Government House | |
---|---|
General information | |
Architectural style | Palladian Georgian |
Town or city | 1 Terry Fox Drive Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 8T6 |
Country | Canada |
Coordinates | 46°13′52″N63°08′10″W / 46.231168°N 63.136148°W |
Construction started | 1834 |
Client | The King of the United Kingdom (William IV) |
Owner | The King in Right of Prince Edward Island (Charles III) |
Technical details | |
Structural system | Timber framing |
Official name | Government House National Historic Site of Canada |
Designated | 1971-05-27 |
Reference no. | 578 |
Official name | Government House |
Type | Provincial Designated Heritage Place |
Designated | 2001-10-26 |
Reference no. | 3243 |
Official name | Government House |
Type | Heritage Resource (Charlottetown) |
Designated | 1979-10-26 |
Reference no. | 3375 |
Government House of Prince Edward Island, often referred to as Fanningbank, is the official residence of the lieutenant governor of Prince Edward Island. The vice-regal residence is located in the provincial capital of Charlottetown. [1] It stands in the provincial capital at 1 Terry Fox Drive; while the equivalent building in many provinces has a prominent, central place in the capital, the site of Prince Edward Island's Government House is relatively unobtrusive within Charlottetown, giving it more the character of a private home.
Government House was constructed between 1832 and 1834 as a viceregal residence for the lieutenant governor of the then British colony of Prince Edward Island. The land, a parcel of 100 acres (0.40 km2) known as Fanning Bank or Fanning's Bank, was in 1789 set aside by Lieutenant Governor Edmund Fanning as Crown land, with the specific stipulation that it be used as the site for the governor's residence. In 1873,[ citation needed ] approximately 10 acres (40,000 m2) was retained for Government House and its grounds. 40 acres was given to the City of Charlottetown and later became Victoria Park.[ citation needed ]
Government House was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1971. [2]
Government House is the official residence of the lieutenant governor and his or her spouse and "also serves as a centre of official hospitality in the province" [3] where many distinguished visitors to Prince Edward Island are entertained. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh stayed at the house during their royal visit in 1959. [3] The house hosts events such as the bestowing of provincial awards or inductions into the Order of Prince Edward Island, [4] as well as luncheons, dinners, receptions, and speaking engagements. It is also at the vice-regal residence [3] that the lieutenant governor drops the writs of election, swears-in new members of the Executive Council, and holds audiences with the premier.
The property is owned by the King in Right of Prince Edward Island [ citation needed ] and is open to the public for certain periods during the summer.
The wood-frame building's architectural design is Georgian with echoes of the Palladian tradition. The two axis of the house converge on the main entrance hall, which has doric columns and pilasters and a double switchback stair leading to the second floor. The residence was designed by Yorkshire architect Isaac Smith, who also designed the Island's Colonial Building.
Prince Edward Island is an island province of Canada. While it is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", "Birthplace of Confederation" and "Cradle of Confederation". Its capital and largest city is Charlottetown. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces.
Rideau Hall is the official residence of the governor general of Canada, the representative of the monarch of Canada. Located in Ottawa, the capital of the country on a 36-hectare (88-acre) estate at 1 Sussex Drive. The main building consisting of approximately 175 rooms across 9,500 square metres (102,000 sq ft), and 27 outbuildings around the grounds. Rideau Hall's site lies just outside the centre of Ottawa. It is one of two official vice-regal residences maintained by the federal Crown, the other being the Citadelle of Quebec.
The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island together with the lieutenant governor of Prince Edward Island form the General Assembly of Prince Edward Island. The Legislative Assembly meets at Province House, which is at the intersection of Richmond and Great George Streets in Charlottetown. Bills passed by the Assembly are given royal assent by the lieutenant governor in the name of the King of Canada.
Government House of British Columbia is the official residence of the lieutenant governor of British Columbia in Victoria and is vice-regal residence. It has casually been described as "the Ceremonial Home of all British Columbians." It stands in the provincial capital on a 14.6-hectare (36-acre) estate at 1401 Rockland Avenue; while the equivalent building in many countries has a prominent, central place in the capital, the site of British Columbia's Government House is relatively unobtrusive within Victoria, giving it more the character of a private home.
Government House of Manitoba is the official residence of the lieutenant governor of Manitoba, and is located in the provincial capital of Winnipeg. It stands in the provincial capital, on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Building, at 10 Kennedy Street; unlike other provincial Government Houses in Canada, this gives Manitoba's vice-regal residence a prominent urban setting, though it is surrounded by gardens.
Government House is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick. Located in Fredericton, it stands on a 4.5 ha estate along the Saint John River in the provincial capital at 51 Woodstock Road; while the equivalent building in many countries has a prominent, central place in the territorial capital, the site of New Brunswick's Government House is relatively unobtrusive within Fredericton, giving it more the character of a private home.
Province House is where the Prince Edward Island Legislature, known as the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, has met since 1847. The building is located at the intersection of Richmond and Great George Streets in Charlottetown; it is Canada's second-oldest seat of government.
Government House was the official residence of the lieutenant governor of Upper Canada and Ontario, Canada. Four buildings were used for this purpose, none of which exist today, making Ontario one of four provinces not to have an official vice-regal residence.
The Ontario Legislative Building is a structure in central Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It houses the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and the viceregal suite of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and offices for members of the provincial parliament (MPPs). The building is surrounded by Queen's Park, sitting on that part south of Wellesley Street, which is the former site of King's College, which was leased from the university by the municipal government of Toronto in 1859, for a "peppercorn" payment of CAD$1 per annum on a 999-year term. The southern portion of the site was later handed over to the provincial government.
The King's Printer is typically a bureau of the national, state, or provincial government responsible for producing official documents issued by the King-in-Council, Ministers of the Crown, or other departments. The position is defined by letters patent under the royal prerogative in Canada and the United Kingdom.
Government House of Nova Scotia is the official residence of the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia, and is located in Halifax. It stands in the provincial capital at 1451 Barrington Street; unlike other provincial Government Houses in Canada, this gives Nova Scotia's vice-regal residence a prominent urban setting, though it is still surrounded by gardens.
Government House in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, is the official office of the lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan. It was first constructed as a residence for the lieutenant governor of the North-West Territories, whose territorial headquarters were in Regina. When the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta were created out of the Territories in 1905, Regina became the capital of Saskatchewan and Government House became the official residence of the lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan. It was vacated in 1944 and then returned to official ceremonial use in 1984.
In Canada, a lieutenant governor is the representative of the king of Canada in the government of each province. The governor general of Canada appoints the lieutenant governors on the advice of the prime minister of Canada to carry out most of the monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties for an unfixed period of time—known as serving "His Excellency’s pleasure"—though five years is the normal convention. Similar positions in Canada's three territories are termed "Commissioners" and are representatives of the federal government, not the monarch directly.
By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, the Canadian monarchy operates in Prince Edward Island as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within Prince Edward Island's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Prince Edward Island, His Majesty in Right of Prince Edward Island, or the King in Right of Prince Edward Island. The Constitution Act, 1867, however, leaves many royal duties in Prince Edward Island specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the lieutenant governor of Prince Edward Island, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy.
Canada is a constitutional monarchy, and connections to the Canadian Crown in Saskatoon, the most populous city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, are visible in visits from the Sovereign of Canada, the Canadian Royal Family and vice-regal representatives, and also in the prominence of names and symbols in civic traditions. The Crown's image appears in the centrepiece portrait at Saskatoon City Council chamber and also in the badges of Saskatoon Police Service officers. On one of several visits to Saskatoon, Queen Elizabeth II said "Constitutional Monarchy has always placed the emphasis on people in community – as it were, a national family with the Sovereign as its head." Saskatoon's manifold connections include more than a dozen royal visits, frequent vice-regal visitors, namesakes for schools, streets and neighbourhoods, and the regular inclusion of its own namesake, the saskatoon berry, on menus for royal and vice-regal functions. Canada's 2008 definitive postage stamp features a photograph of Queen Elizabeth II taken in Saskatoon.
The monarchy of Canada forms the core of each Canadian provincial jurisdiction's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy, being the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government in each province. The monarchy has been headed since September 8, 2022 by King Charles III who as sovereign is shared equally with both the Commonwealth realms and the Canadian federal entity. He, his consort, and other members of the Canadian royal family undertake various public and private functions across the country. He is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.
Victoria Park is a waterfront park in the city of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in 1855.
The History of Charlottetown can be traced back to the original French military settlement established on the site in 1720. Over the years Charlottetown has grown to become the largest and most important city on Prince Edward Island.