Topics: Canada, UK News, US News, Royal Family, Politics, King Charles III
Mark Carney is fighting allegations of piracy after fans noticed a hilarious detail in new images of him and King Charles III.
The British monarch hosted the Canadian Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace on Monday afternoon (16 Mar), following Carney's morning visit to Downing Street. He and UK PM, Sir Keir Starmer, had met to discuss the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
A statement released by the Canadian Government earlier this week confirmed that its leader had flown across the Atlantic to deepen partnerships between the UK and Canada in areas including defence, trade and economy.
It was also revealed that the political pair would discuss both security and international stability, hinging on last month's US-Israeli attack on Iran and the situation in Ukraine.
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After the meeting, Carney - who celebrated his 61st birthday the same day - was escorted privately to the King's royal residence, where he and Charles were photographed happily shaking hands.
King Charles, 77, was seen in a suave charcoal suit, which he'd paired with an ice blue pocket square and matching tie.
Carney, meanwhile, wore a black number, paired with a similarly simple tie.
It wasn't their outfits, however, that sent the image of the King and Carney totally viral, but the gigantic parrot the Canadian leader appeared to bear on his left shoulder.
"I genuinely thought Mark Carney had a parrot on his shoulder," one X user reacted to the snap.
Another joked: "He’s reviving piracy."
"I hadn't noticed it before, but now that you mention it, I can't unsee it," a third confessed.
A fourth teased: "It'd be cool to have a PM with a parrot on their shoulder all the time."
"It was his birthday. Perhaps he was gifted a parrot by the king," another also joked. "I see it as well."
Obviously, Carney hadn't been carrying a real parrot.
Other photos taken the same day confirmed that the bird actually formed a pair of ornamental vases, which had been placed on a cabinet in the background for decorative purposes.
The fuss surrounding Carney's new feathered friend came after the left-wing politician was praised by Labour leader, Starmer, for the 'invaluable' support Carney has provided in the 'coalition of the willing'.
The latter reference to an initiative fronted by both UK and French leaders to provide a security guarantee to Ukraine as the invasion of Russian forces continues.
