How Toronto will honour the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III
TORONTO, May 5, 2023 – Tomorrow, the City of Toronto will commemorate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty The Queen with the raising of the Canadian Coronation Flag and ceremonial planting of an oak tree at Coronation Park along the shore of Lake Ontario.
Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park) will be joined by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, for this special occasion. The ceremony will include an offering of tobacco to the land, following Indigenous knowledge and practice, which considers tobacco one of the four sacred medicines connecting people to nature and one another. The tobacco comes from the City’s Treaty Partner, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
Notably, the ceremony follows the designation of the oak tree as Toronto’s Official Tree and arboreal emblem almost a year ago: www.toronto.ca/city-government/awards-tributes/tributes/city-of-toronto-symbols.
“Across the Commonwealth, and here in Canada, plans are underway to memorialize His Majesty’s Coronation, given its significance in history. The Coronation is an opportunity to learn about His Majesty and to appreciate his strong relationship with Canada, which spans more than 50 years. The City will honour the crowning of our nation’s Head of State by raising the Canadian Coronation Flag and planting an oak tree in Coronation Park, which is particularly appropriate given the King’s long-standing commitment and contributions towards protecting the environment.”
– Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park)
In honouring the historical event, Toronto Archives has launched an online archival exhibit entitled “Toronto Remembers the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.” The exhibit captures glimpses of the City’s celebrations during the Queen’s 1953 Coronation: www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/history-art-culture/online-exhibits/web-exhibits/web-exhibits-culture-people/toronto-remembers-the-coronation-of-elizabeth-ii.
On May 6 and 7, the Toronto Sign on Nathan Phillips Square, the Princes’ Gates at Exhibition Place and other landmarks across Canada will be lit emerald green to mark the occasion as part of the National Illumination Initiative: www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/coronation-his-majesty-king-canada/celebrate.html . The green colour, seen on the Canadian Coronation Emblem and represented by the oak tree, is associated with the environment, a cause long championed by His Majesty: www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/coronation-his-majesty-king-canada/emblem.html .
Facts
- Canada is a constitutional monarchy, and The King is Canada’s Head of State
- His Majesty King Charles III succeeded to the Throne on September 8, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II
- His Majesty’s Coronation is the first to take place in 70 years due to the long reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II
- The Lieutenant Governor is the King’s representative in Ontario
- The King, as Prince of Wales, has made 19 official, working or private visits to Canada and commanded HMS Hermes (Royal Navy) in 1975 for 35 days in Canadian waters around the Canadian Maritime Provinces
Visits by the King as Prince of Wales to Toronto
As Prince of Wales, His Majesty visited Toronto six times between 1979 and 2012:
- April 1 to 7, 1979 – Visits to military regiments
- October 23 to 29, 1991 – Visit with the late Diana, Princess of Wales to City Hall, the Prince of Wales Business Forum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Don Valley River to discuss conservation efforts
- April 23 to 29, 1996 – Visit to Toronto in HMY Britannia, including visits to charitable and environmental groups
- April 30, 2001 – Visit to the Distillery District for an arts gala
- November 4 to 6, 2009 – Visit with the then Duchess of Cornwall to Canadian Business for Social Responsibility, the Royal Conservatory of Music, regimental events with the Royal Regiment of Canada and Toronto Scottish Regiment, the opening of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and touring the Evergreen Brick Works and Prince’s Trust events
- May 21 to 22, 2012 – Visit with the Duchess of Cornwall on Victoria Day weekend to mark the Diamond Jubilee and dedicate a street in the Distillery District to be renamed the “Front Street Diamond Jubilee Promenade,” visit to the Pan/Parapan Games Athletes’ Village and attended a reception in the Distillery District, visit to the Yonge Street Mission (ysm.ca), TMU Digital Media Zone and U for Change, as well as to present Diamond Jubilee Medals at Queen’s Park. The Royal couple also attended fireworks at Ashbridges Bay on the evening of Victoria Day.
Regimental Affiliations of Their Majesties
- The King is Commander in Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces
- Their Majesties have specific military appointments with three Toronto-based Regiments:
Charitable Patronages
Symbolism in the City’s ceremonial tree planting ceremony for His Majesty’s Coronation
Oak tree: The planting of the oak tree is a tribute to the King’s long-standing commitment and contributions towards protecting the environment. The planting of trees to mark Royal celebrations was also undertaken in the reign of the late Queen and previous Coronations. Notably, the oak tree was designated as Toronto’s Official Tree and arboreal emblem last spring. At a later date, a commemorative plaque bearing the Canadian Coronation Emblem will be placed beside the oak tree to mark the occasion.
Tobacco offering to the land: The area around the newly-planted oak tree will be sprinkled with tobacco from the City’s Treaty Partner, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This act honours Indigenous traditions, knowledge and practices for which the new monarch has great respect. Tobacco is considered one of the four sacred medicines, with the others being cedar, sage and sweetgrass. Tobacco connects people to nature and one another and is thought to be the first plant given to Indigenous peoples by the Creator. Additionally, the King has long believed that people are all connected to the land and to the water.
Coronation Park: Located on the shore of Lake Ontario, the park holds special significance to the occasion. It is already home to a Royal Oak commemorating the Coronation of the King’s grandfather, King George VI. The park was officially dedicated in 1939 during the visit of King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother). This oak is surrounded by a ring of maples and other trees planted to honour Canadian participation in the First World War and other Commonwealth countries with whom Canada fought. The park is also the site of the Victory-Peace monument, which commemorates the Second World War.
Additional Resources
- Toronto Archives online exhibit: Toronto Remembers the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
- Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Celebrates the Coronation
- The Canadian Coronation Emblem
- National Illumination Initiative
- The Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort
A full list of celebrations and community projects across the country for His Majesty’s Coronation is available on the Government of Canada’s dedicated web portal .
SOURCE City of Toronto
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