Le Moulin de Provence, a legacy bakery in the ByWard Market, famously designed a maple leaf cookie for then-United States President Barack Obama’s visit to Ottawa in 2009.

The bakery then followed suit in 2023 with a cookie to mark former president Joe Biden’s visit, coined the “Biden Biscuit”, which featured a printed design on Le Moulin’s classic shortbread cookie.

Now, the royal visit has also been commemorated at the local bakery. Nicolas Bonnet, social media and marketing manager at Le Provence de Moulin and son of owner Claude, said the new treat has been affectionately named the “Royal cookie” and aims to be a “sweet little welcome to Ottawa, made with love and a bit of royal flair”.

The cookies are also classic shortbread, but made in a smaller “tea-size” as a nod to the United Kingdom. They also feature an edible print.

“It’s royal,” said Bonnet. “We kept it simple but mixed the concept with a bit of an English tradition.”

The bakery made 170 cookies for the visit on Tuesday and planned to bake 100 more on Wednesday before retiring the limited-edition treat.

There were rumours that the King might stop by to try one, but the royal visit was barely 24 hours in total, with a packed itinerary.

“When we do something like this, of course we hope they’ll come by,” he said. “But we’re a bakery, they’re here doing important stuff, so it’s okay.”

He said people were excited to see the cookies, particularly an English couple who now live in Ottawa.

“I’ve been hearing people say it’s not as exciting because it isn’t [Queen Elizabeth II],” he said. “But people seem really excited about the King.”

The original Canadian maple leaf cookie was first created by Bonnet’s father Claude, who came to Canada from France and wanted to create his own cookie line as a gesture towards his new home, said Bonnet.

Bonnet was about 6 years old at the time, and said he remembers the cookies always being popular.

But they became famous when Obama stopped in during his trip to Canada, and the cookies were then forever known as the Obama cookies.

Today, the bakery has a dedicated corner to display the Obama cookies that features photos of Obama’s visit.

“Sometimes people ask why we’re still doing it, all these years later,” he said. “But we still have people ask for them, still have tours buses come in with people who want them. as long as people want them, we’ll make them.

“Everybody has their monuments, their souvenirs, their symbols,” he added. “These are ours.”

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Thousands of royal watchers gathered to give the royals a taste of Canadian hospitality during their short but highly symbolic trip.

The King landed a day before he is set to deliver the speech from the throne to open Parliament — a rare event that comes as Canada copes with U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to upend global trade through tariffs and his repeated calls for Canada’s annexation.

The Canadian Armed Forces plane carrying the King and Queen landed in Ottawa shortly after 1 p.m..

King Charles, in a taupe suit and dark red tie, and Queen Camilla, in a pastel pink coat dress, were greeted on the runway by Canadian officials, including Prime Minster Mark Carney and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, along with the leaders of national Indigenous organizations.

They then walked past a small group of onlookers gathered at the airport, shaking hands with some, before climbing into a blue sedan.

An arrival guard from the Royal Canadian Dragoons was also on hand to welcome the King and Queen.

This trip is the couple’s first visit to Canada since the King’s coronation two years ago.

Their first stop was Lansdowne Park — a large events venue in the heart of the nation’s capital — to meet with community members Monday afternoon. Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault and Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe were among those in the welcoming committee at Lansdowne.

King Charles took part in a ceremonial puck drop for a street hockey game in the plaza after he and Queen Camilla strolled past farmers’ market vendors in the crowded courtyard.

Chris Phillips, a veteran defenceman who played for the Ottawa Senators across nearly 20 seasons in the NHL, took part in the face-off before the youth game got underway. He said the King showed plenty of enthusiasm for the national pastime.

“I think he was ready to jump in and play with the kids there, if he could,” Phillips said.

Among the vendors greeting the royals was Sarah Garland, whose family runs a sugar shack in the Ottawa area. She said the family jumped at the chance to meet the King and Queen when they were approached last week.

“If the King wants our maple syrup, have to give the man what he wants,” Garland said, adding the royal visit offers a “symbol of unity and family.”

The King and Queen also met the Altaouil family, Syrian refugees who run a falafel stand at the farmers’ market. Members of the family said before the visit they were nervous but thrilled by the chance to share their cuisine with the King.

Ryan St-John attended the public event at Lansdowne in hopes that the King’s presence in Ottawa might improve international relations, he told Ottawa Compass.

And said he’s tuning in to the throne speech to “see if it affects British or American relations”.

He said the “public events are nice for monarchists” and “those who enjoy the pageantry.” That said, he mentioned that there were protesters at the event.

“I had the misfortune of standing near the anti-king/freedom convoy crowd,” he said. “Belligerent and pushy, ready to pick verbal fights.”

But he said he enjoyed seeing the interactions between the royals and the public at Lansdowne.

He works at nearby Carleton University and said the short trip to Lansdowne, which “factored in” to his decision to attend. He said the throne speech would have been ideal, but that Lansdowne was his “backup viewing.”

