The King was dubbed a "force for good" as he was reunited with some of the coronation girls after a tree-planting ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
Carol Shipley, 89, Monique Guilbault, 89, and Barbara Warmegent, 88, were among 50 young women from across Canada who were sponsored by Canadian business Garfield Weston to attend the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953.
In December 2023, 12 of the group were surprised during a reception at Buckingham Palace by His Majesty, to mark the release of the documentary, Coronation Girls, which explored their lives since that historic trip.
After the King and Queen planted a Blue-Beech (Carpinus caroliniana), a small deciduous tree native to eastern North America, they shook hands and chatted with the three women.
© Victoria Jones/ShutterstockCarol said: "I'm very happy that the King came today, particularly at this time in our history when we are striving for our sovereignty. I'm just so happy that he came. He said, 'Lovely to see you'.
"I think he's a good king, we need leaders like him. He's a force for good."
© Victoria Jones/ShutterstockCanada's newly-elected Prime Minister was by the Their Majesties throughout day one of their visit, which will culminate with the state opening of Parliament on Tuesday.
Mark Carney, the former Governor of the Bank of England, and his wife Diana Fox Carney, were among the dignitaries to greet Charles and Camilla at the airport in Ottawa.
He has described the role the King will play at the state opening of the Canadian Parliament as a "historic honour" that "matches the weight of our times".
See the best photos from the King and Queen's first day in Canada.
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© Getty ImagesThe royal couple disembark
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© Victoria Jones/ShutterstockSpecial welcome
Charles is King of Canada and its head of state, and among the party was his Canadian Secretary Donald Booth, two Mounties – Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers – and on parade nearby was a 25-strong Honour Guard from the Royal Canadian Dragoons, of which Charles is Colonel-in-Chief.
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© Victoria Jones/ShutterstockMeeting representatives
Also in attendance were a number of senior figures from Canada's indigenous peoples, including Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
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© Victoria Jones/ShutterstockChorus of drums
The King and Queen then went over to listen to an Algonquin group playing drums.
Speaking to Governor General Mary Simon, Charles said "the drum has a lovely skin on it," before going on to greet dozens of schoolchildren from Ontario and Quebec who had gathered to greet the royal couple.
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© Victoria Jones/ShutterstockWhat a moment for these youngsters!
The monarch greeted school children following the drum performance.
One of the school groups comprised of pupils enrolled in the Duke of Edinburgh Award, a youth achievement programme that encourages personal development and was founded by the King’s father, Prince Philip, in 1956.
After shaking as many hands as they could, the King and Queen got into the waiting car and headed to their next engagement at Lansdowne Park.
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© Getty"Welcome to Canada"
The crowd shouted "Welcome home," "Welcome to Canada" and "God save the King" as Charles and Camilla shook hands at Lansdowne Park, a community hub in Ottawa.
Annie Riendeau, 50, from Montreal, showed Charles a tattoo of his late mother's cipher EIIR on her inner forearm and told the King: "I'm going to get one for you too, soon."
Judy McNally, 64, from Ottawa showed Charles and Camilla a home-made sign which showed pictures alongside the Princess of Wales on her visit to the country in 2011 along with the message: "I met your daughter-in-law!".
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© Getty ImagesPuck drop
The King let out a jovial laugh as he dropped the puck to launch the street hockey match featuring former Ottawa Senators hockey player Chris Phillips and Olympic soccer gold medalist Desiree Scott.
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© Hannah McKay/Pool/ShutterstockAnother musical interlude
Throughout their trip, Charles and Camilla were greeted by cheering fans.
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© Victoria Jones/ShutterstockTree planting at Rideau Hall
The King couldn't help but hide his joy at the tree planting ceremony, proudly holding his shovel in the air!
The tree planted by Charles and Camilla was near the site of the sugar maple tree which the couple planted during their tour of Canada in 2017.
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© Getty ImagesReunion with the Coronatin Girls
Carol Shipley (above) dubbed the King as a "force for good".
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© Getty ImagesPhoto op at Rideau Hall
The King jokingly asked the Prime Minister if he had interrupted an important phone call when welcoming him to a private audience at his official residence in Ottawa.
As Mr Carney entered the large drawing room at Rideau Hall, beaming Charles said: "By magic! So I hope I haven't interrupted your telephone call?"
Mr Carney replied: "No, not at all. It's our honour to have you here."
The King held two 20 minute meetings with and Mr Carney and the Governor General of Canada Mary Simon.
Later the Queen joined Mr Carney and his wife Diana Fox for a photo with the King, before Charles and Camilla posed for a picture after the Queen was inducted into the Privy Council.
The King separately met three leaders from Canadian indigenous communities including National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Angajuqqaaq Natan Obed, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and President Victoria Pruden, President of the Métis National Council.
