of scarcity
increases the importance of small privileges and thus magnifies the
distinction between one group and another. By the standards of the early
twentieth century, even a member of the Inner Party lives an austere,
laborious kind of life. Nevertheless, the few luxuries that he does enjoy
his large, well-appointed flat, the better texture of his clothes, the
better quality of his food and drink and tobacco, his two or three
servants, his private motor-car or helicopter--set him in a different world
from a member of the Outer Party, and the members of the Outer Party have
a similar advantage in comparison with the submerged masses whom we call
'the proles'. The social atmosphere is that of a besieged city, where the
possession of a lump of horseflesh makes the difference between wealth and
poverty. And at the same time the consciousness of being at war, and
therefore in danger, makes the handing-over of all power to a small caste
seem the natural, unavoidable condition of survival."
-George Orwell. 1984A 'delicate situation' for King Charles: Royal soft power and diplomacy in the face of world turmoil
Monarch held meetings with Zelenskyy and Trudeau at Sandringham Estate
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A high-profile invitation for a state visit. A warm welcome to a private residence in the countryside. A display of military honours worn on the chest.
King Charles, who as a constitutional monarch acts on the advice of the governments where he is head of state, hasn't made any official public statements on current high-level political matters that are critical for those countries. Nor would he, unless a prime minister asked him to.
But in his recent actions, there could be subtle signals and a reflection of the kind of soft power and diplomacy the monarchy can try to exert.
In recent days, Charles has — via an envelope hand-delivered in the Oval Office in front of the TV cameras by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer — extended the invitation for an unprecedented second state visit to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The King also had hearty handshakes and warm welcomes to his Sandringham Estate for both Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy — fresh off his Oval Office clash with Trump — and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
King
Charles, left, greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a
visit to the Sandringham Estate on March 2 in Sandringham, Norfolk. (Joe Giddens/Getty Images)
While some have questioned Charles's official silence in the face of Trump's repeated comments about Canada becoming the 51st state, Trudeau indicated before meeting the King that they would talk about sovereignty.
"This is one of those situations where King Charles III is in a rather delicate situation, as he acts on the advice of his prime minister, but he has 15 different prime ministers, and it's clear that the British and Canadian prime ministers have different priorities at this time," Toronto-based royal author and historian Carolyn Harris said in an interview.
"Prime Minister Trudeau is focused on the threat to sovereignty, whereas Prime Minister Starmer is trying to keep a harmonious trade relationship with the United States."
The King and Trudeau met on Monday morning at Sandringham in the Norfolk countryside, northeast of London. After the meeting, Trudeau posted to social media that they "spoke about matters of importance to Canadians — including, above all, Canada's sovereign and independent future."
Not long after that visit, observers were quick to note that Charles displayed Canadian military honours on his chest during a visit to a Royal Navy aircraft carrier.
"There were reports that King Charles III is very interested in the situation in Canada, and then the next day, he was seen in Britain wearing some of his Canadian military honours — once again, a subtle way of indicating support for Canada without issuing any official statements that might contradict advice that he's received from his British prime minister," Harris said.
King
Charles, second from right, visits the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of
Wales in the English Channel on Tuesday as the Royal Navy finalizes
preparations for a major global deployment to the Indo-Pacific this
spring. Charles is wearing some of his Canadian military honours. (Ministry of Defence/Getty Images)
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson told CBC they don't comment on Charles's medals or dress, but that it is not unusual for him to wear the Canadian decorations as part of the array.
Still, the appearance of the Canadian honours during Charles's visit to HMS Prince of Wales was widely noted.
"That was a visit to a Royal Navy vessel, so that was almost certainly not an accident," Craig Prescott, a constitutional expert and lecturer in law at Royal Holloway, University of London, said in an interview.
"That is, of course, a very clear sign of the King wanting to be seen [to be] supporting the U.K. military, but also supporting the Canadian military. And there have been discussions of Canadians playing an active role in Europe.
"So I think it ties in with all of that. But again, I think it was — in a way, it might be in a too-subtle way for those at the White House, but ... again, an assertion of Canadian nationhood."
Prescott says Trudeau's comments before the meeting were unusual.
Trudeau, King Charles meet after weeks of '51st state' taunts from Trump"Normally what happens is you just see a photograph afterwards," he said. "There's not normally much of a preview for these meetings."
Prescott thinks that shows that Trudeau "was keen to play up the role of the King a little bit."
Given the "51st state" rhetoric coming from Trump, Prescott suggested, "just for Trudeau to be seen with the King is to say [to Trump]: 'You know, we are not your plaything. You know, we have our own higher authority here already. We don't need you.' I think that's a very interesting dynamic that's building."
Robert Hardman, an author and royal expert with the Daily Mail, says while the King would take advice from prime ministers in the Commonwealth, none of them would want to drag him into politics.
"I can't imagine the King is ever going to make any kind of public pronouncement, either as King of the U.K. or King of Canada, without a very direct instruction from the respective head of government," Hardman told CBC in London.
"But the way he does things, it's much more nuanced. It's much more in the margins."
King Charles, left, hosts Zelenskyy at the Sandringham Estate on March 2. ( Joe Giddens/Getty Images)
For Charles, there has been quite a transition from his time as Prince of Wales, when the public was aware of his opinions on a range of topics, Harris said.
"Once he became King, King Charles III made clear that he would be focused on his duties as a constitutional monarch, so what we have seen instead is King Charles III being able to exert some diplomatic soft power by bringing people together," she said.
"The monarch has the ability to issue invitations that are very rarely refused."
The British government would have been counting on that with Trump, whose admiration of the monarchy is well known.
"This enthusiasm for spending time with members of the Royal Family and also the trappings of monarchy is being harnessed in an effort to smooth the path of Anglo-American relations at a very tumultuous time when the United States is behaving very unpredictably towards former allies," Harris said.
U.S.
President Donald Trump, right, holds a letter from King Charles during a
bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, in
the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 27. The
letter was an invitation to Trump for an unprecedented second state
visit to Britain. (Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)
Meeting leaders at Sandringham also sends a message.
"It is King Charles III's own property rather than one of the estates that is owned by the British government. So that's a subtle way of indicating personal support," Harris said.
"It was clear that King Charles III was very glad to meet with the president of Ukraine during this very difficult time. So there are ways of signalling that King Charles III's personal sympathies are with Ukraine."
Still, for Charles, however he handles the soft power and diplomacy on the high wire of current world turmoil is a test.
"This is clearly, I think, his first big challenge of his reign," Prescott said.
"Merely following the Elizabeth II playbook may not necessarily yield the right answers and ... he has to think of his own approach here.
"I think we've already seen that he's willing to be ... a lot sharper about these sorts of things — that yes, it's not party political, but I think with the Queen, it might have been left at levels of symbolism — if there's a doubt about not doing something, don't do it. I think [with Charles], there's a slightly less cautious approach."
— With files from CBC's Briar Stewart in London
Looking for signals at the Commonwealth Day service
Members
of the Royal Family attend the annual Commonwealth Day service ceremony
at Westminster Abbey in London on March 11, 2024. (Henry Nicholls/The Associated Press)
King Charles could send more signals on Monday when members of the Royal Family gather in Westminster Abbey in London for the annual Commonwealth Day service.
