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124-515: The Crown Collection is the assemblage of more than 7,000 objects, including contemporary and antique art and furnishings, books, rugs, and other objects owned by the sovereign in right of Canada , many of which are used to furnish the country's official residences . The collection is managed by the National Capital Commission and pieces are acquired either as gifts from philanthropic benefactors to, or through purchase by,

248-604: A prime minister to thereafter head the Cabinet —a committee of the Privy Council charged with advising the Crown on the exercise of the royal prerogative. The monarch is informed by his viceroy of the swearing-in and resignation of prime ministers and other members of the ministry, remains fully briefed through regular communications from his Canadian ministers, and holds audience with them whenever possible. By convention,

372-466: A 24-hour news mode. As funerals for Canada's sovereigns, as well as for their consorts, take place in the United Kingdom, commemoration services are conducted by the federal and provincial governments across Canada. Such ceremonies may also be held for other recently deceased members of the royal family. The day of the sovereign's funeral is likely to be a federal holiday. The new monarch

496-690: A British order-in-council, as the monarch has, since then, assumed the Canadian throne according to Canadian law. For the accession of Charles III, the first since the creation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority in 1989, the Chief Herald read the royal proclamation aloud. If Parliament is in session, the Prime Minister will announce the demise of the Crown there and move for a joint address of sympathy and loyalty to

620-466: A Canadian, or "domesticated", establishment, though it is still often denoted as "British" in both legal and common language, for reasons historical, political, and of convenience. This division is illustrated in a number of ways: The sovereign, for example, holds a unique Canadian title and, when he and other members of the royal family are acting in public specifically as representatives of Canada, they use, where possible, Canadian symbols, including

744-598: A challenge to the law on the basis that a change to the succession in Canada would require unanimous consent of all provinces under section 41(a) of the Constitution Act, 1982 , Quebec Superior Court Justice Claude Bouchard ruled that Canada "did not have to change its laws nor its constitution for the British royal succession rules to be amended and effective" and constitutional convention committed Canada to having

868-474: A constitutional amendment passed with the unanimous consent of the provinces, applies only to the "office of the Queen", but not who holds that office, and that therefore "ending the principle of symmetry with the United Kingdom can be done with the general amending procedure, or even by Parliament alone under section 44 of the Constitution Act, 1982 ." Ted McWhinney , another constitutional scholar, argued that

992-404: A constitutional crisis and ensure that normal democratic discourse can resume. Consequently, the Crown performs two functions: as a unifying symbol and a protector of democratic rights and freedoms, "tightly woven into the fabric of the Canadian constitution." At the same time, a number of freedoms granted by the constitution to all other Canadians are denied to, or limited for, the monarch and

1116-638: A line of succession symmetrical to those of other Commonwealth realms. The ruling was upheld by the Quebec Court of Appeal . The Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear an appeal in April 2020. Constitutional scholar Philippe Lagassé argues that, in light of the Succession to the Throne Act, 2013 , and court rulings upholding that law, section 41(a) of the Constitution Act, 1982 , which requires

1240-588: A member of the Cabinet Secretariat, opined that Canadians would not like the title King of Canada , as "most Canadians [...] have not thought of themselves as citizens of either a republic or a monarchy." Still, in 1950, when William Ferdinand Alphonse Turgeon was sent to Ireland as Canada's ambassador , the Cabinet wished to have George VI referred to in the letters of credence as King of Canada . The King's secretaries objected strongly, claiming

1364-646: A motion in the House of Commons proposing that a change to the King's title be a subject of discussion at the next Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference ; Marquis suggested that the title include each of the King's Dominions , giving him the designation king of Canada . But, the motion did not pass and it was only in 1948 that that form of address changed, when the Canadian Parliament passed in 1947 its own Royal Style and Titles Act and an order-in-council

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1488-525: A natural person" and its actions as a natural person are, as with the actions of any natural person, subject to judicial review. Further, it was determined in R. v Secretary of State for Health the ex parte C that, "as a matter of capacity, no doubt, [the Crown] has power to do whatever a private person can do. But, as an organ of government, it can only exercise those powers for the public benefit, and for identifiably 'governmental' purposes within limits set by

1612-418: A realm in its own right in 1867 and, after a process of constitutional evolution ending with full sovereignty from the United Kingdom, is now applied to the Canadian monarch. Unlike in the United Kingdom, where the sovereign is referred to in treaties and on British passports as His Britannic Majesty , the sovereign in Canada is referred to simply as His Majesty ( Sa Majesté ). Still, from time to time,

1736-538: A result of colonial settlement and often competing claims made on territory in the name of the English (and later British) and French crowns. Monarchical government has developed as the result of colonization by French and British empires competing for territory in North America and a corresponding succession of French and British sovereigns reigning over New France and British America , respectively. As

1860-411: A result of the conquest of New France , claims by French monarchs were extinguished and what became British North America came under the hegemony of the British monarchy which ultimately evolved into the Canadian monarchy of today. With the exception of Newfoundland from 1649 to 1660 , no part of what is now Canada has been a republic or part of a republic; though, there have been isolated calls for

1984-491: A signifier of Canada's sovereign and independent status; Prime Minister John Diefenbaker said of the title in 1957, "the Queen of Canada is a term which we like to use because it utterly represents her role on this occasion." The title is also included in the Oath of Allegiance , which forms a part of the Oath of Citizenship , and can be found as Elizabeth II Dei Gratia Regina Canada ( Latin for 'Elizabeth II by

