As a constitutional monarchy, Canada’s head of state is the King, but he serves in a ceremonial and apolitical role
Canada’s political leadership has found rare unanimity in recent weeks: nobody wants the country to become the “51st state,” as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly pitched.
The heads of all major political parties resoundingly reject the idea, but Canada’s head of state, King Charles III, is not weighing in.
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said Trump’s takeover threat is “not something we would comment on.”
Trump first made the suggestion to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over dinner at his Mar-a-Lago estate shortly after winning the U.S. election, and at the time, federal officials said it was clear Trump was joking.
The apparent joke has taken on a different tone in the weeks since then, with Trump referring to the Canadian border as an “artificially drawn line” and saying he would use economic force to absorb Canada.
He’s tied the suggestion to his threat to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, saying the tariff could be avoided if Canada becomes a U.S. state.
Trump told reporters on Air Force 1 on Saturday that Canada has been “taking advantage” of the United States for years. As a state, he said Canadians would “have no military problems, they’d be much more secure in every way,” adding he thinks “it’s a great thing for Canada.”
“I view it as, honestly, a country that should be a state,” he said.
“Then, they’ll get much better treatment, much better care and much lower taxes and they’ll be much more secure.”
Trudeau has said there is “not a snowball’s chance in hell” of that happening.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, meanwhile, has said “Canada will never be the 51st state,” and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh warned Trump on social media that “there will be a price to pay” for picking a fight with his northern neighbour.
As a constitutional monarchy, Canada’s head of state is King Charles, but he serves in a ceremonial and apolitical role.
It would be highly unusual for the King to get involved in such matters, said Philippe Lagasse, an expert in the roles of Parliament and the Crown.
“He won’t comment on issues facing Canada of his own accord, nor should we want him to do so,” Lagasse said, who is an associate professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University.
If the King were to respond to Trump on his own, it could make him a target and “create a precedent of involving the Crown in matters that belong squarely with the government.”
King Charles’s representative in Canada, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, also declined to comment, with a spokesperson citing her non-partisan role.
The Canadian government could ask the King to get involved in limited ways, Lagasse said, by making a Royal tour, for example, or making a statement highlighting the Crown’s close relationship with Canada.
Trump’s comments have generated headlines around the world. He’s also said he wants to buy Greenland from Denmark, which insists the territory is not for sale. Canada, Denmark and the U.S. are fellow NATO allies.
Canada’s allies, including fellow Commonwealth nations, have not had a lot to say publicly about the unprecedented suggestion from the White House.
The British government responded to questions by saying it would not comment on hypotheticals. A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office instead highlighted the ties between the two countries.
“Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, a member of the Commonwealth, the Five Eyes intelligence sharing partnership, and a NATO ally,” the statement said.
“The U.K. and Canada are the closest of allies, partners and friends. It’s a partnership based on shared history and values — and a determination to be an active force for good in the world.”
The idea of joining the United States is highly unpopular among Canadians. A poll in mid-January by Leger put support for becoming the 51st state at just 11 per cent.
Right-leaning voters were more likely to support Trump’s idea, the poll suggested, with 18 per cent of Conservative supporters and 39 per cent of People’s Party of Canada supporters saying they would like Canada to become a state.
Bloc Quebecois voters were almost unanimous, with 96 per cent of poll respondents saying no to becoming a state, along with more than 90 per cent of supporters of the Liberals, NDP and Greens.
The poll cannot be assigned a margin of error because online surveys are not considered truly random samples.
— With files from The Associated Press
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