Nancy's Notes

“Oh no, not again,” and then, “Oh my god, not more American politics.” Well yes and no. Because while this story passes through the United States, it’s actually a Canadian story. And it’s about airplanes. Not just any airplanes, but our military jet fighters.

So where do I start?

For decades, Canada has been circling the same procurement debate like an aircraft in a holding pattern. First the Harper Conservatives committed to the F-35. Then the Trudeau Liberals backed off, re-evaluated, circled back, endorsed it, and ordered jets. And now the Carney Liberal government is taking a deep breath and asking the question a lot of Canadians are quietly asking: did we get this right?

I’m not ready to answer that yet. But here’s where I come from a very different place.

Trying to explain this without sounding dramatic is impossible, so I won’t try. The first time I ever saw an F-35 do a dirty flyby, I got chills. Real chills. That sound, that vibration, that pressure wave that rolls right through the ground and up your legs. I don’t hide from it. I run toward it. It’s who I am. Aviation is in my bones, in my family, in my upbringing.

And it’s personal because my military son, flying since 14 has long had his eye on the F-35 as his dream aircraft. His north star. And Canada has already spent billions on the program. So yes, I watch this file very closely. But then came November 6th of last year, when the United States effectively stopped being a reliable ally.

There is concern that the President of the United States could control the jets we’ve already bought. He has said openly that he could withhold parts or restrict operations. And he said it like a man who means it.

Then layer on the company he keeps, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a man whose human rights and women’s rights record is a void. A black hole. A regime with zero alignment to our values. Yet somehow, in this new geopolitical landscape, MBS has become a more valuable client to the United States than Canada who is a NATO partner, a NORAD partner, and a country that has stood with them for generations. They are now a preferred customer for the F-35. That should make every Canadian stop and think.

Because if your military fleet depends on the political mood swings of a country that now prioritizes autocrats over allies, then your sovereignty is not secure. Your sky is not your own.

Which brings us to a surprising new chapter: Sweden. With the entire Swedish royal family arriving on Canadian soil, their first visit in twenty years and Saab offering 10,000 Canadian manufacturing jobs, a partnership with Bombardier, and the potential to build the Gripen here in Canada, you’d have to be asleep not to see what’s happening.

This isn’t just diplomacy, but rather a full-throttle bid for partnership.

And honestly? The Gripen is sounding pretty damn appealing.

No, it doesn’t come with the F-35’s Hollywood reputation. But it does come with something Canada desperately needs: sovereignty and stability. A platform we can maintain, build, and supply ourselves. A jet backed by a country that actually respects human rights, actually respects allies, and doesn’t use military hardware as a political bargaining chip.

Now, I don’t know exactly what this means for our existing F-35 commitments. We’ve already sunk billions into that program. That matters. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, our obligations to NORAD, our commitments to NATO, and Canada’s own strategic future all make this an increasingly urgent conversation.

This isn’t just about jets. This is about independence. It’s about whether Canada is prepared to make decisions without being boxed in by someone else’s politics. It’s about whether we are finally ready to secure our own sky.

Now let me take this somewhere human for a moment and go back to airplanes. Below this, you’ll see a picture of me on an F-18 the very aircraft we now need to replace. I don’t have a picture with an F-35 (yet), or a Gripen (yet), but trust me: once Canada picks our next bird, I’ll happily update the photo. Call it an aviation love story in installments.

And so I end where I began… Have I ever told you how incredible it is to stand beside a fighter jet and feel the heat from the burners? To feel the vibration in the ground when it does a high-speed pass?… I should assure you that ultimately, that’s my happy place.

So stay tuned, Canada. This is one of those rare moments when a country redefines its sovereignty, its strength, and its ability to chart its own course. And yes, we will honor our NATO commitments. But we also have the freedom, the responsibility, and the opportunity to choose what truly serves our future.

Let’s get this right. Our skies, our security and our independence depend on it.

No more taxiing behind anyone. Canada’s ready for its own runway.

If you’ve followed my writing for any length of time, you know I go where the truth and the moment lead. Sometimes that means celebration. Sometimes that means politics. Sometimes it means sitting with the weight of memory. Over the next few days, as we approach Remembrance Day, I’ll be sharing a few reflections about service, sacrifice, and the country we are responsible for. I won’t apologize for that. It’s my duty.