2108-525: A symbol of national sovereignty . It is closely modelled after the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom , with French and distinctive Canadian elements replacing or added to those derived from the British version, which was employed in Canada before the granting of the Canadian arms in 1921. The royal standard is the monarch's official flag, which depicts the royal arms in banner form . It takes precedence above all other flags in Canada—including

2232-461: A then-future government of Canada could begin a process of phasing out the monarchy after the death of Elizabeth II "quietly and without fanfare by simply failing legally to proclaim any successor to the Queen in relation to Canada". This would, he claimed, be a way of bypassing the need for a constitutional amendment that would require unanimous consent by the federal Parliament and all the provincial legislatures. However, Ian Holloway, Dean of Law at

2356-526: Is crowned in the United Kingdom in an ancient ritual but one not necessary for a sovereign to reign. Under the federal Interpretation Act , officials who hold a federal office under the Crown are not affected by the death of the monarch, nor are they required to take the Oath of Allegiance again. In some provinces, though, those holding Crown offices must swear the Oath to the new sovereign. All references in federal legislation to previous monarchs, whether in

2480-472: Is by Canadian artists, including Inuit works. Public Services and Procurement Canada oversees the Crown Collection pieces that have been installed in the official residences, keeping inventory and commissioning any necessary restoration. Monarchy of Canada The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state . It is one of

2604-404: Is illustrated by the great seal being entrusted by the governor general, the official keeper of the seal, to the minister of innovation, science, and economic development , who is ex officio the registrar general of Canada . Upon a change of government, the seal is temporarily returned to the governor general and then "lent" to the next incoming registrar general. The Crown is the pinnacle of

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2728-693: Is necessary. The federal cabinet and civil service follow the Manual of Official Procedure of the Government of Canada in carrying out various formalities around the transition. By custom, the accession of a new monarch is publicly proclaimed by the governor general- in-council , who meet at Rideau Hall immediately upon the previous monarch's death. Since the adoption of the Statute of Westminster it has been considered "constitutionally inappropriate" for Canada's accession proclamations to be approved by

2852-440: Is to ensure that the political process remains intact and is allowed to function." The Great Seal of Canada "signifies the power and authority of the Crown flowing from the sovereign to [the] parliamentary government" and is applied to state documents such as royal proclamations and letters patent commissioning Cabinet ministers, senators, judges, and other senior government officials. The "lending" of royal authority to Cabinet

2976-400: Is typically addressed by the title King of Canada and is expected to allude to himself as King of Canada when in or acting abroad on behalf of the country. For example, Elizabeth II said in 1973, "it is as Queen of Canada that I am here; Queen of Canada and of all Canadians, not just of one or two ancestral strains." Since the title was adopted, the federal government has promoted its use as

3100-782: The Demise of the Crown Act, 1901 , the Seals Act , the Governor General's Act , and the Royal Style and Titles Act, 1953 , from the schedule to the Constitution Act, 1982 . In response, Chrétien asserted that the schedule to the Constitution Act, 1982 , was not exhaustive, outlining that section 52(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982 , says "[t]he Constitution of Canada includes [...] the acts and orders referred to

3224-559: The Act of Settlement was a part of the law in each Dominion. Thus, Order-in-Council P.C. 3144 was issued, expressing the Cabinet's request and consent for His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act, 1936 , to become part of the laws of Canada and the Succession to the Throne Act, 1937 , gave parliamentary ratification to that action, together bringing the Act of Settlement and Royal Marriages Act, 1772 , into Canadian law. The latter

3348-477: The Canadian Armed Forces , with the constitution placing the monarch in the position of commander-in-chief of the entire force , though the governor general carries out the duties attached to the position and also bears the title of Commander-in-Chief in and over Canada . The government of Canada —formally termed His Majesty's Government —is defined by the constitution as the King acting on

3472-516: The House of Commons : "the rather more delicate question arose about the retention of the words defender of the faith [...] In our countries [Canada and the other non-British monarchies of the Commonwealth], there are no established churches. But, in our countries there are people who have faith in the direction of human affairs by an all-wise providence; and we felt that it was a good thing that

3596-488: The Letters Patent, 1947 , as justification for describing the governor general as head of state. However, the document makes no such distinction, nor does it effect an abdication of the sovereign's powers in favour of the viceroy, as it only allows the governor general to "act on the Queen's behalf". D. Michael Jackson, former Chief of Protocol of Saskatchewan, argued that Rideau Hall had been attempting to "recast"

3720-645: The Ontario Superior Court of Justice found that the Act of Settlement, 1701 , is "part of the laws of Canada" and the rules of succession are "by necessity incorporated into the Constitution of Canada". Another ruling of the Ontario Superior Court, in 2014, echoed the 2003 case, stating that the Act of Settlement "is an imperial statute which ultimately became part of the law of Canada." Upon dismissing appeal of that case,

3844-458: The Parliament of Canada as well as judges and justices of the peace . There are, though, cases where the sovereign or their representative would have a duty to act directly and independently under the doctrine of necessity to prevent genuinely unconstitutional acts. In these respects, the sovereign and his viceroys are custodians of the Crown's reserve powers and represent the "power of

