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RBC Capital Markets®
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Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration Statement No. 333-227001
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Pricing Supplement
Dated October 18, 2018
To the Product Prospectus Supplement FIN-1 Dated September 20, 2018, and the Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement, each dated September
7, 2018
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$16,050,000
Fixed to Floating Rate Notes with Cap and Floor,
Due October 22, 2021
Royal Bank of Canada
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Royal Bank of Canada is offering the Fixed to Floating Rate Notes with Cap (the “Notes”) described below.
The CUSIP number for the Notes is 78014RAQ3.
The Notes will pay interest quarterly, on the 22nd day of January, April, July and October of each year, commencing on January 22,
2019 and ending on the Maturity Date. Interest will accrue at the following rates during the indicated years of the term of the Notes:
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Year 1:
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3.00%
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Years 2-3:
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3 Month U.S. dollar LIBOR + 0.50%, subject to the Cap and the Floor.
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The Cap will be 4.00% per annum. The Floor will be 3.00% per annum.
The Notes will not be listed on any U.S. securities exchange.
The Notes will be bail-inable notes (as defined in the accompanying prospectus supplement dated September 7, 2018) and subject to
conversion in whole or in part – by means of a transaction or series of transactions and in one or more steps – into common shares of the Bank or any of its affiliates under subsection 39.2(2.3) of the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act
(the “CDIC Act”) and to variation or extinguishment in consequence, and subject to the application of the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein in respect of the operation of the CDIC Act with respect
to the Notes.
Investing in the Notes involves a number of risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-1 of the prospectus supplement dated
September 7, 2018, “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes” beginning on page PS-5 of the product prospectus supplement FIN-1 dated September 20, 2018 and “Additional Risk Factors” on page P-6 of this pricing supplement.
The Notes will not constitute deposits insured by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation (the “FDIC”) or any other Canadian or U.S. government agency or instrumentality. The Notes will not be subject to bail-in conversion (as defined in the accompanying prospectus supplement).
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of
these securities or determined that this pricing supplement is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
RBC Capital Markets, LLC has offered the Notes at varying public offering prices related to prevailing market prices, and will
purchase the Notes from us on the Issue Date at purchase prices that will be between 99.75% and 100% of the principal amount. See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” below.
We will deliver the Notes in book-entry only form through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company on October 22, 2018, against payment in
immediately available funds.
RBC Capital Markets, LLC
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Fixed to Floating Rate Notes with Cap and Floor
Royal Bank of Canada
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SUMMARY
The information in this “Summary” section is qualified by the more detailed information set forth in this pricing supplement,
the product prospectus supplement FIN-1, the prospectus supplement, and the prospectus.
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Issuer:
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Royal Bank of Canada (“Royal Bank”)
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Issue:
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Senior Global Medium-Term Notes, Series H
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Underwriter:
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RBC Capital Markets, LLC
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Currency:
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U.S. Dollars
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Minimum Investment:
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$1,000 and minimum denominations of $1,000 in excess of $1,000
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Pricing Date:
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October 18, 2018
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Issue Date:
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October 22, 2018
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Maturity Date:
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October 22, 2021
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CUSIP:
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78014RAQ3
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Interest Rate:
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Year 1:
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3.00% |
| Years 2-3: | 3 Month U.S. dollar LIBOR + 0.50%, subject to the Cap and the Floor. | |
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Reference Rate:
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3 Month U.S. dollar LIBOR, as reported on Reuters Page LIBOR01 or any successor page
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Determination of
LIBOR:
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For additional information as to the determination of the Reference Rate and the calculation of interest after the second year of the term of
the Notes, see “Description of the Notes We May Offer—Interest Rates—Floating-Rate Notes—LIBOR Notes” in the accompanying prospectus supplement.
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Spread:
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0.50%
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Cap:
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Years 2-3:
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4.00% |
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Floor:
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Years 2-3:
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3.00% |
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Day Count Fraction:
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30/360
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Type of Note:
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Fixed to Floating Rate Notes with Cap
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Interest Payment
Dates:
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Quarterly, in arrears, on the 22nd day of January, April, July and October of each year, commencing on January 22, 2019 and ending on the
Maturity Date. If any Interest Payment Date is not a New York business day, interest will be paid on the next New York business day as further discussed beginning on page S-20 of the prospectus supplement, without adjustment for period
end dates and no additional interest will be paid in respect of the postponement.
