King Charles 'emotional' trip to Canada under scanner

In the wake of threats to Canada's sovereignty by U.S. President Donald Trump, King Charles made a tour to the North American country, where he, at times, looked emotional.

The press took note of this unusual display of emotions, which is, they say, unlikely of the royals.

ITV's royal correspondent Chris Ship penned, "Royals don't normally 'do' emotion; at least they do their very best to hide whatever feeling they have."

"But for some reason, King Charles seemed unable to do that on this occasion at the end of a short, but highly significant, visit."

Charles's 20th visit to the country and first as monarch came after an invitation from Prime Minister Mark Carney, as he is the head of state in Canada.

The 76-year-old, though normally stoic, became visibly emotional during his speech—a monarch's speech for the first time in nearly 50 years—in the Canadian parliament, where he said the country "indeed" was the Truth North, "strong and free."

Buckingham Palace also confirmed this. "His Majesty was deeply moved and touched by the enthusiastic response to his visit," the spokesperson added.

"On the speech, the standing ovation in particular was an unexpected and emotional moment for His Majesty. You can hear his voice go a bit crackly in the final lines."

Explaining why Charles was so emotional, Justin Vovk, a royal historian at McMaster University, told CBC, "I think Charles was taken aback somewhat. The King had been itching to get here and eager to make his presence felt in Canada but no one really knew what kind of reaction he would receive."

He continued, "Journalists, academics, royalists, we were all watching and wondering: would there be a tepid turnout? Would there be protests? And I think once Charles saw the level of reaction from the people, it floored him; it seems he wasn't expecting it."

The expert also pointed out, "Opening Parliament, reading the speech from the throne, these are the most significant constitutional roles that the sovereign plays in our political system."

"He understood the weight of it politically, personally and dynastically," Justin noted.

Charles's speech in Canada marked a strong defense of Canada's sovereignty while also assuring the country's status within the Commonwealth.