Prince Charles and his wife Camilla are visiting Canada this week, where the heir to the British Crown intends to discuss two topics close to his heart, climate change and indigenous people.
The three-day visit, from May 17-19, comes at a time of delicate transition for the British monarchy, rocked on two recent trips abroad, as Queen Elizabeth II, 96, who reigns for 70 years , has canceled almost all of his public appearances for the past seven months due to mobility issues.
Passionate about horses, however, she has made two surprise visits in recent days to the “Royal Windsor Horse show”, walking with a cane but extremely smiling.
Prince Charles replaces her more and more often for official events. Last week, he for the first time read the Speech from the Throne on his behalf, at the opening of Parliament in London.
A third of Britons now think the Queen should pass the baton to her heirs, according to a YouGov poll for Times Radio (up from 25% last month).
Charles’ 19th trip to Canada, one of the 15 kingdoms of which Elizabeth II is sovereign, is part of the celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee (70 years of reign).
The route
In three days, the prince, 73, and Camilla, 74, will cross Canada from east to west, starting their visit on Tuesday in Saint John, on the island of Newfoundland, and finishing it on Thursday in the Northwest Territories, thousands of miles away, after a day in Ottawa on Wednesday.
In Saint John of Newfoundland, the couple must in particular participate in a “solemn moment of reflection and prayer” in memory of the thousands of Aboriginal children who died in religious boarding schools aimed at their assimilation.
They will also visit artisans in the nearby village of Quidi Vidi where the name of an incubator, the ‘Quidi Vidi Village plantation’ was recently changed to ‘Quidi Vidi Artisan Studios’, the word ‘plantation’ being often associated with slavery.
In Ottawa, Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will meet members of the Ukrainian Diaspora and the Prince will participate in a panel discussion on sustainable finance and the fight against climate change, before a formal dinner celebrating the Jubilee.
On the 19th, he will meet again with members of the indigenous community in Dettah, in the Northwest Territories, to discuss climate change and traditions. The Duchess will visit a shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic violence.
Despite the deep affection that two-thirds of Canadians have for the Queen, whom they have known all their lives, 51% want the end of the constitutional monarchy for future generations, according to a recent poll by the Canadian Institute Angus Reid.
At a time when Canada is re-examining its colonial past, 65% refuse the idea of Charles becoming king and head of state of Canada, and 76% refuse to recognize Camilla as their queen.
Faintness
Two recent royal tours abroad, to celebrate the British monarchy’s attachment to the Commonwealth as part of the Jubilee, have confirmed a growing unease.
In March, while touring the Caribbean, Prince William and his wife Kate were called upon to apologize for Britain’s slavery past. They had canceled the first leg of their tour, due to local protests.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said his country’s transition to a republican regime was “inevitable” when they came, as Barbados did in November.
In April, Prince Edward, the Queen’s youngest son, faced the same criticism and demands, also canceling a leg of his Caribbean tour.
“I think we are seeing a sea change,” monarch historian Robert Lacey told AFP. “And we’re going to have to think seriously about what will work in the future as a royal tour. And what activities are appropriate, and whether in particular the military and ceremonial aspects of the visits are in keeping with the modern world.”