King Charles III鈥檚 first months on the throne have shown he鈥檚 a monarch who will take an active role in different causes and is ready to engage with the public, royal experts say, but he still has work to do to win over a skeptical Canadian public.

Nathan Tidridge, the author of a book about Canada鈥檚 constitutional monarchy and vice-president of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada, says Charles thus far appears to be a more 鈥渁ctive and engaged鈥� ruler than his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

As examples, he cites the King鈥檚 decision to host a Buckingham Palace reception for key players ahead of the COP27 climate summit in Egypt, and the palace鈥檚 direct request to Australia that it include Indigenous people in its delegation attending his May 6 coronation.

Tidridge believes the late queen, in contrast, kept more of a distance.

鈥淭here was a removed sense (with Queen Elizabeth), where with Charles we鈥檙e not seeing that,鈥� Tidridge said in a phone interview from Waterdown, Ont. 鈥淗e鈥檚 more engaged in different spheres, especially the spheres he鈥檚 identified as really important to him.鈥�

Carolyn Harris, a historian and commentator on the Royal Family, says King Charles appears to be working hard to connect with the public by interacting with people from all walks of life.

She said this effort is also evident on the royal social media accounts, where staff have responded to public questions about the coronation and published a behind-the-scenes video of Charles and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, reviewing notes on a train during a recent official visit to Germany.

鈥淭his very early part of this reign, we see efforts to make his role more accessible,鈥� she said.

These efforts extend to the coronation, which is expected to be a less lavish affair than the 1953 event for his mother. It鈥檚 expected to feature a shorter parade and a guest list that emphasizes community leaders, representatives of charitable organizations and veterans rather than 鈥渁s many British aristocrats as possible,鈥� Harris said.

Canadians, however, appear to be unmoved by the new monarch鈥檚 efforts 鈥� if they鈥檝e noticed them at all.

Polling released in March by marketing firm Leger found a majority of Canadians surveyed, at 67 per cent, were indifferent to the King, compared to only 12 per cent who said it was good that he was monarch.

Just 13 per cent of those surveyed said they felt a personal attachment to the monarchy, and more than half said it鈥檚 the right time for the country to reconsider its ties with the institution.

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Harris says Canadians remained attached to the queen until her death on Sept. 8, 2022, seeing her as a figure of stability. Charles, on the other hand, has previously courted controversy with the tumultuous public breakup with his first wife, Diana, the Princess of Wales. More recently there have been tensions with his youngest son, Prince Harry, who recently exposed the family鈥檚 dirty laundry in a tell-all book.

She said Charles and Camilla, along with Prince William and his wife Kate, have been well-received on visits to Canada, including a three-day tour last May that brought Charles and Camilla to Newfoundland, Ottawa and the Northwest Territories. But the King鈥檚 desire for a 鈥渟limmed-down鈥� monarchy with fewer working members means such visits may be shorter and less frequent.

Tidridge notes the King鈥檚 ability to connect with the Canadian public depends on the federal government.

鈥淗is footprint in Canada, his presence in Canada 鈥� the gatekeeper to the presence is actually the Prime Minister鈥檚 Office,鈥� he said.

Under Canada鈥檚 constitutional setup, he said, the sovereign acts under the advice of an elected representative, meaning he can鈥檛 visit Canada or take a significant action 鈥� such as issuing an apology to Indigenous people for their treatment under the Crown 鈥� without the approval of the PMO.

And both Tidridge and Harris believe Ottawa has not made coronation celebrations a priority. With the coronation less than two weeks away, the federal government had yet to announce the makeup of its delegation or plans for a celebration on Canadian soil, and there has been little buzz around the event.

While the reasons for this are unclear, Tidridge believes it might reflect a desire to avoid the thorny conversations happening about the role the Crown has played in colonialism and imperialism.

鈥淭he easiest thing to do is to not have the discussion whatsoever and just kind of hope that it passes, and I honestly think that is the policy that鈥檚 being pursued right now,鈥� he said.

But he firmly believes Charles could connect with Canadians if given a chance. He says a longer tour of Canada, in contrast with last year鈥檚 three-day 鈥渨histle stop,鈥� would go a long way towards highlighting the values the King shares with Canadians, including his environmentalism, commitment to preservation of built and natural environments, and commitment to working with Indigenous communities.

鈥淚f ever there was a figure that echoes the kind of values that Canada stands for, it鈥檚 really King Charles,鈥� he said.

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press

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