Many of us carry stories of war in our family lines, stories that live quietly in the background until something pulls them forward. My family’s story is one of those. My grandfather, Ivan McClure, developed tuberculosis after being gassed in the trenches at Ypres during the First World War. The chlorine gas ravaged his lungs and, eventually, the rest of his life. He spent his remaining years in a Tuberculosis sanatorium, like so many who returned with slow-dying injuries.

But there is something I know now that my father never did. The military records and medical reports from the First World War were not released until after Dad had passed. When I finally saw them myself, one detail struck me so hard I had to sit with it for a while. My grandfather’s feet had begun to rot from the sheer amount of time he had stood in freezing trench water. Not figuratively. Not poetically. His flesh decayed while he was still standing in uniform.

That is two generations behind me. Not distant history. Not ancient trauma. My family. Our country. Our home.

We are not as far from these stories as some would like to believe. And yet, somehow, in all our noise and distraction, we seem to be forgetting.

When Remembrance Day comes, I think of my grandfather fighting to breathe. And I think of his son, my father, Don McClure, heading into the Second World War as a boy who had already seen what war does to a man’s body.

This passage, from my father’s memoir One Rung At A Time, will always remain exactly as he wrote it. His voice deserves to remain untouched: “On the train ride home from Montreal I got permission from my Commanding Officer to leave the train and take a taxi to the hospital to see Dad. He had no inkling that I was going to be there and I know that it was a glimpse of sunshine for him on an otherwise cloudy day. I only stayed for a half hour as it had taken time to get to the hospital and it would take an equal amount of time to get back to the train. After I kissed Dad good-bye, I turned my back on him and walked away. I have often wished I had turned and waved but the scene was getting too emotional for me to handle, compounded by a foreboding that this was a final farewell.”He was right. It was.

All of this, this history, this bloodline of service, has taken on a sharper meaning now that my youngest child serves in the Canadian Armed Forces. When my father wrote his memoir, that wasn’t yet part of our story. I think of how proud he would be. And I also think of how afraid he would be, knowing what war takes and how peace must be guarded.

Those who have served, and those who love someone who does, understand something that isn’t captured in parades or ceremonies. Service isn’t abstract. It is lived in the body. It is separation, sacrifice, risk, and readiness. It is a love of country that is not loud, but carried. And I will say this plainly: As I watch what is happening south of our border, the erosion of democratic loyalty in favour of personal allegiance to a single man, my heart breaks and my blood boils. The oath of service is meant to be to one’s country, not to a king of convenience. We have seen what happens when citizens are asked to serve a person instead of a nation.

There is a myth we hear sometimes, that the United States “saved the world” in both world wars. But I have stood with my family’s records in my hands, and I know better. Canada fought. Canada bled. Canada lost sons and fathers and brothers who never came home, and those who did often came home to suffering, sickness, and silence.

We are a small country, yes. But small does not mean insignificant. We must remain strong. With our allies. With our democracy. With our conscience. We cannot afford to forget who we are.

On Remembrance Day, I wear my poppy for all who served.
For all who serve now. For all who will stand when it is their turn.

We remember so we do not repeat. We honour so we do not diminish. We love this country, so we protect it. Lest we forget.

Today matters more than most Canadians realize. A federal budget will be tabled today. Not voted on, just tabled. But that act alone carries the weight of what kind of country we want to be. I don’t care which party you usually support, which province you live in, or which language you speak, because none of that matters if we fracture now.

We went through an election six months ago. The last thing Canada needs, on every measurable level, is another one. And yet, I can feel the opportunism creeping in. The political gamesmanship of Pierre Poilievre circling like a shark who smells distraction. But here’s the truth: he has never once offered a real alternative plan. He is all toxin and timing, poisoning every conversation without a single antidote to offer.

If he were in office today, facing the chaos south of the border, he’d dropped the oars in the water just when we are nearing the shore. His entire worldview depends on rage, not reason, on looking clever in the moment rather than leading through a storm.

Because make no mistake: this is a storm. Globally, economically and politically. And yes, this budget will hurt. It will not be what we want to see. It won’t make everyone happy. But it must spend, to protect Canadian workers, industries, and sovereignty. We cannot “balance” our way through instability any more than we can calm a tempest by pretending it isn’t happening. Sometimes the only choice is to hold steady, face into the wind, and keep rowing toward the far shore.

For those who keep trying to paint Mark Carney as “radical left,” please stop rewriting history. His politics, thoughtful, measured, pragmatic are where most Canadians have always lived: that red Tory, blue Conservative, centrist ground where the country was built. The ideological edges are loud, but the majority of Canadians still believe in balance, competence, and decency.