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Interest Period:
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Each period from and including an Interest Payment Date (or, for the first period, the Settlement Date) to but excluding the next following
Interest Payment Date.
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Fixed to Floating Rate Notes with Cap and Floor
Royal Bank of Canada
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Interest Determination
Dates During Floating
Rate Period:
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The Reference Rate is set two London business days prior to the start of the applicable Interest Period.
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Redemption:
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Not Applicable. The Notes are not redeemable prior to maturity.
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Survivor’s Option:
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Not Applicable.
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Canadian Bail-in
Powers
Acknowledgment:
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The Notes are bail-inable notes. See “Specific Terms of the Notes—Agreement with Respect to the Exercise of Canadian Bail-in Powers.”
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U.S. Tax Treatment:
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We intend to take the position that the Notes will be treated as variable rate debt instruments providing for stated interest at a single fixed
rate and a qualified floating rate for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Under this characterization, the Notes may be issued with de minimis OID. Please see the discussion in the accompanying product prospectus supplement FIN-1 dated
September 20, 2018 under the section entitled “Supplemental Discussion of U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences,” and the accompanying prospectus dated September 7, 2018 under the section entitled “Tax Consequences—United States Taxation”
and specifically the discussion in the accompanying prospectus under the section entitled “Tax Consequences—United States Taxation—Original Issue Discount—Variable Rate Debt Securities.”
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Calculation Agent:
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RBC Capital Markets, LLC.
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Listing:
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The Notes will not be listed on any securities exchange.
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Clearance and
Settlement:
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DTC global (including through its indirect participants Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg as described under “Description of Debt
Securities—Ownership and Book-Entry Issuance” in the prospectus dated September 7, 2018).
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Terms Incorporated in
the Master Note:
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All of the terms appearing above the item captioned “Listing” on pages P-2 and P-3 of this pricing supplement and the applicable terms
appearing under the caption “General Terms of the Notes” in the product prospectus supplement FIN-1 dated September 20, 2018, as modified by this pricing supplement.
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Fixed to Floating Rate Notes with Cap and Floor
Royal Bank of Canada
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ADDITIONAL TERMS OF YOUR NOTES
You should read this pricing supplement together with the prospectus dated September 7, 2018, as supplemented by the prospectus
supplement dated September 7, 2018 and the product prospectus supplement FIN-1 dated September 20, 2018, relating to our Senior Global Medium-Term Notes, Series H, of which these Notes are a part. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this
pricing supplement will have the meanings given to them in the product prospectus supplement FIN-1. In the event of any conflict, this pricing supplement will control. The Notes vary from the terms described in the product prospectus supplement FIN-1 in several important ways. You should read this pricing supplement carefully.
This pricing supplement, together with the documents listed below, contains the terms of the Notes and supersedes all prior or
contemporaneous oral statements as well as any other written materials including preliminary or indicative pricing terms, correspondence, trade ideas, structures for implementation, sample structures, brochures or other educational materials of
ours. You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters set forth in “Risk Factors” in the prospectus supplement dated September 7, 2018, “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes” in the product prospectus supplement FIN-1
dated September 20, 2018 and “Additional Risk Factors” in this pricing supplement, as the Notes involve risks not associated with conventional debt securities. We urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisors
before you invest in the Notes. You may access these documents on the SEC website at www.sec.gov as follows (or if that address has changed, by reviewing our filings for the relevant date on the SEC website):
Prospectus dated September 7, 2018:
Prospectus Supplement dated September 7, 2018:
Product Prospectus Supplement FIN-1 dated September 20, 2018:
Our Central Index Key, or CIK, on the SEC website is 1000275. As used in this pricing supplement, the “Company,” the
“Bank,” “we,” “us,” or “our” refers to Royal Bank of Canada.
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Fixed to Floating Rate Notes with Cap and Floor
Royal Bank of Canada
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ADDITIONAL RISK FACTORS
The Notes involve risks not associated with an investment in ordinary floating rate notes. This section describes the most
significant risks relating to the terms of the Notes. For additional information as to the risks related to an investment in the Notes,
please see the accompanying product prospectus supplement FIN-1 dated September 20, 2018 and the prospectus supplement and
prospectus, each dated September 7, 2018. You should carefully consider whether the Notes are suited to your particular circumstances before you decide to purchase them. Accordingly,
prospective investors should consult their financial and legal advisors as to the risks entailed by an investment in the Notes and the suitability of the Notes in light of their particular circumstances.
The Amount of Interest Payable on the Notes Is Capped.
