Art & Architecture

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Sketchbook (Speech from the Throne)

 

This sketchbook is the work of Nicholas Thompson, one of four artists from the Ottawa-Gatineau region commissioned to document the opening of Canada’s 45^th Parliament on May 27, 2025. On this occasion, King Charles III delivered the Speech from the Throne — only the third time in history that a Canadian monarch had done so.

Stationed on the mezzanine level of the Senate of Canada Building’s foyer, Mr. Thompson produced some 60 pages of sketches (see below), ranging from quick pen-and-ink studies to full-page watercolours. These drawings capture the grandeur of the Speaker’s Parade and the royal procession that escorted King Charles and Queen Camilla to the Senate Chamber. Small, poignant details scattered throughout the book help convey the jubilant spirit of the historic occasion.

A comprehensive, first-person visual narrative of the event, this sketchbook is an important record of one of the most significant days in Canadian parliamentary history.

Mr. Thompson is a classically trained sculptor who completed his studies at the City & Guilds of London Art School in the United Kingdom. Based in Ottawa, he is a federal employee who works on the restoration of the Parliament Buildings.

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