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3968-462: The Royal Style and Titles Act of 1953 was debated in the House of Commons, St. Laurent asserted on the nature of the separate and shared characteristics of the Crown , "Her Majesty is now Queen of Canada but she is the Queen of Canada because she is Queen of the United Kingdom [...] It is not a separate office." The Canadian Parliament passed the act, providing for the Parliament's consent to

4092-555: The University of Western Ontario , criticized McWhinney's proposal for its ignorance of provincial input and opined that its implementation "would be contrary to the plain purpose of those who framed our system of government." Certain aspects of the succession rules have been challenged in the courts. For example, under the provisions of the Bill of Rights, 1689 , and the Act of Settlement, 1701 , Catholics are barred from succeeding to

4216-559: The advice of his Privy Council; what is technically known as the King-in-Council , or sometimes the Governor-in-Council , referring to the governor general as the King's stand-in, though, a few tasks must be specifically performed by, or bills that require assent from, the King. One of the main duties of the Crown is to "ensure that a democratically elected government is always in place," which means appointing

4340-435: The headship of state being a part of all equally. The Crown thus links the various governments into a federal state, while it is simultaneously also "divided" into 11 legal jurisdictions, or 11 "crowns"—one federal and 10 provincial —with the monarch taking on a distinct legal persona in each. As such, the constitution instructs that any change to the position of the monarch or his or her representatives in Canada requires

4464-419: The national flag and those of the other members of the royal family —and is typically flown from buildings, vessels, and vehicles in which the sovereign is present (although exceptions have been made for its use when the monarch is not in attendance). The royal standard is never flown at half-mast because there is always a sovereign: when one dies, his or her successor becomes the sovereign instantly. Elements of

4588-521: The reserve powers ), thereby allowing the monarch to make sure "the government conducts itself in compliance with the constitution"; he and the viceroys being guarantors of the government's constitutional, as opposed to democratic, legitimacy and must ensure the continuity of such. Use of the royal prerogative in this manner was seen when the Governor General refused his prime minister's advice to dissolve Parliament in 1926 and when, in 2008,

4712-499: The royal prerogative , leading the populace to be considered subjects of the Crown. However, as the sovereign's power stems from the people and the monarch is a constitutional one , he or she does not rule alone, as in an absolute monarchy . Instead, the Crown is regarded as a corporation sole , with the monarch being the centre of a construct in which the power of the whole is shared by multiple institutions of government —the executive , legislative , and judicial —acting under

4836-560: The "King's two bodies"—the body natural (subject to infirmity and death) and the body politic (which never dies). The Crown and the monarch are "conceptually divisible but legally indivisible [...] The office cannot exist without the office-holder", so, even in private, the monarch is always "on duty". The terms the state , the Crown , the Crown in Right of Canada , His Majesty the King in Right of Canada ( French : Sa Majesté le Roi du chef du Canada ), and similar are all synonymous and

4960-484: The 2011 Perth Agreement , which proposed changes to the rules governing succession to remove male preference and removal of disqualification arising from marriage to a Roman Catholic. As a result, the Canadian Parliament passed the Succession to the Throne Act, 2013 , which gave the country's assent to the Succession to the Crown Bill , at that time proceeding in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In dismissing

5084-667: The British government" who " in matters deemed to be of 'imperial' concern... acted on the instructions of the British Colonial Office " to being solely a representative of the monarch developed with a rise in Canadian nationalism following the end of the First World War culminating in the passage of the Statute of Westminster in 1931. Since then, the Crown has had both a shared and a separate character:

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5208-548: The British notion of the supremacy of parliament —of which the monarch is a part—and it was carried into each of the provinces upon the implementation of responsible government . That, however, was superseded when the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (within the Constitution Act, 1982 ) introduced into Canada the American idea of the supremacy of the law . Still, the King remains the sovereign of Canada. Canada's monarchy

5332-468: The Cabinet ruling "in trust" for the monarch. This has been the case in Canada since the Treaty of Paris ended the reign of the territory's last absolute monarch , King Louis XV of France . However, the royal prerogative belongs to the Crown and not to any of the ministers and the royal and viceroyal figures may unilaterally use these powers in exceptional constitutional crisis situations (an exercise of

5456-519: The Canadian Crown and individual band governments . All three entities are components of the nation-to-nation relationship between the Crown and First Nations in upholding treaty rights and obligations developed over the centuries. The monarch is shared in a personal union with 14 other Commonwealth realms within the 56-member Commonwealth of Nations . As he resides in the United Kingdom, viceroys (the governor general of Canada in

5580-941: The Canadian Privy Council adhered to the letter of the law, calling the sovereign Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas Queen . The discrepancies between independent countries sharing one person as sovereign prompted discussions among the Commonwealth prime ministers before a meeting in London , England , in December 1952; Canada's then-prime minister, Louis St. Laurent, stated that it

5704-896: The Canadiana Foundation, an organisation established in 2005 specifically to manage the furnishings of the official residences and which is under the patronage of the governor general of Canada . The foundation collects, via its Canadiana Fund (established in 1990), donations of both money and pieces that have been approved by the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board as having "outstanding significance or national importance". A curator oversees acquisitions, research, conservation, inventory management, de-accessioning, loans, and all agreements with donors, partners, and stakeholders. Works are generally by Canadian artists and craftsmen and/or are of significance in Canadian history, such as

