King Charles and Queen Camilla have announced they will make a royal visit to Canada later this month.
The visit will take place between May 26-27 where His Majesty will open the new Parliament in Ottawa following Mark Carney's election victory this week.
The last time a British monarch attended a Canadian state parliament opening was in 1977.
The visit comes just weeks after US President Donald Trump claimed he wished to annex Canada and make it the 51st state of America.
“Canada only works as a state,” Trump said. “It would be one of the great states… this would be the most incredible country.”
The King and Queen will attend Canada's opening of parliament
PA
Trump went on to claim that without massive US subsidies, “Canada ceases to exist as a viable country”.
Appearing to have put Trump's comments behind him, Prime Minister Mark Carney said today he would travel to Washington next Tuesday to meet the US President.
Trump's annexation claims come as he imposed tariffs on some Canadian goods.
Carney regularly termed the US actions as a betrayal, and during the campaign, said he would push for talks on creating new security and defence ties.
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Mark Carney announced in a press conference today that he would travel to Washington to meet Trump
REUTERS
"Our old relationship, based on steadily increasing integration, is over," Carney told a press conference today
"The questions now are how our nations will cooperate in the future and where we in Canada will move on."
Carney, an ex-central banker, said his experience in crisis management meant he was the best person to tackle Trump.
The Liberals, who had trailed badly in the polls as recently as January, rebounded to win Monday's election.
Carney also says Canada must reduce its reliance on the United States, which takes 75 per cent of all Canadian exports.
Donald Trump has previously claimed he wishes to annex Canada
REUTERS
The Royal Family's announcement comes just a day after the King and Queen held a royal engagement with the Swedish monarchs at Windsor Castle.
However, in a rather risque moment, cameras caught the 77-year-old Queen tapping the King on the bottom twice in an apparent attempt to move him along during their tree planting ceremony.
The cheeky moment occurred as she tried to interrupt her husband's small talk with King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
The joint engagement with the Swedish monarchs was a rare occasion bringing together two of Europe's most established royal families.
