Monarchy in British Columbia

Last updated
King in Right of British Columbia
Provincial
Coat of arms of British Columbia.svg
Arms of His Majesty the King in Right of British Columbia
Incumbent
Charles III
King of Canada
since 8 September 2022
Details
Style His Majesty
First monarch Victoria
Formation20 July 1871

By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, Canada's monarchy operates in British Columbia as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. [1] As such, the Crown within British Columbia's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of British Columbia, [2] His Majesty in Right of British Columbia, [3] or the King in Right of British Columbia. [4] The Constitution Act, 1867, however, leaves many royal duties in British Columbia specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, [1] whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy. [5]

Contents

Constitutional role

The role of the Crown is both legal and practical; it functions in British Columbia in the same way it does in all of Canada's other provinces, being the centre of a constitutional construct in which the institutions of government acting under the sovereign's authority share the power of the whole. [6] It is thus the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the province's government. [7] The Canadian monarch—since 8 September 2022, King Charles III—is represented and his duties carried out by the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy, with most related powers entrusted for exercise by the elected parliamentarians, the ministers of the Crown generally drawn from amongst them, and the judges and justices of the peace. [5] The Crown today primarily functions as a guarantor of continuous and stable governance and a nonpartisan safeguard against the abuse of power. [5] [8] [9] This arrangement began with an 1871 Order in Council by Queen Victoria and continued an unbroken line of monarchical government extending back to the late 18th century. [1] However, though British Columbia has a separate government headed by the King, as a province, British Columbia is not itself a kingdom. [10]

Government House in Victoria is owned by the sovereign only in his capacity as King in Right of British Columbia and is the official residence of both the lieutenant governor and the sovereign, when in British Columbia. [11]

A member of the Royal Family has owned property in British Columbia in a private capacity: Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, owned Portland Island, though this was offered on permanent loan to the Crown in Right of British Columbia. [12]

Royal associations

Those in the Royal Family perform ceremonial duties when on a tour of the province; the royal persons do not receive any personal income for their service, only the costs associated with the exercise of these obligations are funded by both the Canadian and British Columbia governments. [13] Monuments around British Columbia mark some of those visits, while others honour a royal personage or event. [12] Further, British Columbia's monarchical status is illustrated by royal names applied regions, communities, schools, and buildings, many of which may also have a specific history with a member or members of the Royal Family. Associations also exist between the Crown and many private organizations within the province; these may have been founded by a Royal Charter, received a royal prefix, and/or been honoured with the patronage of a member of the Royal Family. Examples include the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, which, along with the Vancouver Rowing Club and the Vancouver Racquets Club, is under the patronage of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the Royal British Columbia Museum, which received its royal prefix from Queen Elizabeth II in 1987. [14]

The main symbol of the monarchy is the sovereign himself, his image (in portrait or effigy) thus being used to signify government authority. [15] A royal cypher, crown, or the provincial arms (known as the Arms of His Majesty in right of British Columbia [16] ) may also illustrate the monarchy as the locus of authority, without referring to any specific monarch. Additionally, though the monarch does not form a part of the constitutions of British Columbia's honours, they do stem from the Crown as the fount of honour , and so bear on the insignia symbols of the sovereign.

History

In 1959, Premier W.A.C. Bennett desired that the Queen of Canada read the Speech from the Throne at the opening of a session of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. This request was turned down on the grounds that it was "constitutionally impossible". [17] The validity and logic behind the refusal was later a matter of debate. [18]

Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, at City Hall in New Westminster, 1971 Queen Elizabeth at New Westminster City Hall in 1971 (52370642444).jpg
Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, at City Hall in New Westminster, 1971

The Queen was again in British Columbia to mark the centennial of the province's entry into Confederation. [19] In 2002, Elizabeth toured Victoria and Vancouver as part of her Golden Jubilee as Queen of Canada. [20]

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (now Charles III, King of Canada), along with his great-uncle, the Earl Mountbatten of Burma, then the President of United World Colleges International Council, [21] opened Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific in 1975. [22] Prince Charles established the Prince of Wales Scholarship and would visit the college again between 30 March and 3 April 1980 and 29 to 31 October 1982. [23] He also toured British Columbia with his then-wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, from 30 April to 7 May 1986, opening Expo 86 in Vancouver and visiting Victoria, Prince George, Kamloops, and Nanaimo, and took a ski holiday at Whistler with his sons, Princes William and Harry, also visiting Vancouver with them. [23] In 2009, Charles returned with his second wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (now Queen Camilla), visiting Vancouver and Victoria, where he met with then-Director of Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific David Hawley and four Prince of Wales Scholarship recipients, one each from Kenya, Romania, Nicaragua, and Canada. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor General of Canada</span> Representative of the monarch of Canada

The governor general of Canada is the federal representative of the Canadian monarch, currently King Charles III. The person who serves as king or queen of Canada is also monarch and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and residence in the oldest and most populous realm, the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the advice of his or her Canadian prime minister, appoints a governor general to administer the government of Canada in the monarch's name. The commission is for an indefinite period—known as serving at His Majesty's pleasure—though, five years is the usual length of time. Since 1959, it has also been traditional to alternate between francophone and anglophone officeholders. The 30th and current governor general is Mary Simon, who was sworn in on 26 July 2021. An Inuk leader from Nunavik in Quebec, Simon is the first Indigenous person to hold the office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of Canada</span> Function and history of the Canadian monarchy

The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is one of the key components of Canadian sovereignty and sits at the core of Canada's constitutional federal structure and Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. The monarchy is the foundation of the executive (King-in-Council), legislative (King-in-Parliament), and judicial (King-on-the-Bench) branches of both federal and provincial jurisdictions. The current monarch is King Charles III, who has reigned since 8 September 2022.

The style and title of the Canadian sovereign is the formal mode of address of the monarch of Canada. The form is based on those that were inherited from the United Kingdom and France, used in the colonies to refer to the reigning monarch in Europe. As various Canadian territories changed ownership and then the country gradually gained independence, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government House (British Columbia)</span> Building in Victoria, British Columbia

Government House of British Columbia is the official residence of the lieutenant governor of British Columbia in Victoria and is nominally a residence of the Canadian monarch. It has casually been described as "the Ceremonial Home of all British Columbians." It stands in the provincial capital on a 14.6 hectares 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchism in Canada</span>

Canadian monarchism is a movement for raising awareness of Canada's constitutional monarchy among the Canadian public, and advocating for its retention, countering republican and anti-monarchical reform as being generally revisionist, idealistic, and ultimately impracticable. Generally, Canadian monarchism runs counter to anti-monarchist republicanism, but not necessarily to the classical form of republicanism itself, as most monarchists in Canada support the constitutional variety of monarchy, sometimes referred to as a crowned republic. These beliefs can be expressed either individually—generally in academic circles—or through what are known as loyal societies, which include the Monarchist League of Canada, legions, historical groups, ethnic organizations, and sometimes police and scout bodies. Though there may be overlap, this concept should not be confused with royalism, the support of a particular monarch or dynasty; Canadian monarchists may appreciate the monarchy without thinking highly of the monarch. There have also been, from time to time, suggestions in favour of a uniquely Canadian monarch, either one headed by a descendant of the present monarch and resident in Canada or one based on a First Nations royal house.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lieutenant Governor (Canada)</span> Viceroy of a Canadian province

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 "Her 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian royal symbols</span> Visual and auditory identifiers of the Canadian monarchy

Canadian royal symbols are the visual and auditory identifiers of the Canadian monarchy, including the viceroys, in the country's federal and provincial jurisdictions. These may specifically distinguish organizations that derive their authority from the Crown, establishments with royal associations, or merely be ways of expressing loyal or patriotic sentiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of monarchy in Canada</span>

The history of monarchy in Canada stretches from pre-colonial times through to the present day. The date monarchy was established in Canada varies; some sources say it was when the French colony of New France was founded in the name of King Francis I in 1534, while others state it was in 1497, when John Cabot made landfall in what is thought to be modern day Newfoundland or Nova Scotia, making a claim in the name of King Henry VII. Europeans in the 16th and 17th centuries often considered the territories belonging to different aboriginal groups to be kingdoms. Nevertheless, the present Canadian monarchy can trace itself back to the Anglo-Saxon period and ultimately to the kings of the Angles and the early Scottish kings; monarchs reigning over Canada have included those of France, those of the United Kingdom, and those of Canada. Canadian historian Father Jacques Monet said of Canada's Crown, "[it is] one of an approximate half-dozen that have survived through uninterrupted inheritance from beginnings that are older than our Canadian institution itself."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy in Saskatchewan</span> Role of the Canadian monarchy in Saskatchewan

By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, the Canadian monarchy operates in Saskatchewan as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within Saskatchewan's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in right of Saskatchewan, His Majesty in right of Saskatchewan, or His Majesty the King in right of Saskatchewan. The Constitution Act, 1867, however, leaves many royal duties in Saskatchewan specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy in Ontario</span> Function of the Canadian monarchy in Ontario

By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, Canada's monarchy operates in Ontario as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within Ontario's jurisdiction may be referred to as the Crown in Right of Ontario, His Majesty in Right of Ontario, the King in Right of Ontario, or His Majesty the King in Right of Ontario. The Constitution Act, 1867, leaves many functions in Ontario specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the lieutenant governor of Ontario, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the constitutional conventions of constitutional monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy in Quebec</span> Function of the Canadian monarchy in Quebec

By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, Canada's monarchy operates in Quebec as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy and constitution. As such, the Crown within Quebec's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Quebec, His Majesty in Right of Quebec, or the King in Right of Quebec. The Constitution Act, 1867, however, leaves many royal duties in the province specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the lieutenant governor of Quebec, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy in Newfoundland and Labrador</span> Function of the Canadian monarchy in Newfoundland and Labrador

By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, the Canadian monarchy operates in Newfoundland and Labrador as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within Newfoundland and Labrador's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador, His Majesty in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador, or the King in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Constitution Act, 1867, however, leaves many royal duties in the province specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy in Nova Scotia</span> Function of the Canadian monarchy in Nova Scotia

By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, the Canadian monarchy operates in Nova Scotia as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within Nova Scotia's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Nova Scotia, His Majesty in Right of Nova Scotia, or the King in Right of Nova Scotia. The Constitution Act, 1867, however, leaves many royal duties in the province specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy in Alberta</span> Function of the Canadian monarchy in Alberta

By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, Canada's monarchy operates in Alberta as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within Alberta's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Alberta, His Majesty in Right of Alberta, or The King in Right of Alberta. The Constitution Act, 1867, however, leaves many royal duties in Alberta specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy in Manitoba</span> Function of the Canadian monarchy in Manitoba

By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, Canada's monarchy operates in Manitoba as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within Manitoba's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Manitoba, His Majesty in Right of Manitoba, or the King in Right of Manitoba. The Constitution Act, 1867, however, leaves many royal duties in Manitoba specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the lieutenant governor of Manitoba, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy in New Brunswick</span> Function of the Canadian monarchy in New Brunswick

By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, Canada's monarchy operates in New Brunswick as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within New Brunswick's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of New Brunswick, His Majesty in Right of New Brunswick, or the King in Right of New Brunswick. The Constitution Act, 1867, however, leaves many royal duties in the province specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the lieutenant governor of New Brunswick, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy in Prince Edward Island</span> Function of the Canadian monarchy in Prince Edward Island

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy in the Canadian provinces</span> Overview about the presence of monarchy in the Canadian provinces

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.

The association between the monarchy of Canada and Indigenous peoples in Canada stretches back to the first interactions between North American Indigenous peoples and European colonialists and, over centuries of interface, treaties were established concerning the monarch and Indigenous nations. First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada have a unique relationship with the reigning monarch and, like the Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand, generally view the affiliation as being not between them and the ever-changing Cabinet, but instead with the continuous Crown of Canada, as embodied in the reigning sovereign.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Victoria (16 May 1871), British Columbia Terms of Union, 10, Westminster: Queen's Printer, retrieved 16 June 2009.
  2. ↑ Uukw et al. v. R. In Right of British Columbia and Registrar, Prince Rupert Land Title District, [1988 1 C.N.L.R. 173](British Columbia Court of Appeal2 April 1987).
  3. ↑ Elizabeth II (1 April 2005), British Columbia Treaty Commission Act, 2, Victoria: Queen's Printer for British Columbia, retrieved 23 June 2009
  4. ↑ British Columbia v. Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd. , [2005 2 S.C.R. 473, 2005 SCC 49](Supreme Court of Canada8 June 2005).
  5. 1 2 3 MacLeod, Kevin S. (2008). A Crown of Maples (PDF) (1 ed.). Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada. p. 16. ISBN   978-0-662-46012-1 . Retrieved 21 June 2009.
  6. ↑ Cox, Noel (September 2002). "Black v Chrétien: Suing a Minister of the Crown for Abuse of Power, Misfeasance in Public Office and Negligence". Murdoch University Electronic Journal of Law. 9 (3). Perth: Murdoch University: 12. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  7. ↑ Privy Council Office (2008). Accountable Government: A Guide for Ministers and Ministers of State – 2008. Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada. p. 49. ISBN   978-1-100-11096-7. Archived from the original on 18 March 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  8. ↑ Roberts, Edward (2009). "Ensuring Constitutional Wisdom During Unconventional Times" (PDF). Canadian Parliamentary Review. 23 (1). Ottawa: Commonwealth Parliamentary Association: 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  9. ↑ MacLeod 2008 , p. 20
  10. ↑ Forsey, Eugene (31 December 1974). "Crown and Cabinet". In Forsey, Eugene (ed.). Freedom and Order: Collected Essays. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Ltd. ISBN   978-0-7710-9773-7.
  11. ↑ MacLeod , p. XIV
  12. 1 2 British Columbia Archives. "The Legacy". Queen's Printer for British Columbia. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  13. ↑ Palmer, Sean; Aimers, John (2002), The Cost of Canada's Constitutional Monarchy: $1.10 per Canadian (2 ed.), Toronto: Monarchist League of Canada, archived from the original on 19 June 2008, retrieved 15 May 2009
  14. ↑ Historical Record of Royal British Columbia Museum Corporation, Royal British Columbia Museum, p. 10
  15. ↑ MacKinnon, Frank (1976), The Crown in Canada, Calgary: Glenbow-Alberta Institute, p.  69, ISBN   978-0-7712-1016-7
  16. ↑ Watt, Robert D. "Ministries > Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat > Official Symbols > The Coat of Arms of British Columbia: A Brief History". Queen's Printer for British Columbia. Protocol and Events Branch. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  17. ↑ Toporoski, Richard (June 2006). "Can the Queen Grant Royal Assent in a Provincial Legislature?: No" (PDF). Canadian Monarchist News. Fall-Winter 2005 (24). Toronto: Monarchist League of Canada: 19. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  18. ↑ Toporoski, Richard; Munro, Kenneth (June 2006). "Can the Queen Grant Royal Assent in a Provincial Legislature?" (PDF). Canadian Monarchist News. Fall-Winter 2005 (24). Toronto: Monarchist League of Canada: 17–20. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  19. ↑ British Columbia Archives. "Chronology of Principal Royal Visits to British Columbia". Queen's Printer for British Columbia. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  20. ↑ "Queen drops puck, raises cheer in arena". CBC. 7 October 2002. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  21. 1 2 "Prince of Wales Visits Victoria" (PDF), Pearson Times (Spring 2010): 1, retrieved 31 October 2023
  22. ↑ Pearson College UWC–Canada's school for students of exceptional promise and potential worldwide, Pearson College United World College, retrieved 7 November 2016
  23. 1 2 Crawford, Tiffany (9 September 2022), "Photos: A look back at the six times King Charles III visited B.C. as a prince", Vancouver Sun, retrieved 1 November 2023


Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.