Both Charles and Catherine, Princess of Wales, missed the service last year as they were undergoing treatment for cancers that had been diagnosed a few weeks earlier.
But both are expected to be at this year's service, which celebrates the people and cultures of the Commonwealth's 56 member states, representing almost one-third of the world's population.
"I think that could be very, very interesting, because the King does have the Commonwealth Day message," Prescott said.
Might that message, Prescott wonders, somehow reference the situation in Europe, with war in Ukraine, and how other countries are responding?
"If Australia and Canada in particular are going to contribute, then that might well be something that is mentioned," he said.
Queen
Camilla, left, and Prince William speak as they attend the Commonwealth
Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 11, 2024. (Henry Nicholls/Getty Images)
"But just how far it goes will be interesting, because some Commonwealth members have taken a decidedly un-British approach to Ukraine.... You've seen Commonwealth members abstaining or sometimes even voting with Russia in the UN."
That makes framing any message from Charles as head of the Commonwealth "very difficult," Prescott said, "because as is so often the case, the Commonwealth doesn't have a common position on this."
At a time when there are questions about the role and relevance of the Commonwealth, the service also provides an opportunity to focus attention on it.
"There's an opportunity to make the case for the Commonwealth on the world stage and what it can achieve by bringing all of these countries together," Harris said.
Harris also sees potential for the Commonwealth's humanitarian efforts to grow in prominence, particularly as the United States cuts foreign aid programs.
Flags are paraded at the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London on March 13, 2023. (Jordan Pettitt/Getty Images)
She will also watch for other subtle signals out of the service: Will King Charles wear some of his Canadian military or naval honours? Will there be any Maple Leaf or snowflake brooches on display?
"Among some of the women of the Royal Family, certainly it's easy to over-interpret the significance of fashion choices such as these, but it will be interesting to see if any gifts from visits to Canada are on display during the Commonwealth service."
Charles is marking Commonwealth Day in another way, too: through an Apple Music show, The King's Music Room. In the show recorded at Buckingham Palace, he shares a personal playlist featuring genres from disco and reggae to Afrobeats and singers including Grace Jones, Bob Marley and Kylie Minogue.
Signals on the domestic front
Camilla,
then Duchess of Cornwall, holds Beth, her Jack Russell terrier, while
unveiling a plaque as they visit the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in
Windsor, England, on Dec. 9, 2020. Beth died late last year, and Queen
Camilla has a new puppy from the home named Moley. (Steve Parsons/Getty Images)
There have also been royal reports in recent days on the domestic front — the very domestic front.
Both King Charles and Queen Camilla have new dogs. In Camilla's case, it's a rescue Jack Russell terrier cross female puppy called Moley. For Charles, it's a Lagotto Romagnolo puppy called Snuff.
While getting a new dog can be a happy occurrence for any family, Charles and Camilla's new canine companions will likely continue to attract attention in the years ahead.
"There is ... a very long history of royal pets having a certain degree of public prominence as part of the public image of monarchy, but also being very important to individual members of the Royal Family," Harris said.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Camilla spoke of the comfort their dogs brought her and Charles.
Queen Camilla's rescue dogs Bluebell, top, and Beth join her on Jan. 25, 2023, in Lacock, England. (Arthur Edwards/Getty Images)
"During that time of social isolation, when she wasn't able to hug her grandchildren ... being warmly greeted by her pets was very important," Harris said.
In previous generations, when a royal upbringing could be isolating and involve being tutored at home, pets became treasured companions.
"Queen Victoria was very close to her dog, Dash, who she continued bathing herself even after she became Queen," Harris said.
Camilla's new companion comes from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, as did another of her previous dogs, Beth, which died late last year.
"We're seeing more widely the King and Queen setting the tone for the importance of adopting rescue animals," Harris said.
Charles,
then Prince of Wales, greets well-wishers and a King Charles spaniel
during a visit east of Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on Oct. 20, 2017. (Arthur Edwards/Getty Images)
Camilla became patron of the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2016. Victoria had served as the home's first royal patron, taking on the position in 1885.
"The Royal Family very much took the lead in addressing the topic of cruelty to animals in the 19th century," Harris said. "Queen Victoria becoming the first royal patron of the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home was a way of signalling royal support for better treatment of animals."
For some observers, that seems a contradiction, given the Royal Family's interest in hunting and shooting parties on their estates.
"That has been a controversy for a very long time," Harris said.
"The shooting parties are sometimes presented as being a way of managing animal populations on these estates. That argument hasn't always been convincing. And certainly there have been calls for the Royal Family to give up shooting simply because they are so prominent and they set an example for others."
The
royal corgis await the cortege ahead of the committal service for the
late Queen Elizabeth at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on Sept.
19, 2022, in Windsor, England. (Peter Nicholls/Getty Images)
Royal pets started appearing with some regularity in portraits in the Tudor period, Harris said. Later on, they gained a new prominence in paintings of Kings Charles I and II.
"Charles II's love of his King Charles spaniels with sort of the floppy ears, looking a bit like the King's wig, meant that King Charles spaniels became very associated with royalty."
Queen Victoria loved animals, and in her reign, her pets sometimes signalled diplomatic relations she had with other powers.
"She had a pony from the king of Sardinia," Harris said. "The shah of Persia presented her with a pair of Tibetan goats and a goat herd was established at Windsor Castle."
One of Victoria's animals, however, has been highlighted by some modern historians as a symbol of some of the more negative traits of the British Empire.
"The first Pekingese dog to be introduced in Britain was looted from the emperor of China's summer palace during the Second Opium War and then presented to Queen Victoria," Harris said. "Unlike the goats and the parakeet and the pony, this wasn't an official gift to the Queen. This dog was looted, and the dog was actually named Looty."
The
Royal Family is welcomed at a train station with their dogs on Jan. 28,
1966, in London. From left: Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth, Prince
Edward and Prince Andrew. (AFP/Getty Images)
King Edward VII's dog Caesar, a wire fox terrier, was well known to the public, and had a prominent place in the monarch's funeral procession in 1910.
"I would argue that we don't see a royal pet being seen by such a large audience again until the 2012 Olympics, with the corgis running about as [Queen Elizabeth] gets into the helicopter with Daniel Craig," Harris said, referencing the James Bond sketch that was part of the Games' opening ceremony.
In the 21st century, dogs continue to be closely associated with the Royal Family.
"The Royal Family enjoys country pursuits, spending time outside, so Queen Elizabeth II and her corgis, and now King Charles III and Queen Camilla and their dogs — we see dogs being associated with the head of state."
Royally quotable
"Whether protecting vital shipping lanes, fostering partnerships with our allies or indeed remaining alert and at readiness for eventualities that we hope may never come to pass, your work helps to ensure the safety and prosperity of the United Kingdom, our allies and our partners."
— King Charles, in a speech to Royal Navy sailors and others during his visit to HMS Prince of Wales.
