Style and title of the Canadian sovereign

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Style of the Canadian sovereign
)
Monarchy of Canada
This article is part of a series
Viceroys
Residences and household
Constitution
King-in-Council
Legal
Symbols
Ceremonial

The style and title of the Canadian sovereign is the

style and title
of the monarchs changed almost as often as the kings and queens themselves. The mode of address currently employed is a combination of a style that originates in the early 17th century and a title established by Canadian law in 2024.

Current style and titles

Further information: List of titles and honours of Charles III

In 2023, months after the accession of King Charles III, the Canadian Parliament passed the Royal Style and Titles Act, providing for 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.[1]

And in French:

Charles Trois, par la grâce de Dieu, Roi du Canada et de ses autres royaumes et territoires, Chef du Commonwealth.[2]

The style and titles were composed to distinctly mention Canada so as to highlight 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.[3][4] 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 is typically addressed by the title King of Canada[10] 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 a signifier of Canada's sovereign and independent status;[11] 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."[12][13]

Canadian coins bearing the words D.G. Rex for King George VI (top) and D.G. Regina for Queen Elizabeth II (below)

The title is also included in the

Latin for 'Elizabeth II by the Grace of God Queen, Canada') on the obverse of various medals in the Canadian honours system;[14]
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 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.

Style of address

Further information: Canadian honorifics

The use of the styles of address Highness and Majesty

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, the style will be His Canadian Majesty, so as to differentiate from foreign sovereigns.[19][20] Canadian styles of address are officially maintained by the Department of Canadian Heritage's Protocol Office.[21]

History

Further information: Commonwealth realm § Titles
Elizabeth II, the first Canadian monarch to be titled Queen of Canada (r. 1952–2022)

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 the queen of Canada and,[22] 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.[22][23] 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.

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 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".[32]

The royal proclamation of the National Flag, issued in 1965, with the full title of Queen Elizabeth II, in both French and English at top

The

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 the House of Commons:[35]

"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 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 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

her coronation. The new legislation conferred publicly and legally the reality of a unique constitutional monarchy for Canada,[38][39] thereby fulfilling the vision of the Fathers of Confederation.[40][41]

The title of the Canadian sovereign was discussed intermittently through the end of the 20th and early 21st centuries, always ending up "on hold".[42] 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.[43] Philippe Chartrand, writing in the Western Standard, said this would help "clarify 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".[42] The bill received royal assent on 22 June 2023,[44] A royal proclamation of the new title was signed on 8 January 2024.[1]

The royal style and titles of Canadian sovereigns

From Title Amending law Monarchs
1 July 1867 By the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith Victoria
28 April 1876 By the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India Royal Titles Act 1876 (UK) Victoria
22 January 1901 By the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India Common law Edward VII
4 November 1901 By the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India Royal Titles Act 1901 (UK) Edward VII
George V
13 May 1927 By the Grace of God of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 (UK) George V
Edward VIII
George VI
22 June 1948 By the Grace of God of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith The Royal Style and Titles Act (Canada), 1947 (Can) George VI
6 February 1952 By the Grace of God of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas Queen, Defender of the Faith Common law Elizabeth II
28 May 1953 By the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith Royal Style and Titles Act (Can) Elizabeth II
8 September 2022 By the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and His other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith Common law Charles III
8 January 2024 By the Grace of God King of Canada and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth Royal Style and Titles Act, 2023 (Can) Charles III

Titles bestowed by Indigenous peoples

Further information: Monarchy of Canada and the Indigenous peoples of Canada

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.[45] This was revived as the Numbered Treaties were being formed during the latter quarter of the 19th century, when Queen Victoria 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.[46]) Victoria's great-grandson, Prince Edward Albert (later King Edward VIII) 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.[47][48]

Queen Elizabeth II visiting with the Salish peoples at Nanaimo, British Columbia, July 1959

During a lengthy meeting with the

Ojibway students in Manitoba named Charles Leading Star in 1986.[53]

