King to meet with Canadian PM Trudeau at Sandringham day after Zelensky audience

The King is to meet with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau on Monday – just a day after he welcomed Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to Sandringham.

Mr Trudeau will have a private audience with Charles at the monarch’s Norfolk estate after the Canadian leader flew to London to join an emergency defence summit of European leaders in London at the weekend.

The King has been hailed for offering a show of solidarity to Mr Zelensky by warmly welcoming him on Sunday afternoon after the president’s dramatic Oval Office clash with US president Donald Trump.

Charles, who has invited Mr Trump to pay an unprecedented second state visit to the UK, is increasingly being seen as a unifying figure despite the turmoil on the world’s political stage, through the royal family’s so-called “soft power” diplomacy.

Mr Trump has repeatedly threatened to make neighbouring Canada the 51st state of the America, claiming that without a massive subsidy from the US, it “ceases to exist as a viable country”.

The Canadian leader said in London on Sunday that he would discuss matters of importance to Canadians with the monarch and said, “Nothing seems more important to Canadians right now than standing up for our sovereignty and our independence as a nation”.

Mr Trump has also vowed to impose tariffs on imported goods from Canada as soon as Tuesday amid his concerns over border crossings.

Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney said, “for Canadians disappointed that King Charles has not commented” on Mr Trump’s threats, he can only act on the advice of Canada’s prime minister.

“The Government of Canada should ask the Head of State to underscore Canadian sovereignty,” Mr Kenney posted on X.

Artur Wilczynski, a former Canadian public servant, posted on X: “Canadians will need to decide what purpose King Charles III serves as King of Canada if he can’t even speak up for our sovereignty.”