King
Charles, second from left, visits the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of
Wales in the English Channel on March 4. It was the first time in nearly
40 years that a reigning monarch paid a visit to a Royal Navy warship
at sea. (Ministry of Defence/Getty Images)
Royal reads
-
Prince William has proposed that National Health Service staff should have an "enforced career break" to protect their mental well-being. [Daily Mail]
-
A former aide to William has said he was at his "lowest" after his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, was diagnosed with cancer. [BBC]
-
The Prince of Wales used his first message delivered in Welsh to wish Wales a "Happy St. David's Day." William and Catherine were also in Wales, where they baked Welsh cakes to mark St. David's Day and visited the community of Pontypridd to learn how it is coping following devastating flooding. [BBC]
-
A deal to take over Prince Andrew's former startup business network now seems to be in doubt, sources close to the negotiations have told the BBC.
-
With Love, Meghan, the cooking and lifestyle show featuring Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has begun streaming on Netflix. [ABC]
Prince
William, centre, talks to National Health Service staff members at the
Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, England, on Wednesday. The visit
marked five years since the start of the pandemic and highlighted the
work of a charity that continues to help NHS staff, patients and local
communities. (Richard Pohle/Getty Images)ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Trudeau meets with King Charles to discuss 'matters of importance to Canada'
One of those matters is Canada's sovereignty, according to the prime minister
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with King Charles on Monday to discuss "matters of importance to Canada and to Canadians." The meeting comes as questions swirl over why King Charles, Canada's head of state, has not publicly commented on Donald Trump's threats to annex Canada.
Buckingham Palace confirmed Monday that the King received Trudeau in the saloon at Sandringham House, but offered no other details of the meeting.
Trudeau, who was in London meeting with European leaders as they try to shore up support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, mentioned the meeting during a Sunday press conference.
"As always, we will discuss matters of importance to Canada and to Canadians, and I can tell you that nothing seems more important to Canadians right now than standing up for our sovereignty and our independence as a nation," Trudeau said.
The prime minister's comments were a thinly veiled remark about Trump's talk of annexing Canada. For months, the U.S. president has mused that Canada should become the 51st state. At one point, Trump said Canada is "not viable as a country" without U.S. trade.
The
Department of Canadian Heritage has released the official Canadian
portrait of King Charles. The photo was taken in June 2024 at Buckingham
Palace. (Submitted by the Department of Canadian Heritage)
Absent thus far from Trump's annexation talk is King Charles, who serves as Canada's head of state. The monarch has never spoken publicly about Trump's remarks.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson told CBC News it would be a matter for the Canadian government, on whose advice the King acts. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, where the monarch is a figurehead and the elected government acts in the monarch's name.
Trudeau was also asked by reporters whether he's asked British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to speak up for Canada's sovereignty.
In response, Trudeau said he knows "our allies will continue to be there to count on Canada and defend Canada in our strong sense of identity and independence."
At a news conference during Starmer's White House visit on Thursday, a journalist asked him whether King Charles expressed concern over Trump's statements on annexing Canada.
Starmer dodged the question and accused the journalist of "trying to find a divide between us that doesn't exist."
British prime minister downplays Trump's talk of '51st state'"We're the closest of nations, and we had very good discussions today. But we didn't discuss Canada," Starmer said as the president interrupted him, saying, "that's enough."
On Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said she doesn't believe the relationship between Canada and the United Kingdom has changed after Starmer's comments.
"It is just in our DNA to be close to the U.K.," Joly said, noting that she is in contact with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and national security adviser Jonathan Powell.
That said, in an event with the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade on Friday, Joly noted she had warned her European counterparts about potential threats from Trump and told them Canada was the "canary in a coal mine."
After Trump threatened tariffs on the European Union, Joly said she "wrote to all of them, and I said, 'I told you.'"
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Holly Cabrera
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Canadian PM Trudeau joins Ukraine summit in London after Trump -Zelenskyy disastrous meeting|UK |USA
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UK announces European ‘coalition of the willing’ to guarantee Ukraine’s security | BBC News
BBC News - to keep military aid flowing into Ukraine, and to keep increasing the economic pressure on Russia.
- That any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine's sovereignty and security and Ukraine must be present at any peace talks.
- In the event of a peace deal, to boost Ukraine's defensive capabilities to deter any future invasion
- To develop a "coalition of the willing" to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee peace afterwards
U.K., France to work with Ukraine on ceasefire plan to present to U.S., Starmer says
France's Macron says Putin's ambitions pose an existential threat to Europe
Britain is hosting a summit of European leaders to shore up support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer opened the meeting Sunday by saying they have a "once in a generation moment" to step up for the security of Europe.
"Even while Russia talks about peace, they are continuing their relentless aggression," Starmer said.
Starmer, flanked by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron, said the three of them had agreed to work on a plan to stop the fighting in Ukraine, and take that to the U.S., which has discussed brokering a peace deal.
The U.K. leader said he's focused on being a bridge to restore peace talks, whose collapse he used as an opportunity to re-engage with U.S. President Donald Trump, Zelenskyy and Macron rather than "ramp up the rhetoric."
Starmer,
right, welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the European
leaders' summit to discuss Ukraine, at Lancaster House, a 200-year-old
mansion near Buckingham Palace. (Toby Melville/The Associated Press)
Zelenskyy's presence comes two days after an astonishing Oval Office blowout with Trump that left many uncertain where the once staunch allies stood. Their meeting broke down in dramatic fashion as Trump scolded Zelenskyy for not being grateful enough for U.S. support and the two argued over a proposed deal that would grant the U.S. access to rare Ukrainian minerals in exchange for ongoing military support in the war against Russia.
Presidential historian says he is 'deeply worried' about the state of international politicsZelenskyy arrived after several of his peers, including Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte were also present.
Russia needs to be part of negotiations, Rubio says
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in an ABC interview aired Sunday, said peace can only come to Ukraine if Putin is involved in the negotiations, and that right now, Trump "is the only person on Earth who has any chance whatsoever of bringing him to a table to see what it is he would be willing to end the war on."
Rubio, speaking of the Russians, told the program This Week that "maybe their claims are what they want. Their demands will be unreasonable. We don't know. But we have to bring them to the table."
He added: "Maybe they don't want a deal, either. We don't know. But we haven't talked to them in three years. But maybe they do."
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte waves as he arrives for the summit. (Christophe Ena/Reuters)
Raising the prospect of leadership change in Ukraine
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, meanwhile, is raising the prospect that Zelenskyy may need to leave office if a peace deal is to be reached.
"Something has to change. Either he needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude or someone else needs to lead the country to do that," the Louisiana Republican told NBC's Meet the Press.
Johnson said "it's up to the Ukrainians to figure that out." He added that under Trump, the United States is "reasserting peace through strength."
The idea of Zelenskyy stepping aside had come up Friday after the Oval Office meeting. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, told reporters outside the White House that Zelenskyy "either needs to resign or send somebody over that we can do business with or he needs to change."
Macron talks of threat to Europe
Macron says Russia must be stopped or it's likely to expand its military operations in Ukraine further west.
Macron told La Tribune Dimanche newspaper ahead of the summit that Russian President Vladimir Putin's ambitions pose an existential threat to Europe.