That’s Carney. That’s the middle ground we stand on.

I grew up in that middle ground, in New Brunswick, in a household where people voted for the person, not the party. My parents believed in integrity, in character, and in service to community. Some years they voted Liberal, some years Progressive Conservative. They never confused loyalty to Canada with loyalty to a party banner. I was raised to believe that good governance means getting your hands dirty solving problems, not shouting about them from a podium.

That’s the spirit I see in this government’s work today, even when it’s hard, even when it’s unpopular.

Because real Canadians, and I mean those working, parenting, caring, and surviving aren’t asking for ideology. They’re asking for stability. They want their electricity and utility bills to stop climbing. They want to be able to afford their rent or mortgage. They want to see their kids get the health care they need, when they need it. They want to put groceries on the table without having to choose between milk and medicine.

That’s what today’s budget will speak to. And that’s why we need to let it stand.

We are not in a normal time. Every global market is shaking. Our closest trading partner is led by a man whose moods can tank industries. The instability in the Americas is not something we can “spin” our way through. It demands strategy, calm, and endurance. And that’s what we have in Carney: not perfection, but purpose. Not flash, but focus.

To anyone thinking another election would “fix” this, please, step back. What it would actually do is rip this country open again. The cost of campaigning might seem political, but the cost of instability is deeply personal. It hits every paycheque, every investment, every piece of infrastructure we can’t finish because we’re stuck in campaign mode instead of governing.

And while the political right might relish the drama of it, the adrenaline of “winning,” Canada itself would lose months, maybe years, of progress.

So yes, today is political. But it is also profoundly patriotic. And to everyone reading this: your voice still matters. Write your MP. Call their office. Tell them that no matter which party they belong to, they have a responsibility to hold this government up, not tear it down. The NDP and Green votes will matter. The Bloc’s choice will matter. And every Canadian watching from home will matter, too, because this moment defines whether we can still govern ourselves like adults in a storming world.

Mark Carney will not emerge from this unscathed. No one could. He must be exhausted, fighting daily battles for a country that too often forgets to thank its leaders until they’re gone. But what strikes me most is that he’s doing it without spewing hate, without dividing, without turning neighbour against neighbour. He understands that when you lead a nation, you represent everyone, not just those who voted for you. So when that budget is tabled today, it will not be a partisan document. It will be a Canadian one. And that, more than anything, is why I’ll stand firmly behind it, bruises, doubts, and all.
Because the only way through this storm is together, gripping the same oars, rowing toward a common shore, no matter how high the waves get.

Everyone who knows me knows I have a deep passion for aviation. But what really captures my heart are the stories behind flight, the human ingenuity, the teamwork, the courage to take off when the runway’s still being built. That’s exactly what we did with Forever Canadian. We built an airplane in flight.

When we started, there was no hangar, no tower, no pre-flight checklist. Just a handful of people who believed Alberta could build something bigger than grievance or division. We could build something that could truly soar. And so, out came the tools, the duct tape, the spreadsheets, the coffee, and a whole lot of determination.

Bit by bit, the airplane took shape. The wings were built by farmers, the fuselage by teachers, the landing gear by truck drivers, nurses, retirees, students, and parents. Every rivet, every bolt, every clipboard held by someone in the cold became part of the aircraft.

And while every good airplane needs a captain, (thank you Captain Lukaszuk,) ours also needed an entire flight crew. Dozens of first officers. Hundreds of ground crew. Thousands of passengers. Every single person who signed a sheet, carried a clipboard, or offered encouragement was part of the same flight plan. This wasn’t a solo mission. It was a full flight, every seat occupied by people who believed in something better.

Now, no one said the skies would be calm. We hit turbulence. Sometimes it was a crosswind of misinformation. Sometimes it was a bureaucratic headwind. Sometimes it was the emotional fatigue of just keeping the engines running through wind, rain, and postal strikes. But the beauty of aviation, and of this movement, is that you correct course and adjust altitude. You ride it out. You trust the aircraft, and more importantly, you trust your crew.

And what a beautiful aircraft she turned out to be. Not one of those sleek corporate jets with separate cabins and tinted windows. Ours is the people’s plane, sturdy, bright, full of character, and unmistakably Canadian. Inside, there’s no first class or economy. Everyone sits together. Farmers beside lawyers. Nurses beside truckers. Students beside retirees. The conversation is rich, the laughter is loud, and the sense of purpose is palpable.

