Discover

(Redirected from Queen of Canada)

The 'style of the Canadian Sovereign' has varied over the years. The present style is:

★ In English: ''Elizabeth the Second, 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.''

★ In French: ''Elizabeth Deux, par la grâce de Dieu, Reine du Royaume-Uni, du Canada et de ses autres royaumes et territoires, Chef du Commonwealth, Défenseur de la Foi.''

Contents

Style of the Sovereign

Queen of Canada

Highness and Majesty

See also

Footnotes

Style of the Sovereign

One of the first post-war examples of Canada's status as an independent monarchy was the alteration of the Monarch's title, by the ''Royal Style and Titles Act''. For the first time the official Canadian title mentioned Canada separately from the United Kingdom and the other Realms, to highlight the Monarch's role specifically as Queen of Canada, as well as the shared aspect of the Crown throughout the Realms: Elizabeth the Second, 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.
When the Canadian House of Commons debated the Queen's title in 1953, Prime Minister Louis 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" ^[1]
This format was consistent with the form of the Queen's titles in the other Realms, as had been agreed upon by all the Realm governments in 1953. As of 2006, only Canada and Grenada retain this form, all others, other than the UK, having dropped the reference to the United Kingdom.
Although the Queen's Canadian titles include "Defender of the Faith / ''Défenseur de la Foi''," neither the Queen, nor any of the Governors has any religious role in Canada; there have been no established churches in Canada since before confederation. This is one of the key differences from the Queen's role in the United Kingdom where she is Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
In a speech to the House of Commons in 1953, Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent stated on this topic:
: "… The rather more delicate question arose about the retention of the words defender of the faith. In England there is an established church. In our countries [the other 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 organisation 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."¹
Also, the Sovereign currently holds the nominal title "Head of the Commonwealth," however, it does not imply any political power over member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, nor will it necessarily pass to the next Monarch upon the demise of the Crown.

Queen of Canada

The style 'Queen of Canada' is held by the Canadian Monarch during the reign of a female sovereign. During the reign of a male sovereign, the title would change accordingly to King of Canada. It is expected that upon the demise of the Crown, the current heir apparent, Prince Charles, will be proclaimed King of Canada by the Queen's Privy Council for Canada (which would then be the King's Privy Council). Prior to the adoption of the Canada-specific title, Canadian monarchs used the style King of the United Kingdom and later King of British Dominions Beyond the Seas. Prime Minister John Diefenbaker said of the style: "The Queen of Canada is a term which we like to use because it utterly represents her role on this occasion."^[2]
Elizabeth II refers to herself as Queen of Canada when in, or acting abroad on behalf of, Canada. For example, she stated in 1973: "But 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." The federal government and provincial governments now promote the title Queen of Canada, illustrating the separation between Elizabeth II's positions as Queen of Canada and Queen of the United Kingdom.^{[3] [4] [5]} The style "Queen of Canada" is included in the Oath of Allegiance, as well as the Oath of Citizenship.

Highness and Majesty

The use of the styles "Highness" and "Majesty" originated in the United Kingdom, where they were used from the 12th century onward. During the reign of James VI of Scots and I of England and Ireland, however, "Majesty" became the official title, to the exclusion of others.
The style was imported to Canada during colonial times, through usage in reference to the British Monarch, who then had sovereignty over the British North American colonies and provinces. Its usage continued after Canada became, by a process of constitutional evolution between 1931 and the patriation of the Canadian constitution in 1982, a sovereign kingdom, and 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 "Her [His] Britannic Majesty", the Sovereign in Canada is referred to simply as "Her [His] Majesty." However, from time to time, the style will be "Her [His] Canadian Majesty" as to differentiate from foreign sovereigns.

See also

★ Style of the British Sovereign

★ List of titles and honours of Queen Elizabeth II

★ List of Canadian monarchs

Footnotes