Monarchy in Ontario

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Canada is a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as the reigning monarch since February 6, 1952. As such she is Canada's Head of State, and officially called Queen of Canada. Due to Canada's federal nature, eleven legally distinct Crowns effectively exist in the country, with the Monarch being represented distinctly in each province, as well as at the federal level.

In Ontario, the Sovereign is represented by the Lieutenant-Governor, currently James K. Bartleman, since 2002.

	The Crown is an idea, more than a person, and I would like the Crown in Canada to represent everything that is best and most admired in the Canadian ideal... It is as Queen of Canada that I am here, Queen of Canada and all Canadians, and not just one or two ancestral strains. I would like the Crown to be seen as a symbol of national sovereignty, belonging to all. It is not only a link between Commonwealth nations, but between Canadian citizens of every national origin and ancestry.[1]
	— Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, in Toronto, Ontario, 1973

Contents 1 Constitutional monarchy in Ontario 1.1 Vice-regal 1.2 Duties 1.3 Royal Assent 1.4 Legal role 1.5 Symbols 1.6 Official residences 1.7 Royal presence 2 History 3 First Nations and the Crown 4 Royal connections 4.1 Royal designation and patronage 4.2 Armed forces 4.3 Communities 4.4 Education 5 Places of interest 6 External links 7 References

[edit] Constitutional monarchy in Ontario

[edit] Vice-regal

Main articles: Lieutenant-Governor (Canada) and Monarchy in Canada: Provinces

The Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario serves as the Queen's representative in the province, carrying out all the Monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties of state on her behalf.

Since 1867, twenty seven lieutenant-governors have served Ontario; previously they acted as Lieutenant-Governors of Canada West (1841-1867) and Lieutenant-Governors of Upper Canada (1791-1841).

The Governor General appoints the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario on the advice of the Prime Mininster, and in consultation with the Premier of Ontario. There is no set limit to a Lieutenant-Governor's term, the traditional description being "at Her Majesty's pleasure." The shortest mandate by a Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario was Henry William Stisted, from July 1, 1867 to July 14, 1868. The longest was Albert Edward Matthews, from November 1937 to December 1946.^[2]

The Lieutenant-Governor, him or herself a recipient of the award as Chancellor of the Order, bestows the Order of Ontario on deserving Ontario citizens. The Lieutenant-Governor also attends various functions throughout the province and abroad, either as the host or a guest of honour. In 2002 the Lieutenant Governor undertook 435 engagements, 332 in 2003, and 326 in 2004.^[3]

Pauline Mills McGibbon, a patron of the arts and former Chancellor of the Universities of Toronto and Guelph, was the first woman to serve as Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, between 1974 and 1980. Lincoln Alexander, a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot and Labour Minister, was the first vice-regal of West Indian descent in Ontario, between 1985 and 1991.

[edit] Duties

As in the other Commonwealth Realms, the Monarch's role, and thereby the Vice-regal's role, is almost entirely symbolic and cultural, acting as a symbol of the legal authority under which all governments operate, and the powers that are constitutionally hers are exercised wholly upon the advice of the elected government. It has been correctly said that since the death, in 1714, of Queen Anne, the last monarch to head the British cabinet (when almost all of Canada was still French colonial territory), that the monarch "reigns" but does not "rule". In Canada, this has been true since the Treaty of Paris (1763) ended the reign of Canada's last absolute monarch, King Louis XV of France. In exceptional circumstances, however, the Monarch or vice-regal has acted against such advice based upon his or her reserve powers.

[edit] Royal Assent

Royal Assent and proclamation are required for all acts of the provincial legislature, usually granted or withheld by the Lieutenant-Governor, with the Great Seal of Ontario. The Vice-regal may reserve a bill for the Governor General's pleasure, that is to say, allow the Governor General to make a personal decision on the bill. The Governor General may, in turn, defer to the Monarch. The Monarch has the power to disallow a bill (within a time limit specified by the constitution).

Further information: Royal Prerogative

[edit] Legal role

In Ontario the legal personality of the State is referred to as "Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Ontario." For example, a case in which a province sues the federal government would formally be called Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Ontario v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. The Monarch as an individual takes no more role in such an affair than in any other business of government.

Further information: The Crown

[edit] Symbols

Images of St. Edward's, the Tudor, and King's Crown are visible on military badges (see The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders badge), and the Order of Ontario, the latter illustrating the Monarch's place as the ceremonial head of the Canadian honours system. Portraits of the Monarch are often found in government buildings, schools, and military installations.

The Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario bears a personal flag which consists of a blue field bearing the shield of the Ontario coat of arms, surmounted by a crown, and surrounded by ten gold maple leafs, symbolizing the ten provinces.

Monuments to members of the Royal Family are located across the province. On the grounds of Queen's Park alone stand statues to King Edward VII, King George V, and Queen Victoria. On Parliament Hill in Ottawa stands an equestrian sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II riding Centennial, a horse presented to the Queen by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1977; it was the first equestrian statue of the Queen in the Commonwealth at the time of its unveiling in 1982. At that location there also stands a statue of Queen Victoria, sculpted by Louis-Philippe Hébert for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.^[4] Inside the Parliament Buildings, over the doors to the House of Commons, are busts of Henry VII and François I, the first monarchs officially considered as reigning in Canada. Along with them are depicted Louis XIV and George II. In the Library of Parliament stands a marble statue of Queen Victoria, and a bust of her looks over the Senate Chamber.

Statues of King George VI stand in Niagara Falls, and one to Queen Victoria in Hamilton.^[5]

Further information: National symbols of Canada and Canadian royal symbols

[edit] Official residences

Unlike other Canadian Vice-regals, he Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario does not have an official residence; instead he or she holds an office and a suite of rooms for entertaining at Queen's Park, the Ontario Legislature building. Ontario originally did maintain a Government House, one between 1868 and 1912, and a replacement after 1912. However, due to financial constraints, the latter was sold to the Federal Government in 1937, with some of the contents being sold at auction, while others were moved to the suite at Queen's Park. The Lieutenant-Governor currently lives in a Toronto house rented by the Crown.

Further information: Government House (Ontario)

The Lieutenant-Governor's present suite is a two storey complex at the northwest corner of the Legislative Building, with its own ceremonial porte-cochere entrance where members of the Canadian Royal Family and visiting foreign dignitaries are greeted; a rose garden donated by the Monarchist League of Canada sits in front of this porch. Inside are reception rooms, offices and support facilities; paintings from the Ontario Art Collection adorn the walls. The Lieutenant-Governor's office is the site of swearing-in ceremonies for Cabinet ministers, where Royal Assent is granted, and where the Lieutenant-Governor receives the Premier.

Ontario is also the location of Rideau Hall, the Governor General's residence, in Ottawa.

[edit] Royal presence

Members of the Royal Family have been visiting Ontario since before Confederation, either as a Royal tour, a Vice-regal tour, or as a "working visit" (meaning in association with a charity or military organization instead of a state affair). Queen Elizabeth II has traveled to Ontario more than any other member of the Royal Family, touring all parts of the province from Windsor to Kapuskasing.^[6]

• Albert Edward, The Prince of Wales - 1860
• The Princess Louise and Marquess of Lorne - 1882
• The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York - 1901
• Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught - 1906
• The Duke and Duchess of Connaught and Princess Patricia - 1911-1917
• Edward, The Prince of Wales - 1919
• The Prince of Wales and Prince George - 1927
• King George Vl and Queen Elizabeth - 1939
• Princess Alice and The Earl of Athlone - 1940-1946
• Prince George, Duke of Kent - 1941
• Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother - 1953, 1962, 1965, 1974, 1979, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1989
• Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh - 1951, 1957, 1959, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1973 (June, July), 1974, 1977, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1990 (Queen alone), 1992, 1997, 2002
• The Duke of Edinburgh - 1954, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1967 (June, July, November), 1969, 1970 (February, March), 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980 (May, September), 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004
• Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon - 1967, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1993, 1996
• Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales - 1970, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001
• Diana, Princess of Wales - 1986
• Princes William and Harry - 1991
• The Prince Andrew, Duke of York - 1983, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 (May, June)
• The Duchess of York - 1987, 1989, 1991
• Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex - 1988, 1989, 1993 (March, September), 1996, 2002 (twice in September), 2005
• Princess Anne - 1970, 1974 (January, November), 1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1993, 2003, 2004
• Prince Edward, Duke of Kent - 1975, 1979, 1991 (March, September), 2001
• The Prince and Princess Michael of Kent - 1982, 2002 (March, June), 2004
• Princess Alexandra and The Honourable Angus Ogilvy - 1967 (May, October), 1980, 1985

Further information: Royal visits to Canada

[edit] History

The area that is today Ontario was claimed partly by Henry Hudson in the name of King James I and IV after 1611, along the shores of Hudson Bay, and partly by Samuel de Champlain in the name of King Louis XIV after 1615, in the area of the Great Lakes. With the Treaty of Paris in 1763, nearly all the lands of New France were ceeded to the then British Crown.