5828-406: The Constitution of Canada so that while we have certain things listed in the schedule which are clearly part of the constitution, that does not mean that there are not other things which are part of the constitution [...] [The schedule] is not an exhaustive list." Leslie Zines claimed in the 1991 publication, Constitutional Change in the Commonwealth , that, though the succession to Canada's throne

5952-548: The Court of Appeal of Ontario stated "[t]he rules of succession are a part of the fabric of the constitution of Canada and incorporated into it". In a meeting of the Special Joint Committee on the Constitution during the process of patriating the Canadian constitution in 1981, John Munro asked then-Minister of Justice Jean Chrétien about the "selective omissions" of the Succession to the Throne Act, 1937 ,

6076-559: The Governor General took some hours to decide whether or not to accept her Prime Minister's advice to prorogue Parliament to avoid a vote of non-confidence. The prerogative powers have also been used numerous times in the provinces . Title and style of the Canadian monarch In 2023, months after the accession of King Charles III , the Canadian Parliament passed the Royal Style and Titles Act , providing for

6200-461: The Grace of God Queen, Canada') on the obverse of various medals in the Canadian honours system ; this wording is expected to change in light of the accession of Charles III. Also, while the sovereign holds the nominal title head of the Commonwealth , this does not imply any political power over member states of the Commonwealth of Nations . In keeping, however, with the declaration of

6324-443: The King or other member of the royal family. The sovereign similarly only draws from Canadian funds for support in the performance of his duties when in Canada or acting as King of Canada abroad; Canadians do not pay any money to the King or any other member of the royal family, either towards personal income or to support royal residences outside of Canada. There are five aspects to the monarchy of Canada: constitutional (such as

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6448-743: The MacKay-Keefer Legacy Cup, created in 1831 to commemorate the construction of the Rideau Canal ; a Last Spike Pin , made from the bent last spike driven by the Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal into the Canadian Pacific Railway ; a tall-case clock produced in 1825 by J. B. Twiss of Montreal , and a Quebec pine armoire crafted in the Louis Quinze style between 1750 and 1760. Also in

6572-773: The Parliament's consent to the issuance of a royal proclamation changing the monarch's style and title in relation to Canada. The relevant royal proclamation was issued on 8 January 2024, and since then the sovereign's style and titles in Canada are, in English : Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of Canada and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. And in French : Charles Trois, par la grâce de Dieu, Roi du Canada et de ses autres royaumes et territoires, Chef du Commonwealth. The style and titles were composed to distinctly mention Canada so as to highlight

6696-537: The Perth Agreement rather than judicially through the courts." Canada has no laws allowing for a regency , should the sovereign be a minor or debilitated; none have been passed by the Canadian Parliament and it was made clear by successive cabinets since 1937 that the United Kingdom's Regency Act had no applicability to Canada, as the Canadian Cabinet had not requested otherwise when the act

6820-724: The Prince with the title Kīsikāwipīsimwa miyo ōhcikanawāpamik , which translates as 'The Sun Watches Over Him in a Good Way'. Chief Perry Bellegarde described this as echoing "the language of the Numbered Treaties" and to invoke "one of our most important teachings. [...] Grandfather Sun watches over all of us [...] We are all related, and we all depend on each other." The title was given to Charles in 2001 by Elder, Chief, and Sun Dance leader Gordon Oakes during ceremonies in Wanuskewin Heritage Park , marking

6944-405: The Queen as head of state, a number up from 2002, when the results of an EKOS Research Associates survey showed only 5 per cent of those polled knew the Queen was head of state (69 per cent answered that it was the prime minister). The Arms of His Majesty the King in Right of Canada is the arms of dominion of the Canadian monarch and, thus, equally the official coat of arms of Canada and

7068-467: The United Kingdom , where they were used from the 12th century onward. During the reign of James VI and I . However, Majesty became the official style, to the exclusion of all others, and it was then brought to North America during colonial times through usage in reference to the British monarch , who then had sovereignty over the colonies on that continent . Its usage has continued since Canada became

7192-610: The United Kingdom and to Defender of the Faith. Ontario continued this practice until late August 2024. During treaty negotiations between First Nations and agents of the British Crown in the late 1700s and early 1800s, the term Great Father came to be used to refer to King George III . This was revived as the Numbered Treaties were being formed during the latter quarter of the 19th century, when Queen Victoria

7316-410: The assertion with de facto or effective ; Franks has hence recommended that the governor general be named officially as the head of state. Still others view the role of head of state as being shared by both the sovereign and his viceroys. Since 1927, governors general have been received on state visits abroad as though they were heads of state. Officials at Rideau Hall have attempted to use

7440-403: The civil authorities would proclaim that their organization is such that it is a defence of the continued beliefs in a supreme power that orders the affairs of mere men and that there could be no reasonable objection from anyone who believed in the supreme being in having the sovereign, the head of the civil authority, described as a believer in and a defender of the faith in a supreme ruler." When

7564-506: The collection is the piece 24 heures de l'Isle-aux-Oyes by Jean-Paul Riopelle , as well as the Grant de Longueuil Epergne , a silver centrepiece made in 1759. The collection does also hold, however, pieces from Europe and the Far East . Pieces used in Canada's official residences are selected so as to reflect the country's "diverse artistic and cultural traditions"; all art displayed

