Canada needs a lot more than a sword to protect it from its bellicose southern neighbor. U.S. President Donald Trump has made threatening his closest ally into a kind of sport, launching a damaging trade war and threatening to use economic force to annex the country of more than 40 million people as the “51st state.”

This month, Canadian dignitaries visiting King Charles III in London received an unusual present: a ceremonial sword gilded with the monarch’s insignia. It was a fitting symbol of Canadian sovereignty when it has never been more in doubt.

This month, Canadian dignitaries visiting King Charles III in London received an unusual present: a ceremonial sword gilded with the monarch’s insignia. It was a fitting symbol of Canadian sovereignty when it has never been more in doubt.

Canada needs a lot more than a sword to protect it from its bellicose southern neighbor. U.S. President Donald Trump has made threatening his closest ally into a kind of sport, launching a damaging trade war and threatening to use economic force to annex the country of more than 40 million people as the “51st state.”

Amid this crisis, a growing number of voices are asking why Charles—Canada’s official head of state—isn’t more vocal in defending the country. Even if his role is ceremonial, the king is a powerful example of what differentiates Canada from the United States. The monarchy is a unifying institution for many former British colonies, Canada included.