What might have been a sleepy Monday afternoon at downtown Ottawa’s Lansdowne Park was transformed into a historic spectacle as King Charles III and Queen Camilla made their first public appearance in the nation’s capital during their 2025 royal visit.
Hundreds gathered in Aberdeen Square, eager to catch a glimpse of Canada’s King and his royal consort, with the most dedicated wearing posh attire and waiting hours to secure a spot at the front of the crowd.
“It’s thrilling to see royalty — that’s how I feel,” said Ottawa resident Bonnie Bowering, 75, who added that she’s always been a royal watcher.
This is Charles’ first visit to Canada as monarch and the country’s head of state. According to the Department of Canadian Heritage, the focus of the King’s trip was for Charles to deliver Tuesday’s Speech from the Throne, setting the agenda of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new Liberal government during the upcoming session of Parliament.
However, to delight of those gathered Monday at Lansdowne, the royal couple did make time for fanfare and handshaking.
“I’m hoping to create core memories for my kids,” said Kate Punnett, 46, a florist who brought a bouquet to give the Queen. “I think the passage of time is made through tradition and spending time together with other people, and I know that this will be a memorable day – being so close to the King and Queen.”
Carney and his wife, Diana Fox Carney, joined the royals as they exchanged greetings with those in the crowd. Security personnel closely watched the scene, but a group of anti-monarchy protesters were permitted to epxress their views from the east side of the Aberdeen Pavilion.
The overwhelming majority of the citizens at Lansdowne, though, were there to show the royals their admiration.
“It’s incredible to be a part of history with this being their first visit as King and Queen, so I’m absolutely thrilled to be here. We didn’t think we’d get this close,” said Maddie Davis, 26, who got the chance to shake the King’s hand and joked that she almost died from the experience.
Vendors from the Ottawa Farmers’ Market, which typically only operates in the public square on Sundays, welcomed the Carneys and the royal couple to sample their products.
Garland Sugar Shack, a family-owned business that harvests maple syrup and produces a variety of products in the rural Ottawa village of Vars, received some attention. At one point, the prime minister held up a jug of Garland’s maple syrup and chatted with the vendor.
“That was exhilarating,” said Roxanne Garland, after Carney’s crowd-pleasing gesture.
Queen Camilla also pocketed a maple leaf-shaped candy from the company’s stand. Collecting the sweet Canadian symbol may have special meaning for Camilla, who is a direct descendant of Sir Allan MacNab, an important 19th-century politician and Hamilton-area landowner who was co-premier of the Province of Canada in the 1850s.
Meta Klose, a psychology student at the University of Ottawa and a regular visitor to the Lansdowne farmer’s market, said she specifically came out to see the royal visitors learning about — and maybe tasting — Ottawa-area produce.
“I love the farmers market, so I’m really happy that the monarchy is going to get to see the community in Ottawa,” said Klose.
After making the rounds through the square, the King performed a ceremonial ball drop for a street hockey game played by two teams of youngsters from the Ottawa-based African Hockey Association. The honourary captains of the two teams were Olympic gold medalist and current Ottawa Rapid FC soccer player Desiree Scott and former longtime Ottawa Senators defenceman Chris Phillips.
“Where else but in Canada would a game of hockey give us the opportunity to meet Their Majesties?” Phillips asked the crowd.
There was a sense of Canadian pride and unity among the crowd at Lansdowne, especially with the recent conflict with the U.S. over tariffs and U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated statements about making Canada the “51st state.” Agnes Gwyn, who originally hails from south of the border, said she came to Lansdowne with a message that the world needs more Canada.
“My primary reason to come out was just to uphold Canada as an independent and sovereign nation,” said Gwyn. “I’ve been up here for 35 years, and I just feel a great loyalty to Canada. I think that the U.S. needs Canada to help them make decisions on a more humane and compassionate level.”
Just south of Lansdowne Park, across the Bank Street Bridge over the Rideau Canal, the Mayfair Theatre’s familiar marquee offered a warm welcome to the King and Queen. The message follows a longstanding tradition of local businesses publicly displaying their appreciation of visiting members of the royal family that dates back to the 1860 visit to Ottawa of Charles’ great-great grandfather, then the Prince of Wales and later King Edward VII.
After delivering the Speech from the Throne and laying a wreath at the National War Memorial on Tuesday, King Charles and Queen Camilla returned to the U.K.