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7688-496: The consent of the Senate , the House of Commons , and the legislative assemblies of all the provinces. The Crown, being shared and balanced, provides the bedrock upon which all of Canada's different regions and peoples can live together peacefully and was said by David E. Smith, in 2017, to be the "keystone of the constitutional architecture" of Canada. The Crown is located beyond politics, existing to give authority to and protect

7812-466: The constitution and system of governance. Power, therefore, rests with an institution that "functions to safeguard it on behalf of all its citizens", rather than any singular individual. The sovereign and his representatives typically "act by 'not acting'" —holding power, but, not exercising it—both because they are unelected figures and to maintain their neutrality, "deliberately, insistently, and resolutely", in case they have to be an impartial arbiter in

7936-428: The content of these communications and meetings remains confidential so as to protect the impartiality of the monarch and his representative. The appropriateness and viability of this tradition in an age of social media has been questioned. In the construct of constitutional monarchy and responsible government , the ministerial advice tendered is typically binding, meaning the monarch reigns but does not rule ,

8060-408: The country as "the very centre of [Canada's] constitution and democracy." Although Canada is a federation, the Canadian monarchy is unitary throughout all jurisdictions in the country, the sovereignty of the different administrations being passed on through the overreaching Crown itself as a part of the executive, legislative, and judicial operations in each of the federal and provincial spheres and

8184-638: The country to become one. The Crown, however, is considered to be "entrenched" into the governmental framework. The institution that is Canada's system of constitutional monarchy is sometimes colloquially referred to as the Maple Crown or Crown of Maples , Canada having developed a "recognizably Canadian brand of monarchy". Though not part of the Canadian monarchy, either past or present, Canada has an even older tradition of hereditary chieftainship in some First Nations , which has been likened to non-sovereign monarchy and today exists in parallel with

8308-470: The country's national flag , unique royal symbols , armed forces uniforms , and the like, as well as Canadian Forces aircraft or other Canadian-owned vehicles for travel. Once in Canadian airspace, or arrived at a Canadian event taking place abroad, the Canadian secretary to the King , officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and other Canadian officials will take over from whichever of their other realms' counterparts were previously escorting

8432-432: The distinct role of Charles III as King of Canada—constitutionally and legally independent from his role as King of the United Kingdom" and "part of the evolution of the Canadian Crown as a distinctly Canadian institution". The bill received royal assent on 22 June 2023, A royal proclamation of the new title was signed on 8 January 2024. As of October 2024, Prince Edward Island continues to issue proclamations referring to

8556-404: The end of the 20th and early 21st centuries, always ending up "on hold". By spring of 2023, between the accession of King Charles III and his coronation, the federal Cabinet introduced a bill changing the monarch's title by dropping the reference to the United Kingdom and the phrase Defender of the Faith . Philippe Chartrand , writing in the Western Standard , said this would help "clarify

8680-509: The federal Crown is immune from provincial law. Constitutional convention has also held that the Crown in right of each province is outside the jurisdiction of the courts in other provinces. This view, however, has been questioned. Lieutenant governors do not enjoy the same immunity as the sovereign in matters not relating to the powers of the viceregal office, as decided in the case of former Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Lise Thibault , who had been accused of misappropriating public funds. As

8804-498: The federal governor-in-council, at the recommendation of the minister of Crown–Indigenous relations , but, as the territories are not sovereign entities, the commissioners are not personal representatives of the sovereign. The Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments , which may seek input from the relevant premier and provincial or territorial community, proposes candidates for appointment as governor general, lieutenant governor, and commissioner. It has been held since 1918 that

8928-437: The federal jurisdiction, they each have a commissioner, rather than a lieutenant governor, who represents the federal Crown-in-Council directly. All executive authority is vested in the sovereign, so the monarch's consent is necessary for letters patent and orders-in-council to have legal effect. As well, the monarch is part of the Parliament of Canada, so royal assent is required to allow for bills to become law. While

9052-419: The federal sphere and a lieutenant governor in each province) represent the sovereign in Canada and are able to carry out most of the royal governmental duties, even when the monarch is in the country Nevertheless, the monarch can carry out Canadian constitutional and ceremonial duties abroad. The evolution of the role of the governor general from being both a representative of the sovereign and an "agent of

9176-443: The federalist symmetry". This has been regarded as both a natural evolution and as a dishonest effort to alter the constitution without public scrutiny. In a poll conducted by Ipsos-Reid following the first prorogation of the 40th parliament on 4 December 2008, it was found that 42 per cent of the sample group thought the prime minister was head of state, while 33 per cent felt it was the governor general. Only 24 per cent named

9300-711: The governments of the Dominions of the British Commonwealth—then Australia, New Zealand, the Irish Free State , the Union of South Africa , and Canada—regard whoever was monarch of the UK to automatically be monarch of their respective Dominion. As with the other Dominion governments, the Canadian Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King , refused to accept the idea and stressed that

9424-472: The governor general as head of state since the 1970s and doing so preempted both the Queen and all of the lieutenant governors. This caused not only "precedence wars" at provincial events (where the governor general usurped the lieutenant governor's proper spot as most senior official in attendance) and Governor General Adrienne Clarkson to accord herself precedence before the Queen at a national occasion, but also constitutional issues by "unbalancing [...]