The interest rate on the Notes for each quarterly interest period during the floating interest rate period is capped for that period at the interest rate set forth on the cover of this pricing supplement. Thus, you will not benefit from
three-month U.S. dollar LIBOR being greater than the difference between the Cap and the Spread in any quarterly Interest Period during the Floating Rate Period.
Investors Are Subject to Our Credit Risk, and Our Credit
Ratings and Credit Spreads May Adversely Affect the Market Value of the Notes. Investors are dependent on Royal Bank’s ability to pay all amounts due on the Notes on interest payment dates and at maturity, and, therefore, investors are
subject to the credit risk of Royal Bank and to changes in the market’s view of Royal Bank’s creditworthiness. Any decrease in Royal Bank’s credit ratings or increase in the credit spreads charged by the market for taking Royal Bank’s credit risk
is likely to adversely affect the market value of the Notes.
The Notes May Be Adversely Affected by Changes in LIBOR
Reporting Practices or the Method in Which LIBOR Is Determined. On July 27, 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”) announced its intention to phase out LIBOR rates by the end of 2021. It is not possible to predict the further
effect of the FCA Rules (as defined in the accompanying prospectus supplement), any changes in the methods by which the LIBOR is determined, or any other reforms to LIBOR that may be enacted in the U.K., the EU and elsewhere, each of which may
adversely affect the trading market for the Notes. Any such developments may cause LIBOR to perform differently than in the past, or cease to exist. In addition, any other legal or regulatory changes made by the FCA, ICE Benchmark Administration
Limited, the European Money Markets Institute (formerly Euribor-EBF), the European Commission or any other successor governance or oversight body, or future changes adopted by such body, in the method by which LIBOR is determined or the
transition from LIBOR to a successor benchmark may result in, among other things, a sudden or prolonged increase or decrease in LIBOR, a delay in the publication of LIBOR, trigger changes in the rules or methodologies in LIBOR discouraging market
participants from continuing to administer or to participate in LIBOR’s determination, and, in certain situations, could result in LIBOR no longer being determined and published. Accordingly, such proposals for reform and changes could have a
material adverse effect on the value of and return on the Notes (including potential rates of interest thereon).
If a published 3-month U.S. dollar LIBOR rate is unavailable after 2021, the Reference Rate on the Notes during the Floating Rate Period will be
determined using the alternative methods set forth in the accompanying prospectus supplement under “Description of the Notes We May Offer—Interest Rates—Floating-Rate Notes—LIBOR Notes.” Any of these alternative methods may result in interest
payments that are lower than or that do not otherwise correlate over time with the payments that would have been made on the Notes during the Floating Rate Period if 3-month U.S. dollar LIBOR
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Fixed to Floating Rate Notes with Cap and Floor
Royal Bank of Canada
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was available in its current form. Further, the same costs and risks that may lead to the discontinuation or unavailability of 3-month U.S. dollar
LIBOR may make one or more of the alternative methods impossible or impracticable to determine. If, as set forth in the accompanying prospectus supplement under “Description of the Notes We May Offer—Interest Rates—Floating-Rate Notes—LIBOR
Notes,” a published 3-month U.S. dollar LIBOR rate is unavailable during the Floating Rate Period and banks are unwilling to provide quotations for the calculation of LIBOR, the alternative method sets the interest rate for an Interest Period as
the same rate as the immediately preceding interest period, which could remain in effect for the remaining term of the Notes, and the value of the Notes may be adversely affected.
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Fixed to Floating Rate Notes with Cap and Floor
Royal Bank of Canada
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AGREEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE EXERCISE OF CANADIAN BAIL-IN POWERS
By its acquisition of the Notes, each holder or beneficial owner is deemed to (i) agree to be bound, in respect of that Note, by the CDIC Act,
including the conversion of that Note, in whole or in part – by means of a transaction or series of transactions and in one or more steps – into common shares of the Bank or any of its affiliates under subsection 39.2(2.3) of the CDIC Act and the
variation or extinguishment of that Note in consequence, and by the application of the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein in respect of the operation of the CDIC Act with respect to that Note; (ii)
attorn and submit to the jurisdiction of the courts in the Province of Ontario with respect to the CDIC Act and those laws; and (iii) acknowledge and agree that the terms referred to in paragraphs (i) and (ii), above, are binding on that holder
or beneficial owner despite any provisions in the indenture or that Note, any other law that governs that Note and any other agreement, arrangement or understanding between that holder or beneficial owner and the Bank with respect to that Note.