After the erruption of the American Revolution, approximately 46,000 people loyal to the Crown, dubbed Loyalists, fled the United States to the British colonies in present day Canada, about 10,000 of that group settling in the southern part of the Province of Quebec, where the Crown granted each family 200 acres (0.8 km²) of land. Thousands of Iroquois and other Native Americans were also expelled from New York and other states and resettled in what is now Ontario. The descendants of one such group of Iroquois, led by Joseph Brant Thayendenegea, settled at Six Nations of the Grand River, the largest First Nations Reserve in Canada. Their arrival led to the eventual creation of the province of Upper Canada, the forerunner to the modern day Ontario, through the Constitutional Act of 1791. Continuing today, many souther Ontario residents retain the post-nominals "U.E.", standing for "United Empire." John Graves Simcoe was appointed Upper Canada's first Lieutenant-Governor in 1793. He stated in his address to the first Parliament of Upper Canada, in Niagara-on-the-Lake: "I have summoned you together, under the authority of an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, passed last year, which has established the British Constitution, and all the forms which secure and maintain it, in this distant country."^[7]

Into the early 1800s, a group of wealthy merchants, known colloquially as the Family Compact, began to gain political and financial control over the new province's affairs, controlling the government through Executive Council. This situation lead to the Upper Canada Rebellion, through the instigation of William Lyon Mackenzie; republicanism was a driving force behind King's actions, however most colonists did not espouse a break with the Crown.^[8] Mackenzie fled Toronto, with 200 supporters, and established, with the help of U.S. American sympathisers, the short-lived Republic of Canada on Navy Island, in the Niagara River. Though Upper Canada did not become an independent republic, responsible self-government was established by the Crown. This altered the nature of the Lieutenant-Governor's role - he was now both a representative of the Crown bound to almost always follow the advice of his Prime Minister, but he remained a representative in Canada West of the Imperial Government in London, meaning the Queen could disallow any colonial legislation on the advice of her British ministers.

In 1867 came Confederation, and the Lieutenant-Governor of the newly created province of Ontario, on the eastern border of which Queen Victoria named Ottawa as the national capital, became an agent of the Federal Government rather than of the government in Whitehall. This led the Dominion Government and the Foreign Office in London to believe that the Lieutenant-Governor was the representative in Ontario of the Governor General, as representative of the Crown, going so far as to stipulate that the Lieutenant-Governor was to grant Royal Assent to provincial legislation in the name of the Governor General and not of the Queen. However, the latter never happened in Ontario, and Assent was given in Queen Victoria's name.^[9] Later, a decision by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in 1892 stated that the Lieutenant-Governor represented the Crown in his own right.^[8]

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York travelled across Canada for two months in 1901, creating "incredible excitement seldom seen since the visit of his father [Edward VII] in 1860." One of the duties they undertook was to unveil the statute of Queen Victoria on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa.^[10]

In 1977, then 16 year old Prince Andrew arrived in Ontario to attend Lakefield College School, in Lakefield, for one year, on an exchange program from Gordonstoun.

[edit] First Nations and the Crown

	It seems history has come full circle. More than 200 years ago the Anishinabe people welcomed the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, Sir John Graves Simcoe, to their territory. And now I, their descendant, am being welcomed by you as the Sovereign's representative, on the day set aside for all Canadians to celebrate the cultures of the aborigional peoples, and their numerous contributions to our society.[11]
	— The Honourable James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, 2001

The Crown and Ontario First Nations have "walked hand in hand" in the development of the province of Ontario; the treaties making up the Covenant Chain ensured the preservation of the rights of First Nations peoples of Ontario, not provided elsewhere in the Americas.^[12]

An early example of the Crown's protection of First Nations people in Ontario was during the American Revolution. As a consequence of the Mohawk Nation's alliance with the British, through being a part of the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy, the Mohawk peoples were forced from their lands in the Mohawk Valley, in present day New York State, by the revolutionaries. As compensation, the British Crown promised land in Upper Canada to those displaced by the war. In 1784 some Mohawks settled in what is now the Bay of Quinte and the Grand River valley, where North America's only two Royal chapels, Christ Church Royal Chapel of the Mohawks and Her Majesty's Chapel of the Mohawks in Brantford, were built to symbolize the connection between the Mohawk peoples and the Crown.