"We have an over-armed and aggressive Russia on our borders. It is carrying out terrorist actions and massive disinformation campaigns here and in Europe," Macron said. If Putin is not stopped, Macron said, "he will certainly move on to Moldova and perhaps beyond to Romania."
"It's our security that's at stake," Macron added.
"The clear destiny of the Americans is to be on the side of the Ukrainians, I have no doubt about that," he said. "I want the Americans to understand that disengagement from Ukraine is not in their interests."
A
crowd gathers across from the U.K. prime minister's office at 10
Downing Street in London on Sunday to show support for Ukraine. (Emilio Avalos/Radio-Canada)
Among those in a crowd of people who gathered near Starmer's office at 10 Downing Street to show support for Ukraine on Sunday was 37-year-old Yulia Vozniuk, who moved to the U.K. from Ukraine 14 years ago.
She talked to her parents, still living in Cherkasy, Ukraine, after Friday's tense confrontation between Trump and Zelenskyy and said her mother was crying.
"It was scary, to be honest," she told CBC News, adding that Zelenskyy's team probably could have better prepared him to handle the expected "provocations" from Trump.
Yulia
Vozniuk, who is from Ukraine but has lived in the U.K. for several
years, attended a rally in London Sunday to show support for Ukraine. (Emilio Avalos/Radio-Canada)
Italy's Meloni told Starmer that the West must remain united in support of Ukraine.
"I think it is very, very important that we avoid the risk that the West divides," Meloni said. "On this, the U.K. and Italy can play an important role in bridge-building."
Starmer told Meloni that they have a similar mindset on their approach over the conflict. Both leaders said they spoke with Trump on Saturday, a day after his talks with Zelenskyy collapsed. Meloni is a strong supporter of Ukraine and has a bond with Trump. She was the only European leader to attend his inauguration.
Czech PM advocates for military support
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala says that only "military support for Ukraine" can lead to a just peace and that it's the only way forward to resolve Russia's war on Kyiv.
The diverging views that Europe and the U.S. have on Ukraine should be "a wake-up call for us," he said. Fiala spoke before leaving for London on Sunday to take part in the summit. Fiala added that he hopes Trump and Zelenskyy can repair their ties in the wake of the Oval Office blowout.
"None of us is happy about the conclusion of Friday's talks" between Trump and Zelenskyy, he said.
Russia's foreign minister talks of possible 'incitement'
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Sunday that sending any European peacekeepers to Ukraine would amount to a continuation of Europe's "incitement" of Ukraine to wage war against Russia.
European leaders, Lavrov said in comments published on the Foreign Ministry's website, "want to prop up [Zelenskyy] with their 'bayonets' in the form of peacekeeping units."
Where does the Trump-Zelenskyy blowup leave Ukraine?Lavrov also commented on the warming U.S.-Russia relations, describing negotiations between senior Russian and U.S. diplomats and other officials in Saudi Arabia in February as "a completely normal conversation between two delegations."
"We will never think alike on every issue of world politics. We acknowledged this in Riyadh," Lavrov said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, speaks with Starmer in London on Sunday. (Christophe Ena/Reuters)
"Two serious countries simply sat down to talk about where they are going wrong, and what their predecessor messed up in four years," he added, accusing the Biden administration of "destroying all channels of contact without exception."
Kremlin praises U.S. foreign policies
With a thaw in U.S.-Russia relations, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the "foreign policy" alignment of the U.S. administration largely mirrors that of Moscow.
"The new [U.S.] administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations. This largely coincides with our vision," Peskov said, according to a post by state TV reporter Pavel Zarubin on Sunday on the Telegram channel.
Peskov spoke on Wednesday, before the Zelenskyy-Trump blowout on Friday.
'Without us, you don't have any cards,' Trump says in heated exchange with ZelenskyyHis remarks were seen as a followup on the U.S. splitting with its European allies by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. In the UN General Assembly last week, the U.S. joined Russia in voting against a Europe-backed Ukrainian resolution that calls out Moscow's aggression and demands an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops.
Ties between Moscow and Washington had plummeted to their lowest levels since the Cold War after Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and invaded Ukraine in 2022.
With files from CBC's Briar Stewart
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Go Figure why I ran against this dude and his cohorts 8 timesCanadian PM Trudeau joins Ukraine summit in London after Trump -Zelenskyy disastrous meeting|UK |USA
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Trump Signs Orders LIVE | 'I'd Like To Buy...': Trump Accepts Putin's Offer; US To Ditch Zelensky?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E13cUC7q9I BREAKING: Zelenskyy to meet the King tomorrow
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Trudeau Stands with Zelenskyy: EU Leaders Unite in Kyiv Amidst Trump’s Shocking Ultimatum!
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Zelenskyy's Heartfelt Tribute: 'Canada Loves Ukraine, and I Love Canada!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc6YWZs7vmo
Finland's Alexander Stubb Takes Charge in Ukraine Crisis Ahead of Trump's Visit – EU
Role in the War
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOgAngmNHgY
Germany Just Made Russian Troops USELESS
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Highlighted reply
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-zelenskyy-white-house-talks-reaction-1.7472368 German president likens Trump berating Zelenskyy to humiliating someone 'in front of the whole world'
What world leaders and politicians are saying about the White House blowout
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attempted to repair relations with U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday after the previous day's sudden blowup, the most heated public exchange of words between world leaders in the Oval Office in memory.
In a series of posts on X on Saturday, Zelenskyy said Ukrainians are "very grateful to the United States for all the support," and specifically thanked Trump and Congress alongside the "American people."
"Our relationship with the American president is more than just two leaders: It's a historic and solid bond between our peoples. American people helped save our people," he said. "We want only strong relations with America and I really hope we will have them."
However, other world leaders now in London for a summit on Ukraine on Sunday came to Zelenskyy's defence after the spat, or expressed their dismay at how combative the meeting became.
'Without us, you don't have any cards,' Trump says in heated exchange with ZelenskyyThe meeting ended with Zelenskyy not signing a deal to give the U.S. access to Ukraine's minerals and other resources in the hopes Ukraine can barter for more U.S. aid in its war with Russia.
Here are some reactions to the argument that ended with Trump dismissing Zelenskyy and dashing hopes, at least for now, that the United States could be a reliable partner in helping to fend off, and possibly conclude, Russia's three-year war against Ukraine.
German president in disbelief
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier criticized Trump for his behaviour during the meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House in unusually sharp terms.
"Diplomacy fails when negotiating partners are humiliated in front of the whole world," Steinmeier told dpa, the German news agency, during a flight to Uruguay. "The scene in the White House yesterday took my breath away. I would never have believed that we would one day have to protect Ukraine from the U.S.A."
Germany's
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, right, greets Ukraine's President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Bellevue Palace in Berlin on May 14, 2023. (Matthias Schrader/The Associated Press)
During the meeting, Zelenskyy attempted to discuss the minerals agreement but Trump repeatedly talked over him, and U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance reprimanded him for not being grateful enough for the U.S. support Ukraine has already received.
Kira Rudik, a member of Ukraine's parliament, told CBC News that while her country is grateful to its allies, she was "terrified" watching the leader of the "biggest and probably the best democracy in the free world," and Zelenskyy "is being humiliated by his allies."
