List of Canadian monarchs
Listed here are the monarchs who reigned over the French and British colonies of Canada, followed by the British Dominion of Canada, and finally the present-day sovereign state of Canada.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] The date of the first claim by a monarch over Canada varies, with most sources giving the year as 1497, when John Cabot made landfall somewhere on the North American coast (likely either modern-day Newfoundland or Nova Scotia), and claimed the land for England on behalf of King Henry VII.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] However, some sources instead put this date at 1534 when the word "Canada" was first used to refer to the French colony of Canada,[19] which was founded in the name of King Francis I.[20][21] Monarchical governance subsequently evolved under a continuous succession of French, British, and eventually uniquely Canadian sovereigns.[4][5][17][21][22][23][24][25] Since the first claim by Henry VII,[26] there have been 33 sovereigns of Canada, including two sets of co-sovereigns.[27][28][29][30][31][32][33]
While Canada became a Dominion within the British Empire upon Confederation in 1867,[34][35][36][37] the concept of a fully independent Canada sharing the person of the sovereign with the United Kingdom and other countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, only emerged gradually over time through constitutional convention,[38] and was officially confirmed with the passage of the Statute of Westminster in 1931.[39] Since then,[28] the Canadian Crown has been legally distinct from those of the other Commonwealth realms, with its own separate and distinct monarch.[N 1] Although the term king of Canada was used as early as the beginning of the reign of George VI,[41] it was not until 1953 that the monarch's title was made official, with Elizabeth II being the first monarch to be separately proclaimed as Queen of Canada, as per the Royal Style and Titles Act.
Sovereigns of Canada
The French Crown (1534–1763)
No. | Portrait | Regnal name | Reign | Full name | Consort | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sovereigns of the colony of Canada | ||||||
1 | Francis I (1497–1547) House of Valois |
24 July 1534 | 31 March 1547 | Francis | Eleanor of Austria | |
Territorial changes: 1534: in Francis' name, Jacques Cartier laid claim to "Kanata" (Canada) and Acadia.[42] | ||||||
2 | Henry II (1519–1559) House of Valois |
31 March 1547 | 10 July 1559 | Henry | Catherine de' Medici | |
3 | Francis II (1544–1560) House of Valois |
10 July 1559 | 5 December 1560 | Francis | Mary, Queen of Scots | |
4 | Charles IX (1550–1574) House of Valois |
5 December 1560 | 30 May 1574 | Charles Maximilian | Elisabeth of Austria | |
5 | Henry III (1551–1589) House of Valois |
30 May 1574 | 2 August 1589 | Alexandre Édouard | Louise of Lorraine | |
6 | Henry IV (1553–1610) House of Bourbon |
2 August 1589 | 14 May 1610 | Henri de Bourbon | Margaret of Valois, Marie de' Medici | |
7 | Louis XIII (1601–1643) House of Bourbon |
14 May 1610 | 14 May 1643 | Louis | Anne of Austria | |
8 | Louis XIV (1638–1715) House of Bourbon |
14 May 1643 | 1 September 1715 | Louis-Dieudonné | Maria Theresa of Spain, Françoise d'Aubigné | |
Territorial changes: 1655: acquired concrete claim to Placentia. Note: 1713: ceded Acadia, Placentia, and Hudson Bay to Anne. | ||||||
9 | Louis XV (1710–1774) House of Bourbon |
1 September 1715 | 10 February 1763 | Louis | Marie Leszczyńska | |
Territorial changes: 1763: ceded the Colony of Canada, along with the rest of New France, to George III. |
The English and British Crowns (1497–1931)
No. | Portrait | Regnal name | Reign | Full name | Consort | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sovereigns of the colony of Canada | ||||||
1 | Henry VII (1457–1509) House of Tudor |
24 June 1497 | 21 April 1509 | Henry | Elizabeth of York | |
Territorial changes: 1497: in Henry's name, John Cabot laid claim to lands that soon came to be called "Canada".[27] The English Crown did not concretely exercise this claim until the reign of King George III, when the colony of Canada was officially ceded from France to Great Britain. | ||||||
2 | Henry VIII (1491–1547) House of Tudor |
21 April 1509 | 28 January 1547 | Henry | Catherine of Aragon (1509), Anne Boleyn (1533), Jane Seymour (1536), Anne of Cleves (1540), Catherine Howard (1540), Catherine Parr (1543) | |
3 | Edward VI (1537–1553) House of Tudor |
28 January 1547 | 6 July 1553 | Edward | None | |
4 | Mary I (1516–1558) House of Tudor |
19 July 1553 | 17 November 1558 | Mary | Philip II of Spain (co-sovereign) | |
5 | Elizabeth I (1533–1603) House of Tudor |
17 November 1558 | 24 March 1603 | Elizabeth | None | |
Territorial changes: 1583: in Elizabeth's name, Humphrey Gilbert laid claim to the island of Newfoundland. | ||||||
6 | James I (1566–1625) House of Stuart |
24 March 1603 | 27 March 1625 | Charles James | Anne of Denmark | |
7 | Charles I (1600–1649) House of Stuart |
27 March 1625 | 30 January 1649 | Charles | Henrietta Maria of France | |
Cromwellian Era | 30 January 1649 | 29 May 1660 | ||||
8 | Charles II (1630–1685) House of Stuart |
2 May 1670 | 3 September 1651 | Charles | Catherine of Braganza | |
Note: 1670: created Rupert's Land. | ||||||
9 | James II (1633–1701) House of Stuart |
6 February 1685 | 1 December 1688 | James | Mary of Modena | |
Vacant | 1 December 1688 | 13 February 1689 | ||||
10 | William III (1650–1702) House of Orange-Nassau |
13 February 1689 | 8 March 1702 | William | Mary II of England (co-monarch) | |
11 | Anne (1665–1714) House of Stuart |
8 March 1702 | 1 August 1714 | Anne | Prince George of Denmark | |
Note: 1713: acquired Acadia, Placentia, and Hudson Bay from Louis XIV of France. | ||||||
12 | George I (1660–1727) House of Hanover |
1 August 1714 | 11 June 1727 | George Louis | Sophia Dorothea of Celle | |
13 | George II (1683–1760) House of Hanover |
11 June 1727 old calendar |
25 October 1760 new calendar |
George Augustus | Caroline of Ansbach | |
14 | George III (1738–1820) House of Hanover |
25 October 1760 | 29 January 1820 | George William Frederick | Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | |
Territorial changes: 1763: acquired Canada from Louis XV of France; changed its name to Province of Quebec. 1778: in George's name, James Cook laid claim to lands that later came to be called Vancouver Island. 1791: created the provinces of Upper Canada and Lower Canada out of the Province of Quebec. 1818: ceded Rupert's Land south of the 49th parallel to the United States; acquired the Louisiana Purchase north of the 49th parallel from the United States. | ||||||
15 | George IV (1762–1830) House of Hanover |
29 January 1820 | 26 June 1830 | George Augustus Frederick | Caroline of Brunswick | |
16 | William IV (1765–1837) House of Hanover |
26 June 1830 | 20 June 1837 | William Henry | Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen | |
17 | Victoria (1819–1901) House of Hanover |
20 June 1837 | 1 July 1867 | Alexandrina Victoria | Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | |
Territorial changes: 1840: united Lower and Upper Canada into the Province of Canada. 1846: acquired concrete claim to the Columbia District north of the 49th parallel and Vancouver Island. | ||||||
Sovereigns of the Dominion of Canada[N 2] | ||||||
17 | Victoria (1819–1901) House of Hanover |
1 July 1867 | 22 January 1901 | Alexandrina Victoria | Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | |
Canadian Governors general:The Viscount Monck, the Lord Lisgar, the Earl of Dufferin, the Marquess of Lorne, the Marquess of Lansdowne, the Lord Stanley of Preston, the Earl of Aberdeen, the Earl of Minto | ||||||
Canadian Prime ministers: John A. Macdonald, Alexander Mackenzie, John Abbott, John Thompson, Mackenzie Bowell, Charles Tupper, Wilfrid Laurier | ||||||
Territorial changes: 1867: united the Province of Canada (and created out of it Ontario and Quebec), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into the Dominion of Canada. 1870: created the province of Manitoba. Joined Rupert's Land (1870), British Columbia (1871), Prince Edward Island (1873), and the British Arctic Territories (1880) into the union. | ||||||
18 | Edward VII (1841–1910) House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
22 January 1901 | 6 May 1910 | Albert Edward | Alexandra of Denmark | |
Canadian Governors general: The Earl of Minto, the Earl Grey | ||||||
Canadian Prime minister: Wilfrid Laurier | ||||||
Territorial changes: 1905: created the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan from part of the Northwest Territories. | ||||||
19 | George V (1865–1936) House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (until 1917) House of Windsor (after 1917) |
6 May 1910 | 11 December 1931 | George Frederick Ernest Albert | Mary of Teck | |
Canadian Governors general: The Earl Grey, the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, the Duke of Devonshire, the Lord Byng of Vimy, the Marquess of Willingdon, the Earl of Bessborough | ||||||
Canadian Prime ministers: Wilfrid Laurier, Robert Borden, Arthur Meighen, William Lyon Mackenzie King, Richard B. Bennett | ||||||
Territorial changes: 1931: granted Royal Assent to the Statute of Westminster 1931, thereby creating the Canadian Crown and leaving Newfoundland as the only part of Canada's current territory left under the British Crown. |
The Canadian Crown (1931–present)
In 1931 the Canadian Crown emerged as an independent entity from that of the British Crown due to the Statute of Westminster 1931.
No. | Portrait | Regnal name | Reign | Full name | Consort | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sovereigns of Canada | ||||||
1 | George V (1865–1936) House of Windsor |
11 December 1931 | 20 January 1936 | George Frederick Ernest Albert | Mary of Teck | |
Governors general: The Earl of Bessborough, the Lord Tweedsmuir | ||||||
Prime ministers: Richard B. Bennett, William Lyon Mackenzie King | ||||||
2 | Edward VIII (1894–1972) House of Windsor |
20 January 1936 | 11 December 1936 | Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David | none | |
Governor general: The Lord Tweedsmuir | ||||||
Prime minister: William Lyon Mackenzie King | ||||||
3 | George VI (1895–1952) House of Windsor |
11 December 1936 | 6 February 1952 | Albert Frederick Arthur George | Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon | |
Governors general: The Lord Tweedsmuir, the Earl of Athlone, the Viscount Alexander of Tunis | ||||||
Prime ministers: William Lyon Mackenzie King, Louis St. Laurent | ||||||
Territorial change: 1949: merged Newfoundland (now Newfoundland and Labrador) into Canada, thereby putting all of Canada's current territory under the Canadian Crown. | ||||||
4 | Elizabeth II (born 1926) House of Windsor |
6 February 1952 | Present | Elizabeth Alexandra Mary | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | |
Governors general: The Viscount Alexander of Tunis, Vincent Massey, Georges Vanier, Roland Michener, Jules Léger, Edward Schreyer, Jeanne Sauvé, Ray Hnatyshyn, Roméo LeBlanc, Adrienne Clarkson, Michaëlle Jean, David Johnston | ||||||
Prime ministers: Louis St. Laurent, John Diefenbaker, Lester B. Pearson, Pierre Trudeau, Joe Clark, John Turner, Brian Mulroney, Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin, Stephen Harper, Justin Trudeau |
Consorts
The Canadian monarchs' consort—his or her spouse—has no constitutional status or power, but is a member of the Canadian Royal Family. In the United Kingdom, all female consorts have had the right to and have held the title of Queen Consort; as Canada does not have laws or letters patent under the Great Seal of Canada laying out the styles of any Royal Family members besides the monarch, royal consorts are addressed in Canada using the style and title as they hold in the UK. After informal discussions among the various Commonwealth prime ministers between 1954 and 1957, it was decided that Prince Philip, husband of Elizabeth II, would not be granted the title of Prince Consort.[43][44]