To commemorate a diplomatic visit to Queen Anne by the "Four Mohawk Kings", or the three Mohawk and one Mahicanin Chiefs of the Iroquoian Confederacy, in 1710, the portraits of the "Four Indian Kings" were painted by Jan Verelst. After they hung in Kensington Palace for almost 270 years, Queen Elizabeth II donated them to the Canadian Collection at the National Archives of Canada, unveiling them in Ottawa in 1977.

Also, in 1984, as a bicentennial gift, Queen Elizabeth II gave the Christ Church Royal Chapel of the Mohawks a new silver chalice to replace one lost during the American Revolution. The lost chalice was from a set given to the Mohawks by Queen Anne in 1712 to embody the relationship between the Crown and Mohawk people.^[13]

Lieutenant-Governor James Barltleman is Ontario's first vice-regal of First Nations descent, a member of the Mnjikaning First Nation. . Currently many First Nations in Ontario claim to receive inadequate funding for education, and allege that their rights have been overlooked in many instances. Recently Bartleman listed the encouragement of indigenous young people as one of his key priorities, and during his term launched several initiatives to promote literacy and bridge building. He traveled to remote Native communities in northern Ontario to speak with First Nations leaders, and assess the conditions facing the Native peoples in that area of the province. He initiated the Lieutenant-Govenror's book program in 2004, and raised over 1.4 million books which were flown into Ontario's north to stock the shelves of Native community libraries. He also instigated a program to pair up Native and non-Native schools in Ontario.

[edit] Royal connections

[edit] Royal designation and patronage

Princess Margaret Hospital in downtown Toronto specialises in the treatment of cancer. It is named for Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. Women's College Hospital, also in Toronto, was under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto was granted a royal title by King George V in 1914, and the institution has been under the patronage of the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario since that date. The most recent institution to receive royal patronage was the Canadian Canoe Museum in 2006, with Prince Andrew, Duke of York as patron.

The Royal Canadian Yacht Club, located on the Toronto Islands, was granted royal designation by Queen Victoria in 1854, as was the annual Canadian National Exhibition in 1879. Other Ontario organizations bearing royal designation include the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club, the Royal Toronto Sailing Skiff Club, the Royal Ottawa Golf Club, the Royal Conservatory of Music, and Royal St. George's College, amongst many others.

Both King's College (later the University of Toronto) and Queen's University, in Kingston, Ontario, were founded by Royal Charter, the former in 1827 and the latter in 1841. After fire destroyed the University of Toronto Library in 1890, Queen Victoria and members of the Royal Family (including her grandson Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany) gave money for the restoration.^[14] The Toronto preparatory school Upper Canada College was also founded by Royal Charter in 1829.

Royal events include the Prince of Wales Stakes in Fort Erie, and the Queen's Plate and Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto.

Further information: List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage

[edit] Armed forces

Queen Elizabeth II is Colonel-in-Chief of the 48th Highlanders of Canada, based in Toronto, and formed in 1891. The regiment earned the nickname "The Glamour Boys" after standing for inspection by King George VI in blue puttees (leg wrappings) instead of the standard khaki, of which there weren't enough to outfit the regiment. After the King stated he preferred the blue, they became standard uniform for the 48th Highlanders ever since. The regiment provided a full Royal Honour Guard for Queen Elizabeth II in 1998, and for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair each year.

Elizabeth II is also Colonel-in-Chief of the Hamilton based Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (or Princess Louise's). The Argyll and Sutherland were presented with new colours, which bear the insignia of Princess Louise and Elizabeth II in each corner, by the Queen during her Golden Jubilee tour in 2002. She holds the same position for the Toronto based Governor General's Horse Guards, and the Governor General's Foot Guards in Ottawa.

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, is Colonel-in-Chief of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa.

The Prince of Wales is Colonel-in-Chief of the the Royal Canadian Dragoons at CFB Petawawa, the Royal Regiment of Canada in Toronto, and the Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother's Own) in Mississauga.

