By Michael Valpy
The desire is there, but the Prince of Wales has trouble visiting
He’s constitutionally Canada’s next head of state. A top aide says he’s keen to deepen his relationship with the country. He wants to visit, get to know people. He’s arranged meetings with key Canadian philanthropic and community leaders with the aim of cementing connections with his own charitable interests.
So where is he? Find the Prince of Wales. Find Charles Philip Arthur George.
He hasn’t been here for eight years.
He wanted to come to Canada four years ago – to introduce his new wife on her first royal tour – but the federal government told him it likely wasn’t a good idea because there might be an election campaign when he arrived. So he bypassed Canada and took Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, to the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
“You know, His Royal Highness would be keen to maintain and indeed deepen his relationship with Canada, and obviously a visit would be a great step forward in that regard,” the Prince’s spokesman, Paddy Harverson, said in a recent telephone conversation from London.
“But I suppose it comes back to [the] point that that requires an invitation and it requires the timing to be right. The Prince of Wales would very much love to pay a visit to Canada but, as I’ve said, he has to wait for the invitation.”
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(Submitted by AlKarim Amersi)