In one of several posts Saturday on X, Zelenskyy said his country is ready to sign the minerals agreement with the U.S. as a "first step toward security guarantees."
"But it's not enough, and we need more than just that," he wrote. "A ceasefire without security guarantees is dangerous for Ukraine. We've been fighting for three years, and Ukrainian people need to know that America is on our side."
French president suggests Putin, not Zelenskyy, is gambling
French President Emmanuel Macron said if someone is gambling with World War Three, it is not Zelenskyy, but more likely his Russian counterpart.
Macron was reacting to Trump accusing Zelenskyy of "gambling with World War Three."
"If anyone is gambling with World War III, his name is Vladimir Putin," Macron told Portugal's RTP news channel during a visit to Lisbon ahead of Sunday's Ukraine summit of European leaders in London.
Macron said he still hopes that the United States will remain committed to the defence of democracy.
"My hope is that the United States of America will continue to stand by its history and its principles," he said. "Whenever we have had major conflicts, the United States of America has been on the right side of history and freedom."
Another German politician talked of boosting aid to Ukraine.
"A new era of wickedness has begun," said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Saturday, calling for Germany to release an additional three billion euros ($4.5 billion Cdn) in aid for Ukraine.
Ukrainian lawmaker Andrii Osadchuk said the tone from Trump and Vance was in line with prior rhetoric, and that Kyiv's other Western partners needed to do more.
"Not just a lot, but probably everything will depend on Europe — both for itself and for Ukraine," Osadchuk said.
Russia says blowout is Kyiv's failure
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson described the Oval Office blowout as a "complete political and diplomatic failure" for Kyiv.
In a statement Saturday, Maria Zakharova also slammed the "political weakness and extreme moral degradation" of European leaders who continue to support Ukraine and its president.
Zakharova said Russia's war aims remain unchanged, implying Moscow will insist on a demilitarized Ukraine barred from NATO, and on annexing Ukrainian territories it controls.
Turkish foreign minister discusses Ukraine with Lavrov
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday spoke to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov about the war in Ukraine, officials said.
The phone call came a day before Fidan is due to attend the London summit of European leaders to discuss bringing the three-year conflict to an end.
Turkey, which has close ties to both Ukraine and Russia, has previously offered to mediate talks. It hosted unsuccessful peace talks in 2022.
Ukrainian MP says ‘I’m proud of my president’ after Trump-Zelensky fightThe summit on Sunday will include leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Romania, as well as the NATO secretary general and the presidents of the European Commission and European Council.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also attending.
Zelenskyy met on Saturday with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday at 10 Downing Street, Starmer's official residence and office.
"We stand with you and Ukraine for as long as it takes," Starmer told Zelenskyy.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Downing Street in London on Saturday. (Toby Melville/Reuters)
With files from CBC News and Reuters
Treasury Secretary Bessent 'Shocked' at Trump, Zelenskiy Argument: Full Exclusive Interview
Bloomberg Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf6EMeIXLVw Even US Shocked by EU’s Surprise Ukraine Deal!
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJunI7P7VN4
Even U.S. SHOCKED How Canada Plans to SCREW Russia
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewvrbvEckxQ
LIVE | ‘Ukraine War is OVER’ – Jeffrey Sachs Stuns EU Parliament, Challenges US-Led Order! | CLRCUT
CLRCUThttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA9qmOIUYJA&t=71s
Jeffrey Sachs Roaring Ukraine Speech At EU Parliament; Blasts U.S., Says 'Not Putin's Puppet'
Times Of Indiahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q7wYcwFBEs Did Putin Just Win? How NATO Miscalculated Ukraine | Vantage with Palki Sharma | N18G
Firstpost Feb 24, 2025
Did Putin Just Win? How NATO Miscalculated Ukraine | Vantage with Palki Sharma | N18G
Three years ago, when Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, many experts called it a strategic miscalculation. Three years after the fighting began, those assumptions are being proven wrong. Putin has displayed strategic patience to outlast the US-led NATO alliance. Palki Sharma brings you a special report on how Putin's bets paid off in Ukraine.
Jennifer Welsh: End of the Old World Order (and how the West is fracturing) | The Herle Burly
Air Quotes Media THIS Is Why Europe Wants Ukraine to WIN – BIG!
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Even U.S. STUNNED by What France Plans To Do with its NUKES!
BREAKING NEWS: Trump Speaks To Reporters After Fiery Oval Office Clash With Ukraine's Zelensky
Forbes Breaking NewsPresident Trump speaks to reporters after his shocking confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office. What does Trump's treatment of Zelenskyy say to the rest of the world? | Power & Politics
How should Canada respond to Trump’s Oval Office blow-up? | Political Pulse Panel
Zelenskyy asked whether he owes Trump an apology
Fox NewsUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses heated Oval Office exchange with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, conditions for a peace agreement and more with Putin in exclusive 'Special Report' interview.The exact moment Trump and Zelenskyy’s relationship collapsed | About That
FULL EXCHANGE: Zelenskyy and Trump's heated argument at the White House
How Russia is reacting to tense exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy | Hanomansing Tonight
Starmer Stuns Trump With Ukraine Bombshell: 'Will Put British Boots On Ground & Jets In Air' | Watch
Times Of India Trump Meets with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Oval Office: Full Remarks
Bloomberg Podcasts"SHAMEFUL Disgrace By Keir Starmer!" | Conservative MP Hits Out At PM For Chagos Islands Deal
BREAKING NEWS: John Kennedy Shares Blunt Message For Keir Starmer Hours Before His Visit To The U.S.
Forbes Breaking NewsGood Talk -- Some answer, some friend. Britain shoves Canada under the bus.
The Bridge with Peter MansbridgeLIVE: Trump Interrupts UK PM Keir Starmer's Reply To A Question On Canada: 'That's Enough | N18G
Joly says Canada-U.K. friendship is 'in our DNA' after British PM's White House comments
Starmer threw Canada under the bus, former Trudeau adviser says
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said she doesn't believe the relationship between Canada and the United Kingdom has changed after comments made by the British prime minister during a visit to the White House.
At a news conference in Vancouver on Friday, Joly said "no country on Earth will be able to divide Canada and the U.K."
"It is just in our DNA to be close to the U.K.," she said, noting that she is in contact with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and national security adviser Jonathan Powell.
"At the same time, we need to work together on addressing the unpredictability that is coming out of the White House."
As U.S. President Donald Trump continues to undermine Canadian sovereignty, Canada has been trying to strengthen its relationship with historic allies, such as the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
Since the start of his second term, Trump has repeatedly made threats about Canada becoming the "51st state" and referred to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a "governor."
Joly's comments come a day after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted that the United States and the United Kingdom are on good terms.
At a news conference during Starmer's White House visit on Thursday, a journalist asked the prime minister whether King Charles expressed concern over Trump's recent statements about annexing Canada.
But the prime minister dodged the question, accusing the journalist of "trying to find a divide between us that doesn't exist."
Starmer brought Trump an invitation from the King to visit Balmoral, a royal estate and castle in Scotland.