9548-542: The governor general has the ability to remove themselves and appoint their viceregal successor in the monarch's name. While Lagassé argued that appears to be the case, both the Canadian Manual of Official Procedures , published in 1968, and the Privy Council Office took the opposite opinion. Lagassé and Patrick Baud claimed changes could be made to regulations to allow a governor general to appoint

9672-511: The grace of God in the monarch's title , the Act of Settlement, 1701 , requiring the sovereign to be Anglican, and the monarch encouraging people "to tolerate, accept, and understand cultures, beliefs, and faiths different from our own"), and the welfare and service monarchy (seen in members of the royal family founding charities and supporting others, fundraising for charity, and giving royal patronage to civil and military organizations ). As in

9796-407: The head of state, while the governor general and lieutenant governors are all only representatives of, and thus equally subordinate to, that figure. Some governors general, their staff, government publications, and constitutional scholars like Ted McWhinney and C.E.S. Franks have, however, referred to the position of governor general as that of Canada's head of state; though, sometimes qualifying

9920-487: The issuance of a royal proclamation changing the monarch's title being then used. The relevant royal proclamation was issued on 28 May 1953, just days before her coronation . The new legislation conferred publicly and legally the reality of a unique constitutional monarchy for Canada, thereby fulfilling the vision of the Fathers of Confederation. The title of the Canadian sovereign was discussed intermittently through

10044-467: The key components of Canadian sovereignty and sits at the core of Canada's constitutional federal structure and Westminster-style parliamentary democracy . The monarchy is the foundation of the executive ( King-in-Council ), legislative ( King-in-Parliament ), and judicial ( King-on-the-Bench ) branches of both federal and provincial jurisdictions. The current monarch is King Charles III , who has reigned since 8 September 2022. Although

10168-439: The law." Similarly, use of the royal prerogative is justiciable, though, only when the "subject matter affects the rights or legitimate expectations of an individual". The governor general is appointed by the monarch on the advice of his federal prime minister and the lieutenant governors are appointed by the governor general on the advice of the federal prime minister. The commissioners of Canada's territories are appointed by

10292-435: The laws of succession were part of Canadian law and, as the Statute of Westminster 1931 disallowed the UK from legislating for Canada, including in relation to succession, altering them required Canada's request and consent to the British legislation ( His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act, 1936 ) becoming part of Canadian law. Sir Maurice Gwyer , first parliamentary counsel in the UK, reflected this position, stating

10416-427: The living embodiment of the Crown , the sovereign is regarded as the personification of the Canadian state and is meant to represent all Canadians, regardless of political affiliation. As such, he, along with his or her viceregal representatives, must "remain strictly neutral in political terms". The person of the reigning sovereign thus holds two distinct personas in constant coexistence, an ancient theory of

10540-439: The masculine (e.g. His Majesty ) or feminine (e.g. The Queen ), continue to mean the reigning sovereign of Canada, regardless of his or her gender. This is because, in common law, the Crown never dies . After an individual accedes to the throne, he or she usually continues to reign until death. The relationship between the Commonwealth realms is such that any change to the rules of succession to their respective crowns requires

10664-530: The monarch had only one title in law and Turgeon's letters eventually used George's full legal title, which referred to him as sovereign of Great Britain and "Ireland". The proclamations of Elizabeth II's accession to the throne in February 1952 differed between Canada and the United Kingdom; in the latter, the new queen was referred to unconventionally as Queen Elizabeth II by the Grace of God, Queen of this Realm, and of Her other Realms and Territories , while

10788-440: The monarch is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role. The monarch lives in the United Kingdom and, while several powers are the sovereign's alone, most of the royal governmental and ceremonial duties in Canada are carried out by the monarch's representative, the governor general of Canada . In each of Canada's provinces , the monarchy is represented by a lieutenant governor . As territories fall under

10912-469: The monarch's legal personality is sometimes referred to simply as Canada . The monarch is at the apex of the Canadian order of precedence and, as the embodiment of the state, is also the focus of oaths of allegiance, required of many of the aforementioned employees of the Crown, as well as by new citizens , as by the Oath of Citizenship . Allegiance is given in reciprocation to the sovereign's Coronation Oath, wherein he or she promises to govern

11036-417: The monarch's shared status, being both monarch of Canada and, separately, of the United Kingdom , as well as the 13 other Commonwealth realms ; with emphasis showing the distinct title King of Canada as embedded in the longer formal title. When composed in 1953, this format was consistent with the monarch's titles in her other realms. Canada removed the reference to the United Kingdom in 2024. The monarch

11160-413: The motion to be seconded by the leader of the official opposition . The prime minister will then move to adjourn Parliament. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation keeps a regularly updated plan for a "broadcast of national importance", announcing the demise of a sovereign and covering the aftermath, during which all regular programming and advertising is cancelled and on-call commentators contribute to

11284-428: The new monarch. A period of mourning also follows, during which portraits of the recently deceased monarch are draped with black fabric and staff at government houses wear black armbands . The Manual of Official Procedure of the Government of Canada states the prime minister is responsible for convening Parliament, tabling a resolution of loyalty and condolence from Parliament to the new monarch, and arranging for

11408-428: The next governor general; Christopher McCreery, however, criticised the theory, arguing it is impractical to suggest that a governor general would remove him or herself on ministerial advice, with the consequence that, if a prolonged regency occurred, it would remove one of the checks and balances in the constitution. The intent expressed whenever the matter of regency came up among Commonwealth realm heads of government