Whether or not the visit manages to send a message to the United States, St-Jean said he was unsure.

“The speech will get turned into one or two clips, filtered through Fox News and the American administration and Trump will make some grand declaration,” he said. “Maybe good, maybe bad.”

In the end, though, he said his view of the monarchy is more complex.

“The Governor General plays an important role, but the monarchy behind it is silly,” he said. “I respect the king’s role in doing a state visit, but if I was an MP I’d vote to sever ties if asked.

“If the King ever directed our government to do anything, we’d laugh him off and start procedures to sever his authority going forward.”

Carney asked the King to read the speech from the throne on Tuesday, which sets out the government’s priorities for the legislative session.

It will be the first time Canada’s head of state has opened Parliament since Queen Elizabeth II did so in 1977.

Carney said in a media statement Monday that “this historic honour matches the weight of our times.”

“To that end, the speech from the throne will outline the government’s ambitious plan to act with urgency and determination, and to deliver the change Canadians want and deserve: to define a new economic and security relationship with the United States, to build the strongest economy in the G7, to bring down the cost of living, and to keep communities safe,” he said.

The royal entourage departed Lansdowne Park shortly after 2:30 p.m.

The King and Queen ended their public events Monday afternoon at Rideau Hall, the official residence of the royals while in Canada, where they planted a ceremonial blue-beech tree in front of onlookers.

The King was set for meetings with Carney and Gov. Gen. Simon, who acts as the representative of the Crown in Canada. He also added previously unscheduled meetings with the leaders of three Indigenous organizations for late Monday afternoon.

Simon issued a media statement Monday morning welcoming the King and Queen to Canada.

“The presence of Their Majesties at this pivotal moment in our history holds profound significance. It reaffirms the enduring constitutional bond that has shaped Canada’s journey into a proud and independent nation,” Simon said.

“The Crown’s role in Canada is more than symbolic; it serves as a cornerstone of the democratic freedoms and rights we cherish. The presence of Their Majesties fosters a sense of unity among Canadians, reminding us of the shared values that bring us together — respect, compassion and hope.”

Nine-year-old Florence McIntire was in Ottawa for the royal visit, travelling from Kingston, Ont. With her mom, Gabrielle, and sister, Clara, in hopes of catching a glimpse of the King. Instead, she met them.

After the King completed the tree-planting ceremony, he and the Queen stopped to greet some of the people gathered outside Rideau Hall, and Florence was one of them.

“He was walking along, and people were stopping in front, and I wasn’t sure if I was really going to see him,” she said. “Then he came over and shook my hand. And a tiny bit later, the Queen came and said ‘nice to meet you’, and shook my hand.”

Her big sister Clara who is 12 (and a half), said Florence smiled “really, really, really big,” and that the trio were hoping to catch the royals again on Tuesday.

“We came for this today with our grandparents. We’ve all been wanting to see the King and Queen,” said Clara. “So we came here and we’re going to maybe see him outside his speech tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, Catherine Murray, who travelled to Ottawa from New Westminster, B.C., and attended the ceremony with her friends and colleagues.

She waving a “vintage” Union Jack flag that she said had been in her family and was first waved at a royal event in 1956.

“We were hoping for a gesture to future generations…in favour of Canada’s sovereignty and (King Charles) is playing a very, very good role in that,” said Murray. “I’m just delighted, and really excited to hear what he says tomorrow.”

Her colleague Jeff Roseburgh, who lives in Ottawa, said he came to see how the King’s presence might represent Canada’s sovereignty and identity.

Years ago, he brought his daughter to see Prince William and Princess Kate, then Duchess of Cambridge, on their visit to Ottawa.

“I think many cccountries in the world would be very happy to have the King as the head of state,” he said. “It’s just very touching to see, and it sending a subtle but important message to the rest of the world that Canada is soveriegn.

“We’re a part of the Commonwealth, and we always will be,” he continued. “Charles represents that carrying on.”

He also said he appreciated that the couple interacted with the crowd that gathered, and that he’s “happy to support” the monarchy here in Ottawa. 

“He’s such a warm person,” he added. “He took the time to talk to people, as did Camilla, and I think that’s just fantastic. We’re lucky.”

The royals will continue their visit Tuesday with a parade on Wellington Street and the throne speech at the Senate.
— with files from the Canadian Press

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The King will drop the puck at a road hockey game and visit an Ottawa farmers market, giving people in Ottawa multiple chances for a glimpse of the King and Queen during their short trip to the city.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and his government have invited the King to formally open the new session of Parliament on Tuesday as Canada’s head of state.

This will be the third time a monarch has presided over Canada’s throne speech, after Queen Elizabeth did so in 1957 and during her Silver Jubilee in 1977.

The visit is being presented as a symbol of Canada’s close ties to the monarchy at a time when the U.S. president has threatened Canadian sovereignty.

Philippe Lagassé, an associate professor at Carleton University and an expert in the monarchy, said the moment is right for such a visit. 

