Charles III hits all the right
buttons with royal visit

PQ calls for Quebec to sever ties with the monarchy, and all provincial parties agree

By Irwin Rapoport

May 29, 2025

King Charles III’s whirlwind visit to Canada on May 27 and 28, highlighted by the reading of the throne speech to open the new session of Parliament, was a triumphant success on a variety of levels.

The King of Canada, who is also the head of state for the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth nations, delivered a direct message to American President Donald Trump and his MAGA allies that our country is not for sale, will not be intimidated, and that we have stalwart friends and allies who have our back to prevent us from turning onto the 51st state.

The monarch’s presence, for the most part, united Canadians who appreciated that Charles, who is recovering from cancer, did more than his part to bolster the national will to resist Trump’s non-stop attacks on our sovereignty. Alas, Quebec nationalism reared its ugly head and was the fly in the ointment immediately following the visit, but more on that later.

Trump is enamoured by the British royal family, and Prime Minister Mark Carney knows this. British PM Sir Keith Starmer knew his man when he invited the president for a state visit to the U.K. with all the pomp and circumstance and a meeting with the king, dangling the possibility of America being able to join the Commonwealth. Trump desires this more than the $400 million 747 “gifted” to the U.S. to replace Air Force One.

Five hours after Charles headed for home, Trump yet again beseeched Canada to become a junior partner in his untested and most likely unfeasible $175 billion Golden Dome missile defence shield.

Keith Starmer knew his man when he invited the president for a state visit to the U.K., dangling the possibility of America being able to join the Commonwealth.

In a Wednesday afternoon Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “I told Canada, which very much wants to be part of our fabulous Golden Dome System, that it will cost $61 billion if they remain a separate, but unequal, nation, but will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State. They are considering the offer!”

The five-year-old child, who launched “the dumbest trade war,” according to The Wall Street Journal, could not help himself. He was compelled to respond to the King’s assertion of a strong and independent Canada, and his feeble and tired words had no effect.

Winnipeg MP Doug Eyolfson spoke for many Canadians when he said: “A bribe is a bribe. That’s just not acceptable. We’re not going to bribe Canadians into becoming a 51st state. We’re Canadians. This is Canada, and we’re a sovereign nation and becoming part of the States is not an option.”

For other reactions, check out The National Post article, Carney’s straightforward response after Trump offers Golden Dome membership for free as the 51st state.

Back to Quebec. On the same day Charles read the Throne Speech, the National Assembly passed a unanimous resolution put forward by Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon calling on Quebec to abolish all ties with the monarchy.

The motion stressed that Quebec is the sole custodian of the democratic expression of the Quebec people, that a majority of Quebecers have no attachment to the monarchy, and that “the National Assembly agrees to abolish the link between the Quebec state and the British monarchy.”

The resolution was typical PQ red meat for the party faithful and nationalist base, and the CAQ and Quebec Solidaire, to demonstrate that they are true blue nationalists and separatists, endorsed the motion without hesitation. There was no debate whatsoever.

Quebec Liberal Party MNAs were among the 106 elected officials who voted for the resolution, including those representing majority English and multicultural ridings. This is not the first time Liberal MNAs endorsed PQ motions promoting nationalist stances, condemned journalists who “attacked and offended” the province and the “Quebec nation,” and backed language laws and policies, such as the infamous resolution condemning the popular expression of “bonjour-hi” and urging people to say “bonjour.”

‘On the same day Charles read the Throne Speech, the National Assembly passed a unanimous resolution put forward by Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon calling on Quebec to abolish all ties with the monarchy.’

The Liberals continue to struggle to regain the trust and support of the French Canadian majority, and it is a challenge they wrestle with daily. One poll noted that only four percent of francophone voters backed the party, which explains why most Liberal MNAs represent ridings in the Greater Montreal Area.

Interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay, who has publicly opposed the monarchy, justified the party’s toeing the line due to the motion being meaningless, noting that only a constitutional amendment could sever ties with the crown.

“When I wake up in the morning, I am not thinking about King Charles III,” said Tanguay. “My allegiance is to the people of Quebec.”

Clearly, Tanguay is of the school that “words do not matter.” What silliness will he endorse next? Will he back the removal of habeas corpus rights to “protect the Quebec nation”?

The Gazette article Quebec legislators vote to cut ties with British monarchy after King’s visit provides more details on the vote and the thoughts of the party leaders.