When you look out the window of this plane, you see something breathtaking, small towns lighting up with hope, people rediscovering what community really means, strangers becoming friends in the common cause of unity. Every sheet of signatures became a patch of sky we claimed together.

As October 28 approaches, the final day, I can’t help but marvel at how far we’ve flown. The last few days are like the descent into final approach: you feel the shift in cabin pressure, the sense that you’ve crossed something monumental. Most of the crew have already landed their sheets, taxiing them in for tally and inspection so Elections Alberta can do its part. But the aircraft itself? She’s still in motion. She’s gliding on purpose, powered by pride.

To my friends south of the border who sometimes ask, “What can I do?” in their current situation. This is what you can do. You can build something that unites instead of divides. You can take off with people who don’t all share your politics but do share your country. You can stay steady when the air gets rough. Because what we’ve proven here is that a small group of ordinary people can build something extraordinary, something that flies.

As for me, this has been one of the greatest privileges of my life, one of those rare flights you never forget because you know you’ll never fly on one quite like it again. I got to sit in the cockpit of history, right alongside people who cared enough to build something bigger than themselves, with their own hands, their own hearts, and often in some serious headwinds. I’ve never felt more grateful to share a sky with such people, ordinary citizens who became co-pilots, navigators, mechanics, and dreamers.

And yes, there may still be turbulence ahead. Frankly there always is when you fly through real weather instead of sitting safely on the ground. But we’ll keep correcting course, adjusting altitude, and trusting the lift we’ve already created together. Because this aircraft, this Forever Canadian, isn’t just something we built. It’s something that built us. And for that, I am profoundly thankful.

It’s been a while since I’ve written in my usual way, and there’s a reason for that. Most of my time, heart, and focus have been devoted to the Forever-Canadian Citizen Initiative. But sometimes the world shakes your keyboard and says, “Put the clipboard down, Nancy. Type.”

So here I am, sitting in Mexico, the southern slice of what I call the North American sandwich, surrounded by people from across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The conversations by the pool drift inevitably toward politics. Some Americans are furious about their leadership, others are numb to it, and some don’t even know anything is different. Most have no idea what’s happening in Canada, except to wonder why we’re upset.

But this morning brought something worth a few keystrokes. The orange buffoon spent the night on Truth Social, searching for a distraction from his gilded ballroom and the latest headlines involving Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, including Virginia Giuffre’s new book. What he found instead was Canada.

Trump claimed that the Ronald Reagan Foundation had “caught” Canada in a $75-million “fraudulent” ad, one that allegedly misused Reagan’s words about tariffs. He ranted that “Canada cheated,” that we’ve “long defrauded the U.S. with 400% tariffs on dairy,” and that our government was trying to “illegally influence” his Supreme Court case.

Let’s pause there. The man who regularly steals music, photos, and even faces for his AI campaign videos, including one last week of himself flying a golden jet to Danger Zone while wearing a crown, is suddenly a crusader for copyright law? That’s not irony. That’s self-parody.

This latest tantrum isn’t about Reagan or Canada. It’s about fear. He’s staring down a Supreme Court ruling on tariffs, one that could flatten his economic mythology, and he’s looking for a new villain. He found it north of the border. He’s trying to turn a provincial ad into a federal conspiracy.

Could the ad have overstepped by using Reagan’s image without approval? Possibly. I’m reasonable enough to admit that. If a clip was condensed or spliced out of context, lawyers can sort it out. But let’s not pretend that Donald Trump, who’s spent his entire public life mangling other people’s words, suddenly found religion on ethical editing.

Reagan, for all his faults, valued Canada. He believed in partnership, not punishment. When he talked trade, he spoke of allies, not adversaries. His remarks in that original clip were about Japan, not us, but his message was clear: tariffs are blunt weapons, not strategies. Trump, on the other hand, loves tariffs in a way that has concerns only for his own personal gain.

When the walls close in, whether from courtrooms, creditors, or reality, he grabs a megaphone and a scapegoat. Canada became both. He’s desperate to muddy the waters before the Supreme Court rules, to create just enough noise that if he loses, he can claim it was “rigged.” It’s not strategy. It’s survival instinct.

The tragedy isn’t just his behaviour, it’s the normalization of it. Sitting here by the pool, I hear Americans say, “Oh, that’s just Trump being Trump,” as if pathology were personality and chaos were leadership. The indifference terrifies me more than his words. Democracy doesn’t die with a bang; it dissolves quietly in apathy.