Holders and beneficial owners of any Note will have no further rights in respect of that Note to the extent that Note is converted in a bail-in
conversion, other than those provided under the bail-in regime, and by its acquisition of an interest in any Note, each holder or beneficial owner of that Note is deemed to irrevocably consent to the converted portion of the principal amount of
that Note and any accrued and unpaid interest thereon being deemed paid in full by the Bank by the issuance of common shares of the Bank (or, if applicable, any of its affiliates) upon the occurrence of a bail-in conversion, which bail-in
conversion will occur without any further action on the part of that holder or beneficial owner or the trustee; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, this consent will not limit or otherwise affect any rights that holders or beneficial
owners may have under the bail-in regime.
See “Description of Notes We May Offer―Special Provisions Related to Bail-inable Notes”
in the accompanying prospectus supplement dated September 7, 2018 for a description of provisions applicable to the Notes as a result of Canadian bail-in powers.
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Fixed to Floating Rate Notes with Cap and Floor
Royal Bank of Canada
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HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Historically, the Reference Rate has experienced significant fluctuations. Any historical upward or downward trend in the level of the Reference
Rate during any period shown below is not an indication that the interest payable on the Notes is more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time during the Floating Rate Period.
The Reference Rate was 2.46900% on October 18, 2018. The graph below sets forth the historical performance of the Reference Rate from October 18,
2013 through October 18, 2018.
Source: Bloomberg L.P.
PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS
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Fixed to Floating Rate Notes with Cap and Floor
Royal Bank of Canada
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SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION (CONFLICTS OF INTEREST)
Delivery of the Notes will be made against payment for the Notes on October 22,
2018, which is the second (2nd) business day following the Pricing Date (this settlement cycle being referred to as “T+2”). See
“Plan of Distribution” in the prospectus supplement dated September 7, 2018. For additional information as to the relationship between us and RBC Capital Markets, LLC, please see the section “Plan of Distribution—Conflicts of Interest” in the
prospectus dated September 7, 2018.
After the initial offering of the Notes, the price to the public may change.
We may use this pricing supplement in the initial sale of the Notes. In addition, RBC Capital Markets, LLC or another of our affiliates may use
this pricing supplement in a market-making transaction in the Notes after their initial sale. Unless we or our agent informs the purchaser otherwise in the
confirmation of sale, this pricing supplement is being used in a market-making transaction.
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Fixed to Floating Rate Notes with Cap and Floor
Royal Bank of Canada
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VALIDITY OF THE NOTES
In the opinion of Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, the issue and sale of the Notes has been duly authorized by all necessary
corporate action of the Bank in conformity with the Indenture, and when the Notes have been duly executed, authenticated and issued in accordance with the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor, the Notes will be validly issued and, to
the extent validity of the Notes is a matter governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario or Québec, or the laws of Canada applicable therein, and will be valid obligations of the Bank, subject to equitable remedies which may only be granted
at the discretion of a court of competent authority, subject to applicable bankruptcy, to rights to indemnity and contribution under the Notes or the Indenture which may be limited by applicable law; to insolvency and other laws of general
application affecting creditors’ rights, to limitations under applicable limitations statutes, and to limitations as to the currency in which judgments in Canada may be rendered, as prescribed by the Currency Act (Canada). This opinion is given
as of the date hereof and is limited to the laws of the Provinces of Ontario and Québec and the federal laws of Canada applicable thereto. In addition, this opinion is subject to customary assumptions about the Trustee’s authorization, execution
and delivery of the Indenture and the genuineness of signatures and certain factual matters, all as stated in the letter of such counsel dated September 7, 2018, which has been filed as Exhibit 5.1 to Royal Bank’s Form 6-K filed with the SEC
dated September 7, 2018.
In the opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP, when the Notes have been duly completed in accordance with the Indenture and issued and sold as
contemplated by the prospectus supplement and the prospectus, the Notes will be valid, binding and enforceable obligations of Royal Bank, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws
affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability (including, without limitation, concepts of good faith, fair dealing and the lack of bad faith). This opinion is given as of the
date hereof and is limited to the laws of the State of New York. This opinion is subject to customary assumptions about the Trustee’s authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture and the genuineness of signatures and to such counsel’s
reliance on the Bank and other sources as to certain factual matters, all as stated in the legal opinion dated September 7, 2018, which has been filed as Exhibit 5.2 to the Bank’s Form 6-K dated September 7, 2018.