Why does Canada have a King? The Crown explained

Many newcomers are surprised to learn that Canada has a King. If you grew up in a country with a president, or you learned in history class that emperors ruled with total power, it can be hard to see how a democracy can also have a monarch. This article explains what the Crown is, what the King and his representatives actually do, where you meet the Crown in daily life, and why Canada keeps it. At the end you will find what the citizenship test asks about the Crown. For the full chapter summary, see How Canadians Govern Themselves.

Three kinds of government

It helps to compare three systems:

In a constitutional monarchy, the Sovereign is the head of state, but his role is set out and limited by the Constitution and the rule of law. The King does not make political decisions. Parliament makes the laws, and the Prime Minister and Cabinet run the government. They must keep the support of the elected House of Commons. The United Kingdom, Japan, Sweden and the Netherlands are other constitutional monarchies.

So Canada is a democracy and a monarchy at the same time. Three terms describe Canada’s system: a federal state, a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. Canada is not a republic, and it has no president.

The King of Canada

King Charles III is also King of the United Kingdom, but in Canada he acts as King of Canada. Canada has its own Crown, separate from the British Crown. New citizens promise loyalty to the King of Canada, not to the King of another country. Canada’s laws are made by Canada’s own Parliament, and the British government has no say in them.

Canada became a constitutional monarchy in its own right at Confederation in 1867, when Queen Victoria was on the throne. Today the Crown is the symbol of the whole Canadian state. Parliament, the provincial legislatures, the courts, police services and the Armed Forces all act in the name of the Crown.

What the Sovereign does

• Head of state. The King is Canada’s head of state. The Prime Minister is the head of government, which is a different job.
• Part of Parliament. Parliament has three parts: the Sovereign, the Senate and the House of Commons. No bill becomes law without Royal Assent, which is given in the Sovereign’s name.
• Above party politics. The King is non-partisan. He belongs to no party and does not take sides in elections. In practice, the Crown acts on the advice of ministers who have the support of the elected House.
• A symbol of sovereignty and continuity. Prime Ministers and governments change after elections, but the Crown stays. The Sovereign is a focus of citizenship and loyalty, a guardian of constitutional freedoms and a link to Canada’s history.

The King lives mainly in the United Kingdom, so most of his duties in Canada are carried out by his representatives.

The Governor General and the Lieutenant Governors

The Governor General represents the King for Canada as a whole. The King appoints the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister, normally for about five years. Among other duties, the Governor General:

• gives Royal Assent to federal bills, so that they become law;
• usually reads the Speech from the Throne, which opens a new session of Parliament;
• invites a party leader to form the government after an election;
• calls an election when the Prime Minister asks;
• appoints senators on the Prime Minister’s advice.

In each of the ten provinces, a Lieutenant Governor represents the King and gives Royal Assent to provincial laws. The Governor General appoints the Lieutenant Governors, again on the Prime Minister’s advice. The three territories have Commissioners instead, who represent the federal government. For all these titles side by side, see Who’s who in Canadian government. To see where Royal Assent fits in law-making, read How a bill becomes law.

Remember: the Governor General is the King’s representative. The Governor General is not the head of state and not the head of government.

The Crown in everyday life

You will meet the Crown more often than you might expect:

• Courts. Criminal charges are brought in the name of the Crown. Case names look like R. v. Smith. The “R” stands for Rex (Latin for king) or Regina (queen). The lawyers who prosecute are often called Crown prosecutors or Crown attorneys.
• Crown land. Public land owned by the federal or a provincial government is called Crown land. Most of Canada’s land is Crown land.
• Crown corporations. Some businesses are owned by the government. They are called Crown corporations. Canada Post and CBC/Radio-Canada are well-known examples.
• Names and symbols. The word “Royal” appears in names such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Royal Canadian Navy. A crown sits at the top of Canada’s coat of arms, and you can see crowns on many badges and uniforms.
• Coins. Canadian coins carry a portrait of the Sovereign. Newer coins show King Charles III, and older coins showing Queen Elizabeth II are still in use.
• The oath. New citizens swear or affirm allegiance to the King. See The Oath of Citizenship for what each phrase means.

From Queen Elizabeth II to King Charles III

The Crown is hereditary. It passes to the heir; nobody votes for the Sovereign. Queen Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years, from 1952 until her death in 2022. Her son then became King Charles III. There is no gap between reigns: the new Sovereign takes over at the moment the old one dies.

Some familiar words changed in 2022. The royal anthem became God Save the King instead of God Save the Queen. “Her Majesty” became “His Majesty”, for example in His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, the formal name of the Official Opposition. Discover Canada was written during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, so it often says “the Queen”. When you study, read it as “the King”.

Victoria Day and the two anthems

• Victoria Day, the Monday before May 25, celebrates the Sovereign’s birthday. It began as a celebration of Queen Victoria, who reigned at Confederation. She also chose Ottawa as the capital in 1857.
• O Canada is the national anthem, proclaimed in 1980. God Save the King is the royal anthem, played or sung to honour the Sovereign.

Why does Canada keep the Crown?

For many Canadians, the Crown is part of the country’s story:

• A long history. Canada has had a monarch for centuries. New France was ruled by the kings of France, and after 1763 the land came under the British Crown. That same year, King George III issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which laid the basis for treaties with First Nations. Many treaties were made with the Crown.
• The Loyalists. After the American colonies declared independence in 1776, more than 40,000 people who stayed loyal to the Crown moved north, mainly to Nova Scotia and Quebec. These United Empire Loyalists helped to build English-speaking Canada.
• Confederation. The Fathers of Confederation chose to keep the monarchy when they created Canada in 1867.
• Stability. The head of state is above politics, so the top office in the country is never a prize in an election. Governments change peacefully while the Crown stays the same. Canadians give their loyalty to a person who represents all Canadians, not to a party or a politician.

Canadians hold a range of views about the monarchy, as people do in any democracy. The test does not ask for your opinion. It asks about the facts above.

What the test asks about the Crown

• Who is Canada’s head of state? The Sovereign, King Charles III.
• Which three terms describe Canada’s government? A federal state, a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy.
• Who represents the King for all of Canada? The Governor General. In a province? The Lieutenant Governor.
• Who gives Royal Assent to federal bills? The Governor General, on the King’s behalf.
• What does the Crown symbolize? The Canadian state: Parliament, the legislatures, the courts, police and the Armed Forces.
• Who was the Sovereign at Confederation in 1867? Queen Victoria.
• What is the royal anthem? God Save the King.
• Who were the United Empire Loyalists? People loyal to the Crown who left the American colonies.

Common mix-ups

• Governor General vs head of state: the Governor General represents the King but is not the head of state.
• King vs Prime Minister: the King is head of state; the Prime Minister is head of government and runs the government day to day.
• “King of Canada” vs “King of England”: in the oath and in Canadian law, he is the King of Canada.
• Royal anthem vs national anthem: God Save the King is the royal anthem; O Canada is the national anthem.
• The Crown vs Britain: in Canada, “the Crown” means the Canadian state, not the British government.
• Elected or not? The Sovereign inherits the throne. The Governor General and Lieutenant Governors are appointed. None of them is elected.
• Queen or King? Older study material says the Queen. Today the Sovereign is King Charles III.

Ready to check what you know? Try a practice test and look out for the questions about the Crown.