The Liberal strategy of being nationalist-lite has never worked, and the party has been criticized for following the crowd and not standing up for principles and crafting a message which does not apologize for being federalist and promoting common sense policies and values. On nearly every occasion, the Liberals have failed the test.

The party is nearing the end of its leadership campaign. With a provincial election to be held in 2026, we’ll see to what extent the Liberals carve out a new niche and message to secure a minority or majority government.
Polling continues to show that the PQ would win a general election, but that could change rapidly if they maintain their vow to hold a referendum on separation in a first mandate. Trump’s ongoing tariff campaign against Canada has strengthened support for the nation amongst francophone Quebecers. The question is whether this trend will factor in the election.

And finally, the king’s visit presented another opportunity for opponents of the monarchy to pitch a Canadian republic.

‘Our system of government is a constitutional monarchy. It is one shared by the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth nations, and nations, primarily in Europe.’

Our system of government is a constitutional monarchy. It is one shared by the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth nations, and nations, primarily in Europe, where absolute monarchies have transitioned to their present-day forms.

This link provides a solid background on how the system works, its positives, and the challenges of replacing it.

The constitutional monarchy system is a proven success. France provides a solid example of why. Since the French Revolution of 1789, the country has experienced several restorations of the monarchy, two reigns of Napoleon – Napoleon I and Napoleon III, and is now on its fifth republic system. Germany had a chance to establish a constitutional monarchy in 1871, and President Ulysses S. Grant, in a letter to the Kaiser, urged him to establish a true democracy with power residing in the legislative, executive (the chancellor), and judicial branches. Otto von Bismarck thought otherwise and crafted a constitution that had a democratic veneer, but in reality, established an autocratic form of government with the monarch holding the final say via an all-powerful chancellor (himself and a hand-picked successor). Kaiser Wilhelm II exercised that power poorly, dropping Bismarck, and lost his throne in 1918.

Japan’s political system was based on the German model, and it was replaced in 1945 following the nation’s defeat in WWII. General Douglas MacArthur, who led the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1952, transformed the government into a constitutional monarchy. Germany, also reformed its flawed democratic system (usurped by the Nazis in 1933) into the system that operates to this day.

A constitutional monarch in our system has minimal powers. The king or queen permits the prime minister and the ruling party to exercise power in their name for five years. The PM then relinquishes that authority to the monarch temporarily when an election is called. This authority is returned to the new PM and the ruling party. The PM, however, is not a dictator. He/she is bound by well-established customs and conventions, the constitution, and the law. The power truly resides in the people who elect their governments.

In terms of democratic republics, the U.S. is the exception. The president combines the role of prime minister and head of state in one role, and holds serious authority. We are witnessing this in real time with Trump, who is outright flouting the rule of law. The American system is based on powerful checks and balances via the independent legislative, executive, and judicial branches. French presidents and German chancellors, who are elected, do exercise substantial authority, but also work in a system with effective checks and balances.

‘In terms of democratic republics, the U.S. is the exception. The president combines the role of prime minister and head of state in one role, and holds serious authority. We are witnessing this in real time with Trump, who is outright flouting the rule of law.’

The majority of republics in the Western world have a head of state whose responsibilities are nominal and play no role in the decision-making process. Presidents are often selected by an act of parliament.

Many have touted the benefits of a constitutional monarchy, and I’ll leave it to them to persuade you of its virtues.

Opponents of our system harangue that the royal family has no connection to Canada. This is nonsense. Canada is a multicultural country, but at the same time, many of its people can trace their roots to the British Isles and France. Charles III has English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, and French roots, as well as German, Danish, Austrian, and those from other European nations. He and his children, as well as his late mother, Elizabeth II, are very much Canadian.

The monarchy provides stability, whoever the rulers happen to be. Canada has an effective and well-established judiciary, military, and system of governance. We have not experienced military coups and wannabe dictators, and the rule of law prevails. Power resides in the people who elect their governments and representatives.

The Governor-General, appointed by the Canadian government, is our de facto head of state. They represent the monarch and are the ones who sign bills into law and represent the country on diplomatic missions. We don’t worry about who the next head of state will be, as the monarchy is a constant. As they say, “The king is dead, long live the king!”

The constitutional monarchy system protects us and our democracy, and for that, a good number of Canadians are grateful.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of WestmountMag.ca or its publishers.

Feature image: Royal.uk