The Cree in Saskatchewan honoured the Prince with the title Kīsikāwipīsimwa miyo ōhcikanawāpamik, which translates as 'The Sun Watches Over Him in a Good Way'.[54][55] 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 the 125th anniversary of the signing of Treaty 6.[54]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Proclamation Establishing for Canada the Royal Style and Titles: SI/2024-4". Canada Gazette. 31 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Proclamation fixant la forme des titres royaux pour le Canada : TR/2024-4". La Gazette du Canada. 31 January 2024.
  3. ^ St. Laurent, Louis (1952), "Speech to the House of Commons", written at Ottawa, Canada at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Toronto: Ryerson Press (published 1 January 1953)
  4. ^ Smy, William A. (2008). "Royal titles and styles". The Loyalist Gazette. XLVI (1). Toronto: United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
  5. ^ "The Kings and Queens of Canada" (PDF). Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-07-27. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  6. ^ "The Queen of Canada is dead, long live the British queen", Maclean's, Rogers Communications, 2 March 2013, retrieved 29 May 2013
  7. ^ Department of Canadian Heritage. "The Queen of Canada". Queen's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on 2012-12-27. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  8. ISBN 978-1-100-20079-8
    .
  9. ISBN 978-1-100-20078-1
    .
  10. ^ [5][6][7][8][9]
  11. ISBN 978-0-662-46012-1
    , retrieved 23 September 2009
  12. ^ Bousfield & Toffoli 2002, p. 12
  13. ISSN 0040-781X, archived from the original
    on 6 December 2008, retrieved 23 September 2009
  14. ^ Department of National Defence, Sequence for Wearing Orders, Decorations and Medals (PDF), Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada, archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2011, retrieved 2 December 2009
  15. ^ "Heritage Saint John > Canadian Heraldry". Heritage Resources of Saint John and New Brunswick Community College. Archived from the original on 6 March 2005. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  16. ^ The Royal Household. "The Queen and the Commonwealth > Queen and Canada > History and present government". Queen's Printer. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  17. ^ Department of Canadian Heritage (2005), The Crown in Canada (PDF), Queen's Printer for Canada, p. 7, retrieved 3 July 2009
  18. ^ [15][16][17]
  19. ^ Editor (29 October 2014), "Governor General of Canada paid a visit to The Netherlands", Diplomat, retrieved 9 March 2024 {{citation}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  20. ^ Steyn, Mark (10 June 2012), "Vivat Regina", The Spectator, retrieved 9 March 2024
  21. ^ Department of Canadian Heritage (25 January 2016). "Styles of address". Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  22. ^ a b Bousfield & Toffoli 2002, p. 76
  23. ^ Pearson, Lester (3 February 1953), "Hansard", written at Ottawa, in Toffoli, Gary; Bousfield, Arthur (eds.), Queen of Canada, Toronto: Canadian Royal Heritage Trust, retrieved 7 October 2009
  24. ^ "King of Canada title urged by Quebec M.P.", Toronto Daily Star, p. 12, 6 November 1945, retrieved 14 October 2010
  25. ^ "King of Canada", Ottawa Citizen, p. 21, 9 November 1945, retrieved 14 October 2010
  26. ^ "King of Canada", Ottawa Citizen, p. 15, 7 November 1945, retrieved 14 October 2010
  27. ^ [24][25][26]
  28. Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
    (ed.), Documents on Canadian External Relations, vol. 14–1, Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada, retrieved 8 October 2009
  29. ^
    Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (ed.), Documents on Canadian External Relations, vol. 18–2, Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada, archived from the original
    on 23 November 2011, retrieved 23 September 2009
  30. Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
    (ed.), Documents on Canadian External Relations, vol. 15–2, Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada, retrieved 8 October 2009
  31. ^ Smith, David E., "The Crown and the Constitution: Sustaining Democracy?" (PDF), Queen’s University, retrieved 4 March 2021
  32. ISBN 978-90-04-15497-1
    .
  33. Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (ed.), Documents on Canadian External Relations, vol. 14–1, Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada, archived from the original
    on 15 May 2013, retrieved 8 October 2009
  34. ISBN 9781862876293
  35. ^ a b St. Laurent, Louis (3 February 1953), "Hansard", written at Ottawa, in Toffoli, Gary; Bousfield, Arthur (eds.), Queen of Canada, Toronto: Canadian Royal Heritage Trust, retrieved 7 October 2009
  36. ISBN 1-55002-360-8
  37. ^ Elizabeth II (29 May 1953), "Proclamation", Canada Gazette, 87 (6), Queen's Printer for Canada: 1–2, retrieved 25 April 2023
  38. ^ Trepanier, Peter (2004), "Some Visual Aspects of the Monarchical Tradition" (PDF), Canadian Parliamentary Review, 27 (2), Ottawa: Commonwealth Parliamentary Association: 28, archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2012, retrieved 8 October 2009
  39. ISBN 9781459707566
    .
  40. ^ Bousfield, Arthur; Toffoli, Garry. "Elizabeth II Queen of Canada". Canadian Royal Heritage Trust. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
  41. ^ Tupper, William (1988), "Two Perspectives on the Queen in Canada" (PDF), Canadian Parliamentary Review, 11 (3), Ottawa: Commonwealth Parliamentary Association: 8, retrieved 14 December 2009
  42. ^ a b Chartrand, Philippe (26 April 2023), "Even if no longer defender of the faith, the Crown still defends Canadian values", Western Standard, New Media Corporation, retrieved 27 April 2023
  43. ^ Woolf, Marie (19 April 2023), "King's Canadian title—dropping defender of the faith—is break with tradition: Church figures, constitutional experts", The Globe and Mail, retrieved 19 April 2023
  44. ^ Parliament of Canada, C-47 (44-1), King's Printer for Canada, retrieved 27 June 2023
  45. ^ Carter, Sarah (2004), "Your Great Mother Across the Salt Sea": Prairie First Nations, the British Monarchy and the Vice Regal Connection to 1900, Manitoba Historical Society, retrieved 26 April 2023
  46. ISBN 0774809167
    , retrieved 26 April 2023
  47. ^ "At Home in Canada": Royalty at Canada's Historic Places, Canada's Historic Places, retrieved 26 April 2023
  48. ^ Wind, Whispering (2012), To Banff and the Rockies! The Prince, the Premier, and the Stoneys, The Free Library, retrieved 26 April 2023
  49. ^ Buckner 2005, p. 77
  50. ^ "Royal Visit 2001". Canadianheritage.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  51. ^ "A Pinto for the Prince". National Film Board of Canada. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  52. ^ Clibbon, Jennifer (22 May 2012), The 'special relationship' of native peoples and the Crown, CBC News, retrieved 10 March 2023
  53. ^ "Royal Involvement With Canadian Life". Monarchist League of Canada. Archived from the original (.doc) on 27 June 2008. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
  54. ^ a b Bellegarde, Perry (27 April 2023), "Great expectations: King Charles III and his commitment to Indigenous Peoples", Canadian Geographic, Royal Canadian Geographical Society, retrieved 30 April 2023
  55. ^ Lilley, David (2001), "Prince Charles gets a new Aboriginal name", Saskatchewan Sage, 5 (9), archived from the original on 1 October 2020, retrieved 1 March 2021

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Style_and_title_of_the_Canadian_sovereign&oldid=1219405803"