The King of Canada Opens Parliament

“Honourable Senators, Members of the House of Commons, It is with a sense of deep pride and pleasure that my wife and I join you here today, as we witness Canadians coming together in a renewed sense of national pride, unity, and hope” (“His Majesty King Charles III delivers the Speech from the Throne,” pm.gc.ca, May 27, 2025). This was the introduction of a speech that opened the first session of the 45th Parliament of Canada—and put an exclamation mark on five months of dizzying political change within the nation.

Faced with a significant decline in approval ratings, Justin Trudeau officially resigned his positions as leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister of Canada on January 6. Mark Carney, who had previously served as governor of the Bank of Canada and as governor of the Bank of England, won the Liberal Party leadership race on March 9 and on March 14 was sworn in as the 24th Prime Minister of Canada.

According to CBC’s poll-tracker, the date of Trudeau’s resignation marked unprecedented polling disparities, with 44.2 percent of Canadians supporting the Conservative Party, 20.1 percent supporting the Liberal Party, and 19.3 percent supporting the New Democrat Party. At the time, many were wondering how big a majority Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative Party would win to form a new government.

Over the next three-and-a-half months, however, that 24 percent Conservative lead would completely evaporate, with the Liberal Party winning 43.8 percent of the popular vote and holding a strong minority in the House of Commons, winning 169 seats—just three seats shy of forming a majority government. Mark Carney not only won his own riding but also avoided becoming the shortest-tenured Prime Minister in Canadian history.

One of Carney’s first acts was to invite King Charles to give the Throne Speech opening parliament. While nearly everyone is familiar with Charles’ role as King of England, few realize that each Commonwealth nation’s monarchy is separate and legally distinct. This speech was not given by a foreign leader, but by King Charles serving in his role as King of Canada.

A Pivotal Time in History

The King’s speech addressed the troubling times in which we live. “We must be clear-eyed: the world is a more dangerous and uncertain place than at any point since the Second World War. Canada is facing challenges that are unprecedented in our lifetimes.” Those challenges, said the King, include affordable housing, an increased deficit, national security, and national unity. The opportunity to build a stronger economy was a theme throughout the speech.

King Charles’ speech comes when, for the first time in the lives of many, the question of Canadian sovereignty is front and centre. Shortly after winning his election, United States President Donald Trump began making remarks about Canada becoming the “51st state.” While some have shrugged the statements off as jokes, they have led to increased tension between Canada and the U.S., and tariffs—some fully enacted, others merely threatened—have also weakened relations between these two nations, which share the world’s longest undefended border. When Prime Minister Carney visited President Trump in the Oval Office last May and held a joint press conference, there were more than a few awkward moments and clear differences of opinion.

Queen Elizabeth II is the only other monarch to have opened Canadian Parliament with a throne speech, doing so in 1957 and 1977. King Charles’ speech emphasized the value of Canadian sovereignty, and he received resounding applause upon stating, “As the anthem reminds us: The True North is indeed strong and free!” His presence in Ottawa and the words of his speech were no doubt intended to affirm Canadian national identity. As Carney told Sky News regarding King Charles’ trip to Canada, “All issues around Canada’s sovereignty have been accentuated by the president. So no, it’s not coincidental, but it is also a reaffirming moment for Canadians” (“Canadians ‘not impressed’ by UK’s invitation to Trump, Mark Carney tells Sky News,” May 14, 2025).

Israel’s Descendants Divided

While Canada and the U.S. have had disagreements over the years, it is difficult to find two nations with a more respectful, profitable, and stable relationship. Longtime readers of Tomorrow’s World understand that a key factor in this close bond is a shared history dating back much further than the general public realizes. If you are unfamiliar with this connection, you would do well to request a free copy of The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy. This study guide highlights the surprising history of the British and British-descended peoples of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many others.

Biblical Origins, Prophetic Legacies

These great nations find their historical origin nearly 2,000 years before Christ, when the patriarch Joseph brought his father, his brothers, and their families to Egypt to escape a devastating famine (Genesis 46). Joseph brought his two young sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to his own father, Israel, to be blessed by their grandfather. Placing his hands upon the heads of his grandsons, Israel foretold that Ephraim’s descendants would “become a multitude of nations” and that Manasseh’s descendants would “become a people, and he also shall be great” (Genesis 48:19). While many believe that the ten tribes of Israel taken into captivity by the Assyrians eventually faded into obscurity, important biblical passages and historical evidence show that they survived, migrated, and thrived—becoming a multitude of nations (the British Isles, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and others) and a great nation (the U.S.).

The Time of Jacob’s Trouble Just Ahead

Canada and the U.S. share a common bond. While that relationship may be unsteady at the moment, Scripture tells of a future time when all the nations descended from Israel will face far greater upheaval than we see today: “Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). This time of Jacob’s (Israel’s) trouble is described as a time of unparalleled devastation. It is similarly described in the Olivet prophecy: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved” (Matthew 24:21–22).

Israel Redeemed, Regathered, and Reunited

However, both of these passages offer hope that the coming time of trouble will not be the end of the story: We read that “for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:22) and “he shall be saved out of it” (Jeremiah 30:7). The book of Ezekiel describes a future time when the peoples of these nations will once again look to the Creator they had previously rejected: “I will set My glory among the nations…. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward” (Ezekiel 39:21–22).

While we live in an age of rousing speeches, flag-waving, and media-driven emotions, mankind is nevertheless incapable of solving the problems facing our nations. But the world’s challenges will be overcome—and its nations will be blessed with unimaginable prosperity, peace, and unity—when people throughout the earth come to know the Lord their God.