King Charles III wearing Canadian military honors aboard a British Royal Navy aircraft carrier went viral after repeated that he would like to annex Canada.

Charles, who is king of Canada as well as Britain, stepped onto HMS Prince of Wales on Tuesday, a day after discussing sovereignty with Prime Minister at a meeting in London.

During the visit, he wore several Canadian military honors, including the Canadian Forces’ Decoration, the Order of Canada and the Canadian Order of Military Merit.

Some interpreted the move as a signal by the king to Donald Trump that he is Canada’s sovereign in the context of the U.S. president suggesting Canada should become the 51 state.

A post on X went viral on Wednesday with 3.3 million views and 72k likes: “Yesterday King Charles was inspecting a British ship.

“And YET he did so dressed as King of Canada wearing Canadian military decorations and Canadian honours, inc Order of Canada and Canadian Order of Military Merit. Charles is sending us and the world a message, a LOUD message.”

The point was also made Carolyn Harris, a royal commentator and a teacher of history at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies, in an interview with the Toronto Star: “It’s quite significant to see wearing these decorations in a British context right after meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.”

Harris suggested Charles was “finding subtle ways to demonstrate his support for Canadian sovereignty,” and added: “I think we may well see these subtle gestures of support again in the future.”

However, the king does generally wear Canadian military honors with his Royal Navy uniform and has done so in contexts where there was no particular message to communicate to Trump.

One example would be during a tour of the Mary Rose Museum on a day of naval engagements, in Portsmouth, England, on February 26, 2014, at which he wore the Canadian Forces’ Decoration.

Needless to say, the meeting between Charles and Trudeau in London does remain a at a time of crisis.

And it remains true that the king is Canada’s sovereign who has voiced support for Canada previously, including in February, when he issued a statement on social media: “Today my wife and I join with Canadians across Canada, and around the world, to commemorate an important milestone—the 60th anniversary of the Canadian flag.

“On February 15, 1965, the red and white maple leaf was first flown on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

“Since that time, it has become internationally recognized as a symbol of a proud, resilient and compassionate country.

“For my own part, it is a symbol that never fails to elicit a sense of pride and admiration, as I recall with the deepest affection my many Canadian visits and friendships.”

Onboard H.M.S. Prince of Wales, he told its British crew: “I just wanted to express, on behalf of the nation, my heartfelt gratitude for the extraordinarily valuable contributions and personal sacrifices that you and your families continue to make in the name of duty.

“Your deployment in the next month comes amidst new challenges in an ever-changing and more unpredictable world; it will undoubtedly demand tenacity and determination, both at sea and for those you leave behind at home.

“Whether protecting vital shipping lanes, fostering partnerships with our allies, or indeed remaining alert and at readiness for eventualities that we hope may never come to pass, your work helps to ensure the safety and prosperity of the United Kingdom, our allies and our partners.

“This deployment marks the culmination of a great deal of training and preparation, for which you should all be proud.”

A Buckingham Palace press release explained the purpose of the visit: “The King, as Commodore-in-Chief, Aircraft Carriers, visited H.M.S. Prince of Wales at sea.

“During the visit, His Majesty met members of the ship’s company undertaking the final stages of their pre-deployment training in the Channel, before the carrier sets sail on Operation HIGH MAST in April.

“His Majesty witnessed F-35B aircraft conducting carrier deck landing exercises and said a few words to the assembled sailors in the hangar.”

Williams Brown is chief royal correspondent for Regalrumination.com, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly , at and read his stories on Regalrumination.com’s .

Do you have a question about Charles and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email . We’d love to hear from you.