King Charles finally breaks silence on Trump trade war as he shares message of support for Canada

Donald Trump is seemingly intent on destroying any goodwill between the U.S. and Canada. The 47th POTUS has embarked on a trade war with Canada and made numerous threats to convert the country into the 51st state of America since taking office for a second time. Amid all this, King Charles has shown where he stands with a show of support for Canada.

On Wednesday afternoon, the king welcomed the Canadian Usher of the Black Rod, Greg Peters, as well as the Speaker of the Canadian Senate, Raymonde Gagne, to Buckingham Palace. Charles bestowed a new ceremonial sword to the Peters and thanked the men before the trio reportedly began discussing topics of great concern for 30 minutes, although it hasn’t yet been confirmed whether America was a topic that came up during their discussion or not.

The meeting reaffirms Charles’ commitment to Canada

It’s hard to imagine the U.S. and Trump not coming up during the conversation between the three. The president of the U.S. recently unleashed his controversial tariffs upon Canada, imposing 25% additional taxes on steel and aluminium and threatening to start a trade war between America and its neighbor, which has historically been a friendly ally. He’s also repeatedly mentioned making Canada the 51st state of America.

Charles’ ceremonial meeting with two members of the country’s Senate reaffirms the fact that the monarchy stands with Canada. Last month, the king also gave a subtle message of support on international flag day.

“Since that time, [the flag] has become internationally recognised 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.”

His mention of resilience seems to be a subtle acknowledgment of what the country is going through right now and indicates where his allegiance lies. He is the head of state of Canada after all.

What will Trump think of King Charles’ support for Canada?

Until recently, Charles has remained outwardly neutral for the most part. Last month, the king had the U.K. prime minister, Keir Starmer, deliver a letter to Trump in which he invited the president to come across the pond for an unprecedented second state visit. He also suggested Trump visit the royal residence of Balmoral, a mansion not too far from one of the president’s golf courses.

After reading the letter, President Trump heaped praise on the British monarch, calling him “a beautiful man, a wonderful man.” Clearly he has a lot of respect for King Charles, but will his feelings towards his ally shift if the king starts supporting figures Trump doesn’t like? It’s difficult to say right now. While the president’s admiration for the U.K. monarch has been evident in the past, Trump is known to switch up on people quickly. 

Considering the animosity between the U.S. and Canada right now, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear that Trump is displeased with Charles’ apparent support for the country. While the king might be trying to remain in the middle for now, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to keep doing so for long, especially when Trump is continually escalating tensions between America and its allies. How long can it be until Charles withdraws his invitation to Trump and stops trying to play nice?