As King Charles met new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, he made a rather symbolic gesture.

Ever the diplomat, The King made a kind move to his new Prime Minister of Canada after Mr Carney revealed he had had a travel mishap.

Mark Carney told His Majesty that he had broken his Order of Canada pin and offered an apology. King Charles was far from offended and instead, immediately offered his own Order of Canada pin.

The jokey moment between the men came at the end of a whirlwind day for Mark Carney. He had first flown to Montreal to walk in the St. Patrick’s Day parade before heading to Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron, finally finishing his busy day with a stop in London to meet King Charles at Buckingham Palace. 

While he was descending from the plane in London, Carney’s Order of Canada pin broke. He apologised to the monarch upon meeting him explaining that it fell off onto the tarmac, and that was when the King offered his own Order of Canada pin in jest. 

The Order of Canada is the second highest order in Canada, following the Order of Merit.  The Order of Canada ”recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community, and service to the nation … recognizes people in all sectors of Canadian society.”

King Charles’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, established the order in 1967 to mark Canada’s centenary. It has three levels beginning with Members of the Order of Canada. They are followed by the Officers of the Order of Canada, with Commanders of the Order of Canada holding the highest honour. 

The order is administered by the Governor General of Canada as Chancellor. Designed by Canadian graphic designer Bruce W. Beatty, it is a decidedly Canadian order in appearance. Its insignia is a stylized snowflake with six points with a red annulus at the centre which bears a maple leaf. The motto of the Order, Desiderantes Melierem Patriam (they desire a better country) is surmounted by the Crown.