Politics
Prime Minister Mark Carney landed in England on Monday where he had a private audience with King Charles.
New prime minister’s whistle-stop tour will see him visit Paris, London and Iqaluit
Peter Zimonjic · CBC News
· Posted: Mar 17, 2025 12:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago
King Charles shakes hands with Prime Minister Mark Carney at Buckingham Palace in London on Monday, before their private meeting. (Aaron Chown/The Associated Press)Prime Minister Mark Carney landed in England on Monday where he had a private audience with King Charles.
Carney was presented to the King inside Buckingham Palace, and explained to Canada’s monarch that he did not have his Order of Canada pin because it fell off and broke on the tarmac upon his arrival.
Charles jokingly offered Carney his pin, but the prime minister refused, saying he is “not of that rank.”
This is Carney’s first official foreign trip since he was sworn in on March 14, which includes visits to France and the U.K. He will meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London before stopping in Iqaluit on his way back to Ottawa.
The trip to London is a bit of a homecoming, as Carney became the first non-British governor in the Bank of England’s 319-year history when he took over the top job on July 1, 2013. He served until March 15, 2020.
Watch | Carney arrives at Buckingham Palace to meet with King Charles:
Carney arrives at Buckingham Palace to meet with King Charles
Prime Minister Mark Carney sits down with King Charles in London during his first foreign trip as Canada’s prime minister.
Carney began the day in Paris with a visit to the rebuilt Notre-Dame Cathedral before sitting down for a private lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palais de l’Élysée.
“It is more important than ever for Canada to strengthen its ties with its reliable allies, such as France,” Carney said in French before lunch with Macron.
Describing Canada as the “most European of non-European countries,” Carney told Macron he is “determined, like you, to maintain the most positive possible relations with the United States.
“We must strengthen our diplomatic ties to address a world that is increasingly unstable and dangerous,” he said. “Canada is a reliable, trustworthy and strong partner of France, which shares our values and lives them through action, during this age of economic and geopolitical crisis.”
WATCH | Canada must strengthen ties with reliable allies like France, Carney says:
Canada must strengthen ties with reliable allies like France, Carney says
Prime Minister Mark Carney, appearing alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday, said Canada and France must strengthen their ties, adding that ‘Canada is a reliable, trustworthy and strong partner of France.’
Macron said the diplomatic relationship with Canada supports the values both countries hold dear, such as the “development for fair trade and protection of the planet” and the defence of democracy.
“We are receiving you and welcoming you as a friend with great joy and forming of a lot of ambition and many projects together,” he said.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump came back into office, he has imposed tariffs on Canadian goods including steel and aluminum and made numerous remarks about his desire to turn Canada into the 51st state. He is threatening to impose tariffs on all Canadian products on April 2.
Macron did not mention Trump by name but he did condemn the imposition of tariffs on U.S. allies.
“We believe that fair trade that respects international rules is a good thing for everyone’s prosperity,” Macron said. “It’s far more effective than tariffs that simply create inflation and destroy the integration of our economies and our supply chains.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter Zimonjic is a senior writer for CBC News. He has worked as a reporter and columnist in London, England, for the Telegraph, Times and Daily Mail, and in Canada for the Ottawa Citizen, Torstar and Sun Media. He is the author of Into The Darkness: An Account of 7/7, published by Random House.