11532-521: The other Commonwealth realms separately. Although the Queen's Canadian titles included defender of the faith / défenseur de la foi , neither the monarch nor any of the viceroys had an official religious role in Canada. Unlike in the United Kingdom, where the term ( fidei defensor , in Latin ) signifies the sovereign's position as supreme governor of the Church of England and a member and defender of

11656-405: The other Commonwealth realms , the current heir apparent to the Canadian throne is William, Prince of Wales , who is followed in the line of succession by his eldest child, Prince George . Upon the death of the monarch, there is an immediate and automatic succession by the late sovereign's heir; hence the phrase, " the King is dead. Long live the King ". No confirmation or further ceremony

11780-426: The other senior members of the royal family: freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom to travel, freedom to choose a career, freedom to marry, and freedom of privacy and family life. While the Crown is empowered by statute and the royal prerogative , it also enjoys inherent powers not granted by either. The Court of Appeal of British Columbia ruled in 1997 that "the Crown has the capacities and powers of

11904-409: The people above government and political parties". Put another way, the Crown functions as the guarantor of Canada's continuous and stable governance and as a nonpartisan safeguard against the abuse of power . Canada has been described as "one of the oldest continuing monarchies in the world" of today. Parts of what is now Canada have been under a monarchy since as early as the 15th century as

12028-402: The people of Canada "according to their respective laws and customs". Although it has been argued that the term head of state is a republican one inapplicable in a constitutional monarchy such as Canada, where the monarch is the embodiment of the state and thus cannot be head of it, the sovereign is regarded by official government sources, judges, constitutional scholars, and pollsters as

12152-407: The power for these acts stems from the Canadian people through the constitutional conventions of democracy, executive authority remains vested in the Crown and is only entrusted by the sovereign to the government on behalf of the people. This underlines the Crown's role in safeguarding the rights, freedoms, and democratic system of government of Canadians, reinforcing the fact that "governments are

12276-530: The prime ministers of the Commonwealth in London in 1949 of "the King as the symbol of the free association of its independent member nations and, as such, the Head of the Commonwealth," the title will pass to the next monarch upon the demise of the Crown and in fact did so in 1952 and 2022, though any future change is not a guaranteed certainty. The use of the styles of address Highness and Majesty originated in

12400-467: The queen of Canada and, similarly, in the lead up to the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902, Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier desired to have the words king of Canada included in the royal title by the time of the ceremony. This wish was not fulfilled, however, and Canada inherited the full British title when the country gained legislative independence from the United Kingdom in 1931. Liberal Member of Parliament Eugène Marquis in 1945 tabled

12524-479: The royal arms have also been incorporated into the governor general's flag ; similarly, the flags of the lieutenant governors employ the shields of the relevant provincial coat of arms. Canada's constitution is based on the Westminster parliamentary model , wherein the role of the King is both legal and practical, but not political. The sovereign is vested with all the powers of state, collectively known as

12648-400: The same person as the king or queen of the United Kingdom. If the British law were to be changed and we did not change our law [...] the person provided for in the new law would become king or queen in at least some realms of the Commonwealth; Canada would continue on with the person who would have become monarch under the previous law." Canada, with the other Commonwealth realms, committed to

12772-413: The schedule" and "[w]hen you use the word 'includes' [...] it means that if ever there is another thing related to the Canadian constitution as part of it, should have been there, or might have been there, it is covered. So we do not have to renumerate [sic] the ones that you are mentioning." In the same meeting, Deputy Attorney General Barry Strayer stated: "Clause 52(2) is not an exhaustive definition of

12896-458: The security of the Church of Scotland , there have been no established churches in Canada since before its confederation in 1867. "Defender of the faith", thus, had a more vague meaning in the Canadian title, alluding only to the monarch's belief in a higher power. Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent stated on this matter in his 1953 contribution to the debate on the Royal Style and Titles Act in

13020-405: The servants of the people and not the reverse". Thus, within Canada's constitutional monarchy the sovereign's direct participation in any of these areas of governance is normally limited, with the sovereign typically exercising executive authority only with the advice and consent of the Cabinet of Canada , and the sovereign's legislative and judicial responsibilities largely carried out through

13144-399: The sovereign is shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations , each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Canada and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Canada. However,

13268-587: The sovereign of Canada (sometimes representing other realms on the same visit): The origins of Canadian sovereignty lie in the early 17th century, during which time the monarch in England fought with parliament there over who had ultimate authority, culminating in the Glorious Revolution in 1688 and the subsequent Bill of Rights, 1689 , which, as mentioned elsewhere in this article, is today part of Canadian constitutional law. This brought to Canada

13392-403: The sovereign's authority, which is entrusted for exercise by the politicians (the elected and appointed parliamentarians and the ministers of the Crown generally drawn from among them) and the judges and justices of the peace . The monarchy has thus been described as the underlying principle of Canada's institutional unity and the monarch as a "guardian of constitutional freedoms" whose "job

13516-470: The sovereign's role as monarch of Canada has been distinct from his or her position as monarch of any other realm, including the United Kingdom. Only Canadian federal ministers of the Crown may advise the sovereign on any and all matters of the Canadian state, of which the sovereign, when not in Canada, is kept abreast by weekly communications with the federal viceroy. The monarchy thus ceased to be an exclusively British institution and, in Canada, became