"We're the closest of nations, and we had very good discussions today. But we didn't discuss Canada," Starmer said as the president interrupted him, saying, "that's enough."
‘No country will be ever able to divide’ Canada and U.K., Joly saysRoland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Trudeau, called Starmer's response to the question about Canada unfortunate.
"Mr. Starmer could have easily said something like that Canada is a sovereign nation," Paris said. "Instead, he just took the opportunity to say that there was no difference between his position and Donald Trump's position."
Starmer seemingly did not want to "ruin the mood" after what he described as a positive discussion with the president, Paris said, but the result was that the British prime minister "threw Canada under the bus."
"Trump has created an environment in which there's so much uncertainty that countries are scrambling to secure their own interests," Paris said. "They're not really paying a lot of attention to the interests of other countries."
In an event with the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade earlier on Friday, Joly noted that she had warned her European counterparts about potential threats from Trump and told them Canada was the "canary in a coal mine."
After Trump threatened tariffs on the European Union, Joly said she "wrote to all of them, and I said, 'I told you.'"
With files from Briar Stewart
Canada's Expulsion From Five Eyes Would Be a Disaster
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Canada's Expulsion From Five Eyes Would Be a Disaster
The Financial Times has reported that Peter Navarro, one of President Trump's closest advisers, is pushing for the U.S. to remove Canada from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance.
Trump has said he wants to make Canada the 51st American state amid a tariff dispute. Per the FT:
The people familiar with the situation said Navarro, who has easy access to the Oval Office due to his close relationship with Trump, is arguing that the US should increase pressure on Canada by evicting the country from the Five Eyes.
Navarro did not respond to Financial Times requests for comment but denied pushing the idea after the article was published. Per The Hill:
Navarro slammed the piece to reporters, noting the Times reporting didn't name its sources.
"My view is that we should never have to comment on any story where it's based on unnamed sources," he said, adding, "We would never, ever jeopardize our national security, ever, with allies like Canada, ever."
That sounds a lot like a non-denial denial to us.
Disrupting the Five Eyes would be extremely damaging. The Financial Times quoted a current intelligence official who said "sitting where I'm sitting and looking at the array of threats that are coming at us, we need all the partners we can get."
In addition to losing the intelligence that it provides, kicking Canada out of the Five Eyes would undermine the trust that is the bedrock of that kind of alliance.
It would also prompt other members to question America's commitment to the alliance and reevaluate their agencies' relationships abroad.
Published by The Lawfare Institute
in Cooperation With
Editor’s Note: This newsletter is part of a collaboration between Lawfare and Risky Business. You can find the full version of the Seriously Risky Business newsletter and previous editions on news.risky.biz.
John Bolton: Trump Has No National Security Strategy... All His Positions Are Russia's
Al Arabiya English Former US National Security Advisor Bolton: 'Trump doesn't understand how dangerous Putin is'
DW News Date: Sun, Mar 2, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Five Eyes Fallout: Why the U.S. Sees Canada as the Weak Link
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
The
Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic
correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your
comments.
Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel. Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
Date: Sun, Mar 2, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Subject: Re: Five Eyes Fallout: Why the U.S. Sees Canada as the Weak Link
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
To: "Erik Andersen" <twolabradors@shaw.ca>, "dfournier" <dfournier@protonmail.com>, "fin.minfinance-financemin.
Sent: Sunday, March 2, 2025 9:05:14 AM
Subject: Re: Five Eyes Fallout: Why the U.S. Sees Canada as the Weak Link
Sunday, 23 February 2025
Donald Trump keeps talking about Canada as the 51st state. Why isn't King Charles saying something?
Keir Starmer signs 100 year partnership with Ukraine, hints at conscription in the UK
|
|
By Eeyore on February 28, 2025 |
"The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives,
but of the products of human labour. War is a way of shattering to pieces,
or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea,
materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable,
and hence, in the long run, too intelligent. Even when weapons of war are
not actually destroyed, their manufacture is still a convenient way of
expending labour power without producing anything that can be consumed.
A Floating Fortress, for example, has locked up in it the labour that
would build several hundred cargo-ships. Ultimately it is scrapped as
obsolete, never having brought any material benefit to anybody, and with
further enormous labours another Floating Fortress is built. In principle
the war effort is always so planned as to eat up any surplus that might
exist after meeting the bare needs of the population. In practice the needs
of the population are always underestimated, with the result that there is
a chronic shortage of half the necessities of life; but this is looked on
as an advantage. It is deliberate policy to keep even the favoured groups
somewhere near the brink of hardship, because a general state of scarcity
increases the importance of small privileges and thus magnifies the
distinction between one group and another. By the standards of the early
twentieth century, even a member of the Inner Party lives an austere,
laborious kind of life. Nevertheless, the few luxuries that he does enjoy
his large, well-appointed flat, the better texture of his clothes, the
better quality of his food and drink and tobacco, his two or three
servants, his private motor-car or helicopter--set him in a different world
from a member of the Outer Party, and the members of the Outer Party have
a similar advantage in comparison with the submerged masses whom we call
'the proles'. The social atmosphere is that of a besieged city, where the
possession of a lump of horseflesh makes the difference between wealth and
poverty. And at the same time the consciousness of being at war, and
therefore in danger, makes the handing-over of all power to a small caste
seem the natural, unavoidable condition of survival."
-George Orwell. 1984 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7758en1Tdw
Trump Signs Orders LIVE | 'I'd Like To Buy...': Trump Accepts Putin's Offer; US To Ditch Zelensky?
TIMES NOW
Live Comments
To: "Erik Andersen" <twolabradors@shaw.ca>
Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2025 7:08:37 PM
Subject: Fw: Five Eyes Fallout: Why the U.S. Sees Canada as the Weak Link
From: The Bureau <thebureau@substack.com>
Date: On Thursday, 27 February 2025 at 06:40
Subject: Five Eyes Fallout: Why the U.S. Sees Canada as the Weak Link
To: stovepipe99@proton.me <stovepipe99@proton.me>
I wasn't surprised by the Financial Times report indicating that Peter Navarro, a senior Trump administration official known for his ultra-hawkish stance on China, was circulating plans to limit U.S. national security exposure to Canada. The U.S. perceives Canada as the weakest link in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance due to its vulnerabilities to Chinese infiltration. Two weeks ago, a military source shared a report with me confirming that similar discussions were taking place within the U.S. national security and military community, pointing directly to Navarro. And according to my military source, expelling Canada from Five Eyes is just one of several actions under discussion. As I’ve discussed before, this aligns with broader U.S. concerns—for example, the People's Liberation Army's breach of Canada’s Level 4 Lab in Winnipeg and the inexplicable return of the main suspects Dr. Qiu and Keding Cheng to China after allegedly transferring sensitive bioweapon research to Wuhan. The fact that Canada also partnered with CanSino, a PLA-linked company, on a COVID-19 vaccine only deepens those concerns. CanSino was part of the Winnipeg Lab breach plot according to CSIS. This isn’t speculation—it’s open-source fact. As I reported a year ago: The CSIS report adds Qiu was "dismissive" when asked if she thought her collaborations with WIV and other Chinese institutions involved in the Thousand Talents program including CanSino Biologics "have assisted the capabilities of the PLA." Now, think about what the U.S. government knows that we don’t? In this discussion with Jason James of BNN—recorded before FT broke this Five Eyes exclusion story—I answered his question about what the Trump administration really means when it warns of Canada’s fentanyl vulnerabilities. As Trump escalates economic pressure and even suggests Canada should become the 51st state, his trade adviser Navarro is dismissing the report on Canada’s removal from Five Eyes as ‘crazy stuff.’ But make no mistake. Before the Financial Times report, I already had sources pointing to these exact concerns—now they’re out in the open. Canada needs to take these concerns seriously and act accordingly. The Bureau is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You’re currently a free subscriber to The Bureau. For the full experience, please upgrade your subscription and support a public interest startup. We break international stories and this requires elite expertise, time and legal costs.
