Ottawa - Prince Charles has been awarded
the Order of Canada, which is the country's top civilian honor
and recognizes outstanding achievement and service to the
nation, officials said on Friday.
Charles is first in line to the British throne after Queen
Elizabeth, Canada's head of state.
He and his wife Camilla are in Canada for an official visit
and to participate in the country's 150th anniversary
celebrations on July 1.
Canadian security forces are turning the nation's capital
into a fortress ahead of a huge weekend sesquicentennial
celebration set to attract a half-million people.
The Order of Canada announcement was made by
Governor-General David Johnston, the Queen's representative in
Canada.
Although the award is normally given only to Canadian
citizens, members of the royal family are eligible to be named
to the order's Extraordinary Companion category.
Apart from Charles, the only other person named as an
extraordinary companion is his father Prince Phillip, the
Queen's husband, who received the honor in 2013.