13640-468: The style will be His Canadian Majesty , so as to differentiate from foreign sovereigns. Canadian styles of address are officially maintained by the Department of Canadian Heritage's Protocol Office. Following Canadian Confederation , Prime Minister of Canada John A. Macdonald , having been denied the name Kingdom of Canada for the new country, was repeatedly heard to refer to Queen Victoria as

13764-982: The throne, was given a number of titles by various tribes: In 1976, the Inuit in the Northwest Territories (today Nunavut ) bestowed on him the title Attaniout Ikeneego ( Inuktitut for 'the Son of the Big Boss';), which loosely translates to 'heir apparent', and, the following year, the Blackfoot in Alberta bestowed upon him the title Mekaisto , meaning 'Chief Red Crow'. Cree and Ojibway students in Manitoba named Charles Leading Star in 1986. The Cree in Saskatchewan honoured

13888-620: The throne; this prohibition has been upheld twice by Canadian courts, once in 2003 and again in 2014. Legal scholar Christopher Cornell of the SMU Dedman School of Law concluded "that the prohibition on the Canadian Monarch being Catholic, while discriminatory, is perfectly-if not fundamentally-constitutional" and that if the prohibition is "to be changed or removed it will have to be accomplished politically and legislatively through another multilateral agreement similar to

14012-591: The unanimous consent of all the realms. Succession is governed by statutes, such as the Bill of Rights, 1689 , the Act of Settlement, 1701 , and the Acts of Union, 1707 . King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 and any possible future descendants of his were excluded from the line of succession. The British government at the time, wishing for speed so as to avoid embarrassing debate in Dominion parliaments, suggested that

14136-670: The use of the royal prerogative in summoning and dissolving parliament, granting royal assent ), national (delivering the Speech from the Throne and the Royal Christmas Message , distributing honours, decorations, and medals, and partaking in Remembrance Day ceremonies), international (the monarch being head of state in other Commonwealth realms, and being the head of the Commonwealth ), religious (the words by

14260-406: The word queen next to Canada , as it made the sovereign's role as monarch of Canada more clear than having queen follow several words on after the country's name. However, as Australian ministers wished to have the United Kingdom mentioned in all the Queen's titles, the resolution reached was a designation that included the United Kingdom as well as, for the first time, reference to Canada and

14384-406: Was deemed by the Cabinet in 1947 to be part of Canadian law. The Department of External Affairs included all succession-related laws in its list of acts within Canadian law. The Supreme Court of Canada declared unanimously in the 1981 Patriation Reference that the Bill of Rights, 1689 , is "undoubtedly in force as part of the law of Canada". Furthermore, in O'Donohue v. Canada (2003)

14508-408: Was established at Confederation, when its executive government and authority were declared, in section 9 of the Constitution Act, 1867 , to continue and be vested in the monarch. Placing such power, along with legislative power, with the tangible, living Queen, rather than the abstract and inanimate Crown, was a deliberate choice by the framers of the constitution. Still, the Crown is the foundation of

14632-626: Was given the title Morning Star by Chief Little Thunder when he was invested as a chief of the Nakoda and Kainai nations in Banff, Alberta , in 1919. During a lengthy meeting with the Salish peoples near Nanaimo , British Columbia, while on her royal tour of Canada in 1959, Queen Elizabeth II was granted by the Salish leaders the title Mother of All People . Elizabeth's son, Charles III, as heir to

14756-437: Was important a new composition for the royal title be agreed upon by all realms involved, to "emphasise the fact that the Queen is Queen of Canada, regardless of her sovereignty over other Commonwealth countries." Canada's preferred format was Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Canada and of Her other realms and territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith ; the Canadian government preferred to keep

14880-541: Was issued on 22 June the following year to remove the term emperor of India from the sovereign's Canadian title. In 1949, it was suggested by Cabinet that the King's title be altered so that, in Canada, it would be George the Sixth, by the Grace of God, of Canada and the other nations of the British Commonwealth, King ; but, again, nothing came of the proposal. At the time, Robert Gordon Robertson , then

15004-474: Was outlined by common law and the Act of Settlement, 1701 , these were not part of the Canadian constitution, which "does not contain rules for succession to the throne." Richard Toporoski, writing three years later for the Monarchist League of Canada , stated, "there is no existing provision in our law, other than the Act of Settlement, 1701 , that provides that the king or queen of Canada shall be

15128-477: Was passed that year and again in 1943 and 1953. As the Letters Patent, 1947 , issued by King George VI permit the governor general of Canada to exercise almost all of the monarch's powers in respect of Canada, the viceroy is expected to continue to act as the personal representative of the monarch, and not any regent, even if the monarch is a child or incapacitated. This has led to the question of whether

15252-733: Was spoken of in familial terms such as the Great Queen Mother and the Great White Mother , as the Indigenous peoples understood the agreements to exist within a framework of kinship. (The informal titles, used in conjunction with the phrase Indian children for the aboriginals, were originally neither intended nor taken as an indication of Indigenous inferiority; though, they were later misinterpreted by Canadian government officials as such. ) Victoria's great-grandson, Edward, The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII )

15376-402: Was that the relevant parliament (other than the United Kingdom's) would pass a bill if the need for a regency arose and the pertinent governor-general would already be empowered to grant royal assent to it. The governor general appointing their successor is not a power that has been utilized to date. The following state and official visits to foreign countries have been made by the monarch as

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