In an unprecedented move, King Charles III addressed the Canadian Parliament's opening session, reaffirming Canada's sovereignty amidst veiled annexation threats from then-President Donald Trump; his presence underscored Canada's distinct identity within the Commonwealth, a tacit rejoinder to suggestions of its assimilation as the 51st US state. The King's address alluded to the unprecedented challenges confronting Canada in a volatile global landscape, acknowledging the anxieties felt by many Canadians, and emphatically stressed the imperative of safeguarding French language and Québécois culture as integral to Canada's national identity. This inaugural visit as monarch occurred during a fraught period, marked by Trump's threats of extensive tariffs on Canadian goods and criticisms of its military expenditure; the address culminated in a resolute assertion of Canadian sovereignty, articulated through plans to participate in the European Union's "REARM Europe" defence procurement project, conspicuously omitting any reference to US sourcing.