There’s free speech — and then there’s the King’s speech.
Global News has learned that the cost to the Canadian treasury to have King Charles III read the speech from the throne in Canada’s Senate a year ago to open the 45th Parliament came close to $900,000.
Still, for the then-just-elected government of Prime Minister Mark Carney, the bill for the King’s two days in Ottawa was priceless.
For Carney, the presence of King Charles III in the Senate reading the speech from the throne — just the third time in Canada’s history a monarch has done that — was an important, symbolic and yet respectful riposte to U.S. President Donald Trump’s then near-constant disrespect of Canada’s sovereignty.
“This is an historic honour which matches the weight of our times,” Carney told reporters in Ottawa on May 2, 2025, just after his election win.
And the King appeared to match the moment, delivering a throne speech written by the government that carefully set out how the Carney government would assert its sovereignty in the face of a bellicose American president.
“As the anthem reminds us, the True North is indeed strong and free,” King Charles said to the applause of those present in the Red Chamber on May 27, 2025.
But bringing a King to the party comes with a hefty price tag.
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It started with a six-person advance party from the Royal household, flown over from London to Ottawa at Canada’s expense on a commercial flight — economy class, mind you — who were put up at Ottawa’s economy-class Lord Elgin Hotel, a block away from the National War Memorial, from May 7-9.
Internal government documents provided to Global News by access-to-information researcher Ken Rubin show that the Department of Canadian Heritage would be billed $23,838 for the flights, hotel, meals and transportation for that initial Royal six as they scouted out locations and reviewed the King’s program with Canadian government officials.
Then came the main event itself — the visit of Charles and Camilla from May 26-27.
First, as is the custom, the Canadian government dispatched one of its Royal Canadian Air Force CC-330 jets to London to pick up the royal couple and their delegation. The Department of National Defence did not respond to two emailed requests from Global News to provide the operating costs of the pair of return flights to pick up and return the flights, but a Global News estimate of the cost, based on U.S. Department of Transportation and industry sources, puts the cost of operating such a plane for the two there-and-back flights at about $410,000.
The documents obtained by researcher Rubin detail the costs once the Royal delegation got to Canada.
First, Charles and Camilla travelled with 24 members of the Royal household. Some flew over on commercial flights at Canada’s expense; some travelled on that CC-330 RCAF jet. Some were put up at the “luxury Fairmont Chateau Laurier” hotel, next to Parliament Hill, while others stayed at the government-owned heritage property, 7 Rideau Gate, on the grounds of the Rideau Hall, where Charles and Camilla spent the night. (Rideau Hall is, after all, the property of the monarch!)
Meanwhile, the federal government had to hire the RCMP’s ceremonial team. The horses and their red-serged riders cost $20,605.72. The cost of the additional security for the visit provided by the RCMP was not disclosed.
To close streets around the War Memorial and around Ottawa’s Lansdowne Park — where the Royals did a walk-through upon their arrival in Canada — the City of Ottawa was paid $146,945.
The costs to provide bleachers for the media to sit on during the King’s ceremony at the National War Memorial cost Canada $5,335. Crowd management was billed at $3,500. And sidewalk construction at the memorial had to be completed at a cost of $12,039.70.
All in: The bills presented to the Department of Canadian Heritage totalled $461,940.50.
Add in the estimated $410,000 cost of the RCAF flights to bring the Royals and their household to Ottawa, and the cost of the King’s speech adds up to more than $871,000.
What a waste of money! “Just put it on the credit card”
The liberals should be paying the fees for his attendance as they wanted it. Also, the king should be pying for HIS representative, the GG, not Canadians. Time to kick the monarchy out.
Worth every penny , I’m proud of our King and his visit and speech let others elsewhere that we have the support.
this big eared incest clown is not worth 900 k
Liberals sure like to waste our hard earned taxes. With over $700,000 for Carney to rent a private jet to fly to a photo op the Governor General spending our money like its water and now Almost a million dollars to have a royal give Canadians a speech. Where does the waste end ?
why we the taxpayer have to pay for this
You know Trump heard that speech loud and clear!
Only $900,000? Hmm. A reigning Canadian monarch reading the Speech from the Throne is exceedingly rare, having occurred only three times in our history: royal readings include:
1957: Queen Elizabeth II
1977: Queen Elizabeth II
2025: King Charles II
3 times in almost 70 years, that’s so cheap on an annual basis it shouldn’t even be discussed.
Such a waste of money
I don’t appreciate the over-reporting of the cost of the King’s visit. Of course it willcost a lot of money, but Canada is part of the Commonwealth and there are a lot of benefits for that. Also, the indiginous people of Canada have great respect for the Crown, more that any other sovereigns. If you look back at Indiginous history, you will see always respect for the British Crown.
Worth every penny! Trump sucked up to the king so this will show him where Charles’ allegiance lies too.
The Cons have wasted more money just keeping useless PP in power.
CAN’T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE WE COULD OF SPENT THAT MONEY ON
More printing of money should cover it.
This story is just for shock value…regardless of your allegiance to the king …You are talking about it costing cents per Canadian… literally 3 cents per. You can’t keep taking a lump sum for every little cost of things like this… keeping ourselves aligned in speech with countries that have values globally.
You could break down every flight by parliamentary people , dignitary visitors… staplers …lunches … give me a break global …. You are clearly trying to stir the pot … do better
Rather unbalanced reporting. Considering the time and circumstances $900,000 was a small price to pay to send tRump a strong message of who we are. It cost about $0.02 per person to have the King read the Throne Speech.
Huh, what’s cost to Liberals. They know the peasants have vast untapped savings the government can seize when necessary.
Cost of bringing and supporting a family from Syria? More than $900,000.
Pierre Trudeau opened the door to getting rid of the monarchy, old traditions, and we need, NEED to get rid of our most bloated and expensive to run BRITISH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, and update Parliament, get rid of the GOVERNOR GENERAL, SENATORS etc.etc. “Over the last three centuries, dozens of countries have abolished their monarchies and transitioned into republics. Key historical waves include France, Russia, China, and Germany following major revolutions and world wars. Several former British colonies have also transitioned from Commonwealth realms to republics, such as India and, most recently, Barbados.”
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Canada badly needs a new constitution to get rid of those useless, expensive British royals. Without a revised constitution Canada is doomed to separation.
Canada is dying.
Carney should have paid for it out of his wallet wasteful turd
Carney the clown
Why to pay for him waste of money
Why do we have to pay really
Such a joke. An expensive one. The man looks next to mummified.
Zero value having a spoiled royal doing a throne speech