The sight of King Charles III receiving salutes and inspecting troops in Ottawa before delivering last month’s Speech from the Throne was more than just a bit of nostalgia. It was a potent reminder of Canada’s history and distinct political culture. In this provocative essay, Jamie Weir argues that Canada, facing a frostier neighbour to the south, should lead a revitalization of links among Commonwealth nations. Canada alongside Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom could form a major economic, diplomatic and military bloc: the “CANZUK” nations. United by a long, shared history of freedom and the rule of law under constitutional monarchy, CANZUK could become a beacon of liberty and prosperity in a darkening multipolar world.

The coronation of King Charles III led many Canadians to ask, once again, a simple question: Why should an old man in a land across the sea be our head of state, simply because his ancestors were? It’s a good question, and the case against the monarchy seems powerful. Jamie C. Weir takes on the key arguments and explains why an antiquated and undemocratic institution remains the centrepiece of Canada’s unique political culture, provides a profound and even magical link to our past, and serves as an essential bulwark against the two political death-traps of anarchy and tyranny.

A tour of Southeast Asia brought Patrick Keeney to the city of Yangon in Myanmar and its clutch of used bookstores on Pansodan Street. He writes of the joy of his literary discoveries there, in language echoing Orwell’s beautiful prose in Burmese Days.