© 2025 Sam Cooper |
From: Erik
Date: Sun, Mar 2, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Subject: Fwd: The "Canadian Incident
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
| Date: | Monday 17 September 1956 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Lockheed U-2A |
| Owner/operator: | Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) |
| Registration: | 56-6679 |
| MSN: | 346 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Wiesbaden -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Wiesbaden AFB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Before 1956 came to a close, two more U-2s piloted by Central Intelligence Agency test pilots on contract crashed during test flights. One of these crashes was fatal.
On Sept. 17, 1956, pilot Howard Carey took off from Lindsey Air Force Base in Wiesbaden, Germany. His U-2 mysteriously disintegrated in mid-air, perhaps caused by the jet wash from four fighter aircraft nearby. Carey was less than three weeks shy of his 34th birthday when he died.
According to "The U-2 and the Avro Arrow by Patrick Bruskiewich, in September 1956 Canadian RCAF fighter pilots flying CF-86 Sabre jets with NATO in Europe inadvertently downed an American CIA U-2 over Germany. They intercepted a high flying, mysterious and unidentified aircraft entering NATO airspace from the East. The four pilots on Zulu alert would inadvertently downed a U-2 spy plane returning from a mission to photograph preparations in the Eastern Med for the 1956 Invasion of the Suez. The pilot of the U-2, Howard Carey, who was a colleague and a friend of Gary Powers,
The pilot Howard Carey was killed. The Canadian Incident, as it has become known, is inextricably tied to the decision to cancel the Avro Arrow CF-105 project in 1958."
http://www.blackbirds.net/u2/u2local.html
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1956_2.html
https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2008-featured-story-archive/remembering-cia2019s-heroes-agency-pilots-in-the-u-2-program.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_Memorial_Wall
Is Trump trying to push Canada out of the Five Eyes alliance?
Trudeau isn't ruling out sending troops to Ukraine | Power & Politics
Donald Trump keeps talking about Canada as the 51st state. Why isn't King Charles saying something?
Buckingham Palace says it's a matter for the Canadian government, on whose advice the King acts
Hello, royal watchers. This is your regular dose of royal news and analysis. Reading this online? Sign up here to get this delivered to your inbox.
On this side of the world's longest undefended border, U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated comments about Canada becoming the 51st state have led to outright rejections of the idea as a "non-starter," spontaneous bursts of national pride and dogged determination to "buy Canadian."
The comments have also prompted a question from some, who wonder about the role of Canada's head of state as Trump repeatedly casts his eyes and rhetoric northward:
Why hasn't King Charles said anything about all this?
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson told CBC this would be a matter for the Canadian government, on whose advice the King acts.
All this gets at the fundamental nature of Canada as a constitutional monarchy, where the monarch is a figurehead and the elected government of the day acts in the monarch's name.
The
Department of Canadian Heritage released an official Canadian portrait
of King Charles. The photo was taken in June 2024 at Buckingham Palace. (Submitted by the Department of Canadian Heritage)
"If you think of Parliament as being a circle, and you think of the King and what he can do as being a circle, the overlap is actually quite small," said Justin Vovk, a royal commentator and sessional professor of history at McMaster University in Hamilton.
"That's by design. That goes back just shy of 400 years, so that the King cannot step into Parliament's shoes and make laws, direct foreign policy, declare wars when he is not an elected official….
"If you have a situation where you have a King who is calling all the shots, that is despotism, that is tyranny. That raises questions about who is above the law."
- On today's episode, Cross Country Checkup is asking: What do you think of Trump's comments about Canada becoming the 51st state? Leave your comment here and we may read it or call you back for the show.
While the government could ask Charles to get involved, there's no public indication that's happened.
"I think there are probably several reasons" for that, said Vovk.
"I think No. 1, first and foremost, [is] the fact that our government has repeatedly made it clear [the idea of Canada becoming the 51st state] is a non-starter."
Charles,
front, and Camilla, then the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall,
arrive in Ottawa as part of a three-day Canadian tour on May 17, 2022. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press)
Vovk says he's been asked repeatedly by colleagues and others over the past little while about why Charles hasn't got involved.
"The short answer to that question is it's not yet a constitutional crisis. So in the event that the Canadian Constitution would be in crisis, that is actually then the sovereign's role to step in and ensure proper governance is maintained by Parliament."
There could be another complicating factor: Charles is King of Canada, separate from being King of the United Kingdom, leaving open the potential for different interests to come to the fore.
"What if the government of the United Kingdom and the government of Canada gave the King conflicting advice?" said Craig Prescott, a constitutional expert and lecturer in law at Royal Holloway, University of London.
"If the King said something like: 'Hands off Canada,' then Trump [might] well seek to respond with tariffs on the U.K., because he wouldn't make the distinction between King of Canada and King of the United Kingdom."
Prescott said it would be expected that the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom would resolve among themselves what their response to Trump would be.
Charles,
right, is presented with a pair of moccasins made by a Canadian Ranger
during a review of the Canadian Rangers in Yellowknife on May 19, 2022. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press)
Some reports in the U.K. media have suggested plans are in the works for a trip by King Charles and Queen Camilla to the United States and Canada next year.
A palace source told CBC: "There are no current dates in the diary for Their Majesties to tour either Canada or the U.S.A., or active palace planning taking place for either option."
Charles has yet to visit Canada as King, and scrutiny of any trip would inevitably run to what messages might be sent through the length of time he might spend in either the U.S. or Canada, and which country he visited first or last, and the implications of that.
"There's no visit to North America in which the King will make both sides of the border happy, at the same time at least," Vovk said.
Charles hasn't been totally silent on Canada lately — he did issue a message marking Flag Day last weekend, and the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Maple Leaf.
In his message, Charles said the Maple Leaf flag "has become internationally recognized as a symbol of a proud, resilient and compassionate country."
"For my own part, it is a symbol that never fails to elicit a sense of pride and admiration, as I recall with the deepest affection my many Canadian visits and friendships."
Charles, left, and Camilla greet local schoolchildren on May 18, 2022, in Ottawa. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Vovk said Charles would likely have sent a message for Flag Day regardless, but this particular message was chosen specifically for the current situation.