The Duke of York is Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen's York Rangers in Toronto. His sister, the Princess Royal, holds the same position for the Grey and Simcoe Foresters in Barrie and Owen Sound, and the Communications and Electronics Branch at CFB Kingston. The Countess of Wessesx is Commander-in-Chief of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment in Welland.

There also exists the Prince of Wales Rangers, Peterborough Regiment.

Her Majesty's Canadian Ships with Ontario namesakes include HMCS Ottawa, HMCS Kingston, and HMCS Toronto.

[edit] Communities

• Kingston - Named by United Empire Loyalists for King George III
• Queenston - Founded in the 1770s by United Empire Loyalists, and named for Queen Charlotte
• Queensville
• Guelph - Named for the House of Guelph, the ancestral family of King George IV; it bears the nickname "The Royal City."

[edit] Education

	The Crown has held a place of special significance throughout Ontario's history. The visit of our Queen serves as a reminder of this fact, and I believe it can be a more memorable occasion for our young citizens if it is supported by a meaningful learning experience.[7]
	— Thomas Leonard Wells, Ontario Minister of Education, 1973

For over 60 years the Department of Education (later the Ministry of Education) promoted homage to the Monarchy and patriotism within the Commonwealth by setting aside one school day a year to observe Commonwealth traditions and ideals. Called "Empire Day," it was observed in May preceding Victoria Day, the official birthday of the reigning Sovereign in Canada. Teaching aids and information were issued in published Empire Day pamphlets. Each issue included a message from the Minister of Education as well as specific instructions for teachers of children from kindergarten to Grade 8. This material ceased to be distributed in the early 1970s.^[7]

The Government of Ontario offers the Queen Elizabeth II Aiming for the Top Scholarship to award $3500 to students who have achieved high academic standings at the high school level.

Schools named for Canadian Sovereigns include:

• Queen Elizabeth II Public School in Chatham
• King George Community School
• Queen Elizabeth School
• Victoria School
• Queen Elizabeth School
• Victoria, King George and Queen Elizabeth schools

Schools named for members of the Canadian Royal Family include:

• Prince of Wales Public School in Peterborough
• Duke of York School in Toronto
• Queen Alexandra Public School in Toronto

[edit] Places of interest

The main ceremonial entrance to the Canadian National Exhibition grounds, Exhibition Place, is known as the Princes' Gates, named in honour of Edward, Prince of Wales and Prince Albert, who officially opened the gates on August 31, 1927. The CNE grounds also contain the Queen Elizabeth II Building, and the Princess Margaret Fountain.

The largest bridge in Toronto, crossing the Don Valley, and completed in 1918, is named the Prince Edward Viaduct, after the same Prince of Wales mentioned above. Also, running from the Ontario border with the United States at Fort Erie, to the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto, the Queen Elizabeth Way was completed in 1939, and named for Queen Elizabeth, consort of King George VI. Their Majesties opened the highway, and were the first people to traverse its length.

Many parks and gardens across Ontario are named for members of the Royal Family, including the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Jackson Park, Windsor, and the Queen Elizabeth II Gardens at Upper Canada Village, near Morrisburg. The Queen Elizabeth II Woodlands Park, a 335 km² park, one of the largest, least disturbed natural areas in Central Ontario, located near Gravenhurst, was named after the Sovereign in honour of her Golden Jubilee in 2002.^[15]

The Ottawa Memorial was unveiled in 1959 by Queen Elizabeth II, and the National War Memorial in Ottawa was dedicated by King George VI, in 1939. Since then the Queen and successive members of the Royal Family have visited the national memorial whenever in Ottawa.

In Toronto can be found the King Edward Hotel, as well as the Royal Alexandra Theatre (having letters patent from King Edward VII entitling it to the royal designation; its present owners believe that it is the only remaining legally "royal theatre" in North America), and Princess of Wales Theatre, named for Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Prince of Wales Hotel is in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

[edit] External links

• Office of the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario
• Princess Canadian Monarchist News: HRH The Princess Royal Visits Monarchist League; Summer, 2004
• Canadian Monarchist News: Philip in Toronto for 40th anniversary gala; Summer 2004
• McCracken, Marlene; Canadian Monarchist News: Kingston Welcomes the Princess Royal on Summer Homecoming to Canada; Spring, 2004
• Little, Geoffrey; Canadian Monarchist News: Duke of York at Queen's Park in May; Summer, 2003

[edit] References

The Monarchy in Canada

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