“(It’s) really meant to highlight that our institutions are long-standing, that we are different, that our sovereignty still matters,” he said. 

Lagassé pointed out that Donald Trump is an admirer of the Royal Family and the U.S. president was particularly pleased to be invited by King Charles to an unprecedented second state visit in London.

Lagassé also said it “misses the point” to suggest that the royal visit is meant to shore up Canada’s relationship with the United Kingdom. 

“That office is still the highest office of our state, and at a time when the very existence of our state is being questioned, it’s useful to have a very powerful symbol like that,” he said.

“It’s rare that Canada gets to employ the Crown in this way.”

Ottawa Tourism told Ottawa Compass the Royal visit is “boosting visibility” and “sparking excitement for ‘king-spotting’ in Ottawa.” 

Much of Ottawa Tourism’s data is pulled from the occupancy of local hotels, but it can be difficult to know how much of next week’s hotel’s stays will be due to the Royal visit —  “partly because of its timing between the Tamarack Race Weekend and the highly-attended CANSEC conference.”

“It is quite possible, however, that people decide to make a last-minute decision to come to Ottawa now that we know more about the Royal visit. Some people that were already going to be here for other reasons might also decide to extend their stay.”

“All in all, the royal visit is a good surprise for our destination.”

Ottawa Tourism also said  the visit creates promotional opportunities in the British market—a trend that was noticed after the uptick in British tourism to Ottawa following the royal visit in May 2022.

“The difference this time around is the new direct flight launched on March 31, making travel easier for British visitors,” the statement said. 

King Charles and Queen Camilla will arrive in the national capital on Monday, May 26, in the early afternoon.

Their first event that is open to the public will be a community gathering at Lansdowne Park, where the royal couple is expected to greet onlookers and visit a farmers market starting at 1:50 p.m.

The King is also set to drop the puck for a road hockey game at Lansdowne.

Canadian government officials who briefed reporters on background said the event is meant to be festive and that people will be able to attend on a first-come, first-served basis.

There will be extensive security around all of the events on Monday and Tuesday. The officials said there likely will be road closures around the downtown as well.

The City of Ottawa told Ottawa Compass that it is working with Canadian Heritage and its partners at the Ottawa Police Service to finalize plans for the King’s visit.

The City has warned that temporary traffic disruptions are expected for both days of the visit, with some significant road closures in the downtown core on May 27.

Government officials also said a Canadian doctor will travel with the King and Queen — a standard precaution. The King has been undergoing cancer treatment for more than a year.

Later Monday, the King and Queen will travel to Rideau Hall for a tree-planting ceremony — a traditional feature of royal visits — around 2:50 p.m.

Inside Rideau Hall, the Queen will be sworn in as a member of the King’s Privy Council. Officials said Prince Philip was also a member of Queen Elizabeth’s Privy Council in Canada.

On Tuesday, King Charles will read the Liberal government’s throne speech inside the Senate chamber.

The day will begin at 9:50 a.m. Tuesday with a parade along Wellington Street, during which the Royal couple will travel in the state landau — a horse-drawn carriage — from the Bank of Canada building to the Senate, escorted by members of the RCMP musical ride. A total of 28 horses are expected to flank the landau.

At the Senate building, King Charles will inspect an honour guard before a 21-gun salute.

The public is allowed to attend the parade but there will be traffic restrictions and security in place along the route. 

The speech from the throne, which sets out the government’s priorities at the start of a new session of Parliament, is typically presented by the Governor General as the Crown’s representative. King Charles is expected to read the speech in both official languages.

Guests invited to hear the speech in the Senate chamber will include members of Parliament, former prime ministers and governors general, current Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and lieutenant-governors from across the country.

The Supreme Court of Canada justices are also invited to attend, along with Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed and Métis National Council President Victoria Pruden.

The day’s ceremonies will include First Nations drummers, a Métis fiddler and an Inuk elder lighting a ceremonial fire.

The speech itself is set to get underway at around 11:10 a.m. and will be broadcast and livestreamed.

Carney told reporters last week that having the King present the throne speech is a “historic honour that matches the weight of our times” and underscores Canada’s sovereignty.

The royal visit will end with a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to return to the United Kingdom on Tuesday afternoon. 

Carney met with King Charles in London during his first overseas trip as prime minister in mid-March. Charles also met with outgoing prime minister Justin Trudeau two weeks earlier.

At the time, royal watchers noted that Buckingham Palace had been ramping up its subtle symbolic support for Canada.

The King met with the Usher of the Black Rod, a senior Senate official, and offered him a new ceremonial sword. He also wore Canadian military honours and planted a red maple on the palace grounds at events in March.

The King’s role is non-political and Buckingham Palace has said it will not comment on the trade war or Trump’s calls for Canada’s annexation.

Charles has visited Canada 19 times in the past — most recently in May 2022 to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, when he was still Prince of Wales.

The last time the sovereign was on Canadian soil was 2010, when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Ontario.

– with files from the Canadian Press

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