King Charles III delivered Canada’s Speech from the Throne Tuesday, offering royal endorsement as Prime Minister Mark Carney asserts Canadian sovereignty and pushes for greater economic independence amid rising trade tensions with the United States.

“The Crown has for so long been a symbol of unity for Canada,” Charles told senators and MPs assembled in the Red Chamber. “It also represents stability and continuity from the past to the present.”

That continuity, rooted in Canada’s constitutional monarchy, serves as a stabilizing force in a time of global upheaval, the King signalled in his ceremonial address, which was drafted by the Prime Minister’s Office and approved by Buckingham Palace.

“The system of open global trade that, while not perfect, has helped to deliver prosperity for Canadians for decades, is changing,” the King said. “We must confront the reality that since the Second World War, our world has never been as dangerous and unstable.”

But this shift is a chance to rebuild, he added. “All Canadians can give themselves far more than any foreign power on any continent can ever take away, and… by staying true to Canadian values, Canada can build new alliances and a new economy that serves all Canadians.”

He mentioned the government’s plan to introduce legislation removing the federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility by July 1, Canada Day.

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Economic acceleration was a central theme of the speech, as it was during Carney’s recent election campaign. “Speed is of the essence,” Charles said. A new major federal project office will reduce approval times for major infrastructure projects from five years to two, and the feds will also strike cooperation agreements with “every interested province and territory within six months” to realize its goal of “one project, one review.” Environmental and climate campaigners in Canada are concerned this would involve the federal government abandoning its own reviews—and giving provinces a ”carte blanche” to carry them out instead.

The speech also unveiled Build Canada Homes, a Crown-backed initiative to double homebuilding using Canadian lumber, workers, and prefabricated technologies.

With global trade under strain, the speech looked to new alliances in Europe and beyond. “The government is working to strengthen its relations with reliable trading partners and allies, knowing that Canada has what the world needs and defends the values that the world respects,” the King said.

“Canada is ready to build a coalition of nations that share these values, nations that believe in international cooperation and the free exchange of goods, services and ideas.”