Justin Trudeau to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Nov. 25
Canada's PM 'honoured' he and wife will see Elizabeth ahead of Commonwealth heads of state meeting in Malta
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be received by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace on Nov. 25, nearly 40 years after his father caused an uproar when he pirouetted behind her back at an official function in the royal residence.
"I am absolutely delighted that Her Majesty has graciously agreed to this meeting," the prime minister said in a written statement.
"As the Queen's twelfth Canadian prime minister, I am honoured and very much look forward to spending this time in conversation with her."
Louis St-Laurent, who was in office from 1948 to 1957, was the first Canadian prime minister to serve under the Queen. She ascended to the throne on Feb. 6, 1952.
Trudeau will visit her before attending the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Valetta, Malta, from Nov. 27-29, after which he'll be at the United Nations climate change conference in Paris.
Trudeau has faced criticism from monarchists in Canada for removing the Queen's portrait from the Global Affairs Canada building in Ottawa after he was elected to office less than a month ago, and replacing it with paintings by Quebec artist Alfred Pellan.
Robert Finch, dominion chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada, took to Twitter and called the move "outrageous."
But on Thursday, Trudeau assuaged fears that he is a closet republican, indicating in his statement that he had no plans to cut ties with the Royal Family.
"In her role as Queen of Canada, she has not only witnessed but also been an active participant in the evolution of our country over the past 63 years," Trudeau said. "Her Majesty will remain an integral part of our country's progress and future."
His father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, known for his flamboyance, showed less deference to the monarch.
He was caught on camera doing a pirouette behind the Queen in May 1977 as they took part in a G7 summit in London.
Years after what many thought was a spontaneous event, one of Pierre Trudeau's aides revealed that the gesture was planned and even rehearsed as a show of disdain for a palace protocol that separated heads of government from heads of state.
With files from the Canadian Press