And here’s where the poolside analogy writes itself. Canada and Mexico are like the sturdy pieces of bread, still strong, still holding together, still trying to keep the middle from spoiling. But the middle, the United States under Trumpism, has become the rancid filling. The mayonnaise has gone off. The tuna’s turned. You can smell it from both borders.

And yet we still love our neighbours. We share history, trade, and friendship. We want the sandwich saved, not thrown out. But we can’t pretend the smell isn’t there. When the U.S. turns inward, the world loses balance. When it lashes out, it wounds not just others but itself. The gilded ballroom becomes a bunker, and its golden glow turns toxic.

Back home, we’re far from perfect. But we’re led by a government that still values integrity, international cooperation, and evidence over ego. We debate fiercely, but we still believe in decency. And as John F. Kennedy told our Parliament in 1961: “What unites us is far greater than what divides us, for what geography has joined together, let no man put asunder.”

That’s still true today, even as another American demagogue tries once again to divide us.

So yes, I’ve been quiet for a while, working on something deeply Canadian, rooted in unity and respect. But this morning reminded me why voices matter. The world doesn’t need more silence in the face of absurdity. It needs clarity, compassion, and a little Canadian sarcasm.

So from the poolside in Mexico, the southern crust of this slowly spoiling sandwich, I raise my coffee to the hope that the filling gets fresh again someday. Until then, I’ll just try not to lose my appetite.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” John F. Kennedy

Many years ago, I wrote those words at the top of a Thanksgiving post that still lives somewhere deep in my blog archives. I told a simple story about standing in a Walmart checkout line, oversized roasting pan in hand, oversized turkey in cart, and overhearing a man behind me say, “Thank you for the work you do for our community.”

I didn’t know him, and he didn’t have to say it, but he did. And in that moment, I remember how deeply it landed. I had been through a few rough weeks with what felt like more criticism than kindness in the air. That man’s words stopped me short and reminded me why gratitude matters most when things are messy, not perfect.

That was eleven years ago. Gratitude was something I was learning then. Today, it’s something I live. It’s no longer a theory or a virtue on a poster, it’s the quiet awareness that shapes my mornings and softens my nights. It’s what steadies me when life comes apart at the seams and humbles me when it doesn’t.

At this stage of life, gratitude looks different. It’s smaller, simpler, and yet somehow deeper. I’m grateful that I wake up most mornings feeling healthy. I’m grateful that not a single ambulance has pulled into our driveway in many months, and that sentence, in our house, carries more weight than anyone might guess.

I’m grateful for my husband’s strength, for two sons who have found their paths and their purpose, for a daughter-in-law who fits seamlessly into our family, and for a little granddaughter whose laughter can erase any bad day I’ve ever had.

And I am even grateful, in a way I never expected, for the care and compassion being shown to my sister as she faces one of life’s most difficult roads. It’s not easy to witness, but I find comfort in knowing she’s being treated with dignity and love, something that reminds me, again, how fortunate we are to live in a country that still believes healthcare is a human right.

That’s the kind of gratitude that sneaks up on you. The kind that isn’t tied to success or celebration, but to survival and grace.

When I wrote that first post, I was living in a small town in Alberta juggling meetings, community events, and political debates. I thought I understood gratitude because I had a full plate. What I didn’t realize then was that fullness isn’t the same as fulfillment. Gratitude isn’t measured by what you achieve or acquire; it’s in what you notice.

It’s the small mercies that hold the big moments together.

And as Canadians, we mark that differently than our southern neighbours. Our Thanksgiving is earlier, quieter, simpler. We gather around tables that might not have every trimmings-laden dish, but they’re rich with conversation, with shared stories, with the comfort of being together. It’s not about travel or shopping or consumption, it’s about connection.

Even with the cost of food these days, families still find a way to make the table feel full. And I think that says something about us, that gratitude in Canada has never been about abundance. It’s about belonging.

This year, I’m also grateful to be part of something I couldn’t have imagined back then: a citizen-led effort called Forever Canadian. It’s about unity, about holding this country together, and about the quiet pride that comes from giving back to the place that has given so much to me.

And I’m grateful that I live in a country where we can do this, where ordinary citizens can organize, speak, gather signatures, and work toward something we believe in without fear. We may not agree on every issue, but we still have the freedom to engage, to participate, and to care out loud. That’s no small thing in today’s world.

Gratitude doesn’t mean everything is easy. Far from it. It just means we don’t lose sight of what’s still good, what’s still worth fighting for, what still makes this life beautiful.

