It’s the kind of thing most Canadians learn in elementary school civics classes: the King isn’t just a royal guest— he’s our Head of State. But someone at Rideau Hall may have missed that lesson.
A tweet from Governor General Mary Simon’s official account on Monday referred to King Charles III’s visit to Ottawa as a deepening of the “bond between our nations,” implying that the King was visiting from the United Kingdom, rather than his own country, Canada.
“(Simon) was honoured to have an audience with His Majesty King Charles III at
Rideau Hall as part of Their Majesties’ Royal Visit to Canada. These ongoing conversations deepen the meaningful bond between our nations,” read the post, with a Canadian and a British emoji side-by-side.
Although King Charles III wears many crowns as monarch of multiple Commonwealth realms, each title is legally distinct. In Canadian law, he is King of Canada, a position enshrined in Canada’s Constitution Act. He serves as Canada’s sovereign independently of his U.K. role.
The Governor General acts on the King’s behalf within Canada, but the King himself remains the country’s constitutional Head of State. That means this isn’t a meeting between two nations, it’s the monarch visiting his own.
The post is drawing significant backlash from Canadians frustrated with Governor General Simon’s failure to demonstrate a basic understanding of Canadian civics despite her role as the King’s representative.
Yuan Yi Zhu, an international relations and history professor ridiculed the post, calling it “constitutionally illiterate.”
Commentator Zachary Paiking also chimed in, saying: “His Majesty is in Ottawa in his capacity as King of Canada. His visit is about asserting Canadian sovereignty, not recalling our historical links with Britain. This tweet is totally the wrong message to send and should be taken down.”
Others weren’t as forgiving.
“Cringe. The King is in Ottawa as King of Canada, not as King of the United Kingdom,” said user RoyalWatcherRVC. “He’s not a foreign Head of State.”
“How many civil servants does it take to delta a social media post?” joked user Le_Roke.