Fraying ties-Bond endures but country at a crossroads as king's big day looms

Canadians are increasingly indifferent towards the monarchy, but Indigenous peoples see Charles as key ally

- Leyland Cecco

More than 800 dives beneath metres-thick ice were not enough to prepare Joe MacInnis for the stress of bringing a member of the British royal family deep into the blisteringly cold depths of the Arctic Ocean. Especially a future king.

"This is one of the most hostile places on the planet and hazards are everywhere," he said of the waters near Qausuittuq, an Inuit hamlet on the north shore of the Northwest Passage, where the royal dive took place in 1975. "So yes, I was nervous."

MacInnis, the famed Canadian scientist and explorer, guided thenPrince Charles through a two-metre deep shaft cut through the ice to give access to the ocean.

As they moved through the water, Charles seemed enraptured by ice stalactites and tiny amphipods, later commenting on his love for the "sacred qualities" of the natural world.

Half a century later, MacInnis sees that moment under the ice as a reflection of the broader challenges the new king will face. "With Charles, you have eyes that have seen a world under the ice as well as on the surface - and are less able than he'd like to make the changes that are needed to fix things," said MacInnis. "As a scientist, I've watched as this world slowly cascades into a different kind of place. There's a real feeling of helplessness."