"[It's a] little reminder that 'I haven't forgotten about Canada, I'm still aware of what's going on,' but nothing that would overstep his mark or his bounds."
In all this, there is something of a paradox around what a monarch can and cannot — or should or should not — do.
"There is the idea that the monarch is sort of like the ultimate constitutional guardian. If someone does something controversial, they can step in. But if someone's doing something controversial, then arguably that's the one time when the monarch shouldn't step in," said Prescott.
"What we've seen over the past few decades is a sort of sharpening up of the monarchy becoming more political, but not party political," said Prescott, noting for example the support expressed for the U.K.'s National Health Service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of course, before Charles became King, there was a question around the degree to which he might engage in political meddling, something he said he wouldn't do as King.
Recent headlines in the U.K. drew attention to a visit Charles made with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner to a housing project in Cornwall.
King
Charles, left, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, centre, and Deputy
Prime Minister Angela Rayner, second from right, tour the Newquay
Orchard on Feb. 10 in Newquay, England. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
"It is right that it is unusual to see the King with the prime minister and deputy prime minister on a visit. But I think this is just where politics and monarchy … naturally overlapped," said Prescott.
Prescott noted that before that visit took place, Charles also met with the U.K. leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, at Buckingham Palace.
"I think that might well have been skilfully done to … pre-rebut, shall we say, any allegations of party favour by meeting with the leader of the opposition before this engagement," said Prescott.
Charles, left, arrives at Canada House in London on May 12, 2022. (Hannah McKay/The Associated Press)
At this point, it appears unlikely Charles will offer any comment on the 51st state question in the near future.
"I suspect throughout all of this, he will remain silent, and things would have to get much worse in terms of direct efforts to undermine our Constitution for him to actually get involved," said Vovk.
"If he did step in at this point, he would be overstepping his elected government in Ottawa. He would be commenting on Canada's foreign policy uninvited, likely without the consent of the prime minister, and he would be running the risk of damaging Britain's relationship with the U.S.
"So it's kind of a no-brainer for Charles to say nothing."
Going out of the country — just not to North America
King
Charles, right, delivers a speech during a dinner celebrating the
values of slow food and slow fashion at Highgrove House in Tetbury,
western England, on Feb. 7. The dinner was part of an Italian-inspired
evening ahead of the upcoming visit to Italy by King Charles and Queen
Camilla in April. (Finnbarr Webster/AFP/Getty Images)
While there is nothing official indicating a royal visit is in the works for Canada or the United States, one European country is on the travel agenda for King Charles and Queen Camilla.
They marked the official confirmation that they would be going to Italy and the Vatican in April by hosting an Italian-themed formal dinner at their Highgrove estate in western England.
Visiting Italy is in keeping with the approach of state visits Charles has made to France and Germany, Prescott said, and the U.K. wanting to be seen to be in Europe, even with its departure from the European Union.
With "the need for Europe to unite in the background of Ukraine and Trump's approach to Ukraine, then clearly … that high-level diplomacy within Europe has become more important," he said.
Vovk said he was "a little bit surprised" by the choice of Italy for the visit, but it does align with Charles's stance as a "defender of faiths, plural."
Other recent royal overseas travel took Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, to Nepal.
Sophie,
Duchess of Edinburgh, second from left, and Anuradha Koirala, left,
visit Maiti Nepal, a non-profit organization founded by Koirala that is
dedicated to helping the victims of human trafficking, in Kathmandu,
Nepal, on Feb. 5. (Niranjan Shrestha/The Associated Press)
"Nepal is the country that has very close links with the U.K., via the Gurkha Regiment," said Prescott.
Vovk saw a visit by Royal Family members to Nepal as a potentially strategic move for the U.K. government.
"I don't know if I'd go as far as to say against China, but China has long claimed at the very least Nepal and countries in that sphere of their zone of influence, so sending members of the Royal Family there is a way to show support and solidarity without taking a political stance."
Wrapping up the Invictus Games
Prince
Harry, second from right, poses for a photograph with athletes during
the biathlon finals as part of the 2025 Invictus Games in Whistler,
B.C., on Feb. 11. (Tijana Martin/The Canadian Press)
Prince Harry highlighted the importance he sees of adaptive sports as the Invictus Games wrapped up their latest round of competition in British Columbia.
The first winter edition of the sporting event he founded for wounded, injured and sick veterans and service members drew 500 competitors from more than 20 countries to Vancouver and Whistler.
"We absolutely smashed it and I think [there was] a collective sense of relief about the weather gods giving us three beautiful days of sunshine," Harry said.
Prince Harry highlights importance of adaptive sports as Invictus Games wrapHarry founded the games in 2014, and they have remained a priority for him even as he stepped back from official duties within the Royal Family.
He sees them only growing in relevance given the current state of conflict in the world.
"By the looks of it, there's always going to be a need and now that we've grown to 23 nations, even if you only have five per cent of those competing nations in some form of conflict, then you're going to keep needing [the] games."
Vovk says the games gave Harry "a chance to reenter the public or the international spotlight in a way that he hasn't been in" since the cancer diagnosis of his father, King Charles, last year.
Harry's wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attended for the first few days of the games, and Vovk saw the event as offering an opportunity for them to rebrand themselves.
Prince
Harry, centre top, and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, centre
front, meet United Kingdom athletes at the skeleton competition during
the 2025 Invictus Games, in Whistler, B.C., on Feb. 10. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
"It seems like they're using some momentum from this to start carrying them forward in new ventures that seem to be legitimately focused on philanthropy," said Vovk.
Meghan has also announced a new name for her lifestyle brand, replacing American Riviera Orchard with "As Ever."
The debut of Meghan's Netflix lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, was delayed by the California wildfires in January, but it is due to start streaming on March 4.
Royally quotable
"I'm full of admiration for what they try to do there."
— King Charles, speaking about surgeons working to save injured soldiers and civilians in Ukraine. Charles made the comment during a visit to the Centre for Injury Studies at Imperial College London.
King
Charles, left, is shown a prosthetic leg by Anthony Bull, director of
the Centre for Injury Studies at Imperial College London, in London on
Wednesday. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/Getty Images)
Royal reads
-
Catherine, Princess of Wales, visited a women's prison in Cheshire, where she talked to inmates in a mother and baby unit and was shown a project designed to develop strong and healthy relationships between mothers and babies. On such visits, there has often been media attention focused on what Catherine is wearing, and it was clarified by Kensington Palace aides on the same day as the visit that there is no change in the policy of sharing details of her clothing. Previous reports had suggested such information would no longer be shared. [BBC]
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Lawyers for an aide to Prince Andrew are fighting to prevent the release of a statement he made in support of a man accused of being a Chinese spy who became a trusted business partner of the prince. [The Guardian]
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Catherine and her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, have revealed their artistic skills in four portraits of each other. [BBC]
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The U.K. government is to face questions about Prince Andrew and other members of the Royal Family's use of public money after talks to overcome restrictions on scrutinising the monarchy in parliament. [The Guardian]
Catherine,
Princess Of Wales, centre, visits a mother and baby unit at HMP Styal, a
women's prison near Wilmslow, England, on Feb. 11. (Phil Noble/Getty Images)
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