So today and each day I’ll give thanks for the obvious things, health, family, laughter, the smell of good food cooking but also for the harder things: the lessons disguised as challenges, the moments of patience I didn’t think I had, the quiet resilience that comes with age and experience.

And I’ll give thanks for all the people who keep showing up, in my life, in my work, and in my country. For those who choose hope over cynicism, kindness over cruelty, unity over division.

Eleven years later, I still believe what I wrote back then: gratitude isn’t about pretending life is perfect. It’s about knowing that even in the imperfection, there is still light, still meaning, still joy.

And if I’ve learned anything since that Walmart checkout line, it’s that gratitude is less about the words we say, and more about how we choose to live them.

Still grateful. Still Canadian.

So, apparently we’re all supposed to swoon over the optics of this U.S.–U.K. royal handshake tour. Cue the bagpipes, the Union Jacks, the slow-motion footage of motorcades rolling through London, and Donald Trump trying to look statesmanlike next to King Charles. But let’s be clear: there is no ideological love story here. Charles has spent his life talking about climate action, biodiversity, and international development. Trump… well, Trump tears up agreements, mocks science, and measures success in applause counts. Oil and water.

Yes, the photos will show them smiling. Maybe Charles even puts a hand on Trump’s back. But don’t be fooled: that’s not friendship, it’s choreography. The monarchy survives on ritual, not on personal chemistry. This visit is about protocol and geopolitics, not mutual admiration. It’s Britain trying to keep the “special relationship” on life support while its own citizens wave placards outside the palace gates.

Do I like it? Not even a little. I hate watching the pomp used to burnish Trump’s ego. I don’t want the red carpet rolled out for him. I don’t want anything that makes him look good. I don’t want anything that feeds his ego, because it’s exactly what he craves, the optics of respectability. Right now, he’s not getting that from his supposed friends. Putin’s busy, Xi Jinping is recalculating, Kim Jong Un is playing his own games. So this visit, with its royal backdrops and ceremonial salutes, becomes the next best hit of validation. It’s the kind of spectacle that soothes a bruised ego.

However the palace knows how to choreograph a spectacle. But even amid all the pageantry, we shouldn’t forget Queen Elizabeth’s own quiet steel. She was famously courteous yet famously shrewd, and she didn’t suffer fools. Whatever else can be said, her meetings with Donald Trump were marked by a polite frostiness that spoke volumes.

And hidden away, out of sight, is another uncomfortable truth: you won’t see Prince Andrew sidling up to Trump for a chat about Epstein. That photo op won’t happen. Andrew is kept far from public view for a reason. The royal family is ruthlessly careful about who appears where and when. They know exactly how toxic certain images would be.

Here’s the geopolitical kicker: these three countries, the U.K., Canada, and the U.S. were once united allies, the dependable triangle of Western democracy. Today it’s only two of them. Canada and Britain still stand for the rules-based order, climate responsibility, and alliances. The U.S., under Trump, has drifted into transactional nationalism, tariffs, and thinly veiled contempt for its oldest partners. That’s the unspoken tension behind every handshake photo and parade step this week. The monarchy and Britain have to do what they have to do. But let’s not confuse duty with devotion.

Still, there’s a part of me hoping for one unscripted moment. My fantasy? King Charles leans in and says, “Mr. President, just a reminder: Canada’s still part of our Commonwealth and not for sale.” Or maybe he sneaks in a gentle lecture about climate change. But I won’t hold my breath. This visit is survival, not solidarity. It’s ritual, not rapprochement. It’s the monarchy protecting itself, not endorsing Trumpism.

What makes this so frustrating to watch is that it feels designed to fool people who only see headlines. “Look, King Charles and President Trump smiling together!” It’s as if that means anything. You can practically hear the stage directions: “Cue the cavalry horses, cue the trumpets, cue the handshake.” Meanwhile the British public, the bulk of whom have nothing positive to say about the current president of the United States, look on with a mix of resignation and protest.

Maybe it’s petty and childish of me, but I wish this weren’t happening. I wish the crown could simply say, “No thanks, not this time.” But monarchies don’t get that luxury. They live and die by symbolism and continuity. And so we’re stuck with the show.

Bottom line: don’t mistake a royal welcome for a royal endorsement. In just a few days Trump will be back to the same controversies and court cases and questionable allies he arrived with.

The red carpet may hide the dirt, but it can’t scrub off the footprints of history, and no handshake, crown or trumpet blast will ever make Donald Trump look kingly.