Before London-native Jeremy Hansen makes his historic voyage around the moon, he will carry the Canadian flag at King Charles III's coronation.
The Prime Minister's Office announced Hansen as part of the Canadian delegation that will travel with Justin Trudeau and Governor General Mary Simon to the United Kingdom for Saturday's royal ceremony.
Hansen will be Canada's flag bearer and will join Order of Merit and Companion of the Order of Canada Margaret MacMillan and Cross of Valour recipient Leslie Arthur Palmer in a procession of recipients of national honours.
Last month, Hansen, who was born in London and grew up on a farm in Ailsa Craig, was selected as one of the four astronauts who will venture into deep space to encircle the moon aboard the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II mission. He will be the first Canadian to fly around the moon.
Also invited to join Trudeau and Simon at the first coronation in almost 70 years, are Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Natan Obed, and President of the Métis National Council Cassidy Caron. The federal government's highest-ranking civil servant Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet Janice Charette and Astronaut Jennifer Sidey-Gibbons will also be part of the Canadian delegation at the King's crowning.
Forty-five Canadian Armed Forces members will march in the coronation military parade. The Canadian contingent will be made up of 16 members from the Canadian Army, 11 members from the Royal Canadian Navy, 11 members from the Royal Canadian Air Force, six members from Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, and one Officer Cadet from the Royal Military College. The 45 military personnel were selected on the basis of personal merit and represent the best of those who serve in uniform, according to the Prime Minister's Office.
Five RCMP musical ride members will be in the procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace ahead of the King and Queen Consort.
King Charles III acceded to the throne upon the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on September 8. The coronation is the formal celebration of the beginning of his reign.