Since Confederation, two sovereigns have reigned over Canada without a consort: Victoria, whose husband, Albert, died before Confederation, and Edward VIII, who married Wallis Simpson after his abdication. Though Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (the current wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the throne of Canada), will technically become queen consort in the United Kingdom, Clarence House has stated that, due to public opinion regarding her relationship with the Prince of Wales, she will be styled there as Princess Consort.[45][46][47]
See also
- History of monarchy in Canada
- History of Canada
- Timeline of Canadian history
- Constitutional history of Canada
- List of Governors General of Canada
- List of current heads of state and government
Notes
- ↑ The English Court of Appeal ruled in 1982, while "there is only one person who is the Sovereign within the British Commonwealth... in matters of law and government the Queen of the United Kingdom, for example, is entirely independent and distinct from the Queen of Canada."[40]
- ↑ In 1867, the separate colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick joined to form the Dominion of Canada. Subsequently, each of the other colonies in British North America eventually joined the union as provinces. Other provinces were created by the Dominion from its territories. Over time, Canada gradually gained increasing independence from the United Kingdom due to continued evolution in constitutional practice. However, it remained under the British Crown until 1931, when the Canadian Crown is generally accepted as having been created due to the enactment of the Statute of Westminster. The Dominion of Newfoundland continued as a separate British colony under the British Crown until it joined Canada in 1949.
References
- ↑ MacLeod, Kevin S. (2012). A Crown of Maples (PDF) (2 ed.). Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada. p. 2. ISBN 978-0-662-46012-1. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- ↑ "Crown in Canada – The Monarch". Queen's Printer for Canada. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- ↑ Department of Canadian Heritage. "Ceremonial and Canadian Symbols Promotion > The Canadian Monarchy". Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
- 1 2 Kenney, Jason (23 April 2007). "Speech to the Lieutenant Governors Meeting". Written at Regina. In Department of Canadian Heritage. Speeches > The Honourable Jason Kenney. Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
- 1 2 Valpy, Michael (13 November 2009). "The monarchy: Offshore, but built-in". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ↑ MacLeod 2012, p. 6
- ↑ Monet, Jacques. "The Canadian Encyclopedia". In Marsh, James Harley. Government > Parliamentary Institutions > Governor General. Toronto: Historica Foundation of Canada. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ↑ The Royal Household. "The Queen and the Commonwealth > Queen and Canada > History and present government". Queen's Printer. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ↑ Coyne, Andrew (13 November 2009). "Defending the royals". Maclean's. Toronto: Roger's Communications. ISSN 0024-9262. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
- ↑ Editorial (26 May 2012), "Celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada", Toronto Star, retrieved 27 May 2012
- ↑ Government of Canada (24 September 2014). "The Royal Family". The Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ↑ Government of Canada (1 July 2012). "Discover Canada – Canada's History". Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
- ↑ The Canadian Encyclopedia (1 July 2008). "John Cabot". Historica Canada. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
- ↑ "The First Voyages of the Europeans". University of Ottawa. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
- ↑ Croxton, Derek (1990). "The Cabot Dilemma: John Cabot's 1497 Voyage & the Limits of Historiography". Canada History. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
- ↑ Memorial University of Newfoundland (1997). "John Cabot's Voyage of 1497". Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
- 1 2 Harper, Stephen (2008). "Letