Charles installed as King of Canada
On Saturday, King Charles III was officially installed as King of Canada in a ceremony in the capital, Ottawa.
Charles automatically became king when his mother Queen Elizabeth died on Thursday, but like the ceremony in Britain on Saturday, the accession ceremony in Canada is a necessary constitutional and ceremonial step for him to also become Canadian king.
This means that he is now head of state in Canada, which is a member of the Commonwealth, the association of former British colonies.
In an announcement, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted that Charles has a close friendship with Canada and has visited the country several times.
Although most Canadians were fairly indifferent to the monarchy, most loved Queen Elizabeth. Her figure appears on Canadian coins and she has visited Canada 22 times as a monarch.
There is no will in the country to make Canada a republic, in part because that would require a constitutional amendment. It would be a risky business, since the constitution is carefully balanced to unite a nation of 37 million English and French speakers, numerous indigenous tribes and a steady stream of new immigrants.
(HAVE)
