King Charles III was named Canada’s head of state on Saturday in a ceremony that included a heraldic bugle, a 21-gun salute and a moment of remembrance for his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived at Rideau Hall about 10 a.m. with his youngest son Hadrien and laid flowers at a makeshift memorial for the queen, who died Thursday. He and members of the federal cabinet and privy council met ahead of the ceremony as part of the protocol required to officially declare the new sovereign. The Prime Minister asked Governor General Mary Simon for permission to proceed, and after she said yes, they both signed the Order in Council declaring accession. The solemn moment unfolded at the same table used by Queen Elizabeth II during her first official visit to Canada in October 1957, and was followed by a standing ovation from those gathered in the Rideau Hall ballroom. Dr. Samy Khalid, Canada’s chief preacher, led a procession outside moments later. After a fanfare played on heraldic trumpets, he read the declaration of accession in both official languages. “We (the Governor-General and the Privy Council) do declare that His Royal Highness Prince Charles Philip Arthur George is now after the death of our late sovereign, Charles III, by the grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and others of his kingdoms and territories, King, head of the Commonwealth, defender of the faith in which we recognize faith and allegiance,” Khalid said. “Long live the King,” he concluded, with those gathered echoing the phrase. Members of the Royal Canadian Armed Forces fired an artillery salute as Khalid spoke. The guns were accidentally fired earlier than scheduled and sounded throughout the French portion of the proclamation — perhaps a sign that, despite advance planning for Saturday’s event, seven decades have passed since Canada’s royal accession ceremony. Khalid took the issue very lightly, calling it understandable and saying it was nevertheless an important occasion. “Of course there’s a lot of emotion, a lot has happened behind these doors in the last few days,” he said, gesturing toward the main entrance of Rideau Hall. He acknowledged that his ceremony and attire — which included a royal blue tabard, a sleeveless garment worn by medieval peasants and clergy — is a throwback to a much earlier era. Khalid noted that the tabard was designed with indigenous elements in addition to royal symbols. “I hope the people of Canada will see that we wanted to mark this momentous occasion in a very symbolic way,” he said. The Canadian flag was raised to mark the accession of the new sovereign, but was later flown at half-mast as mourning for the Queen continues.
The Canadian flag is raised to mark the accession of the new sovereign. But, he will immediately remain mestizo for the remainder of the official mourning period. God Save the King plays during the gun salute and the playing of the national anthem marks the end of the ceremony. — Rachel Aiello (@rachaiello) September 10, 2022 Some provinces, including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan, held similar induction ceremonies on Saturday. Meanwhile, the federal government is preparing a series of events to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy. Protocol calls for 10 days of mourning after the queen’s death, and British officials announced Saturday that the queen’s state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey on September 19. Canada’s national commemoration will be held on the same day, including a parade, a 96-gun salute to mark each year of the Queen’s life. A nationally televised service will be held at Christ Church Anglican Cathedral in Ottawa, where Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip worshiped twice in 1957 and 1961. Christ Church hosted a similar national commemoration when Philip died last year and another for the Queen Mother’s death in 2002. Parliament is set to reconvene for the fall session on Sept. 19, and it was not immediately clear Saturday whether that schedule would move forward. Before the Queen’s funeral date was announced, Privy Council President Dominic LeBlanc said it was important for members of the House of Commons and Senate to have the opportunity to honor the Queen’s service to Canada. “We are currently considering the most appropriate way to do this,” he said.
“Her Majesty The Queen’s State Funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September at 11:00 BST” — this will likely affect the planned first day of the autumn session. The House of Commons was due to reconvene on September 19. #cdnpoli https://t.co/mAIsDDJ31J — Rachel Aiello (@rachaiello) September 10, 2022 This report by The Canadian Press was first published on September 10, 2022. — With files by Michael Tutton in Halifax and Lee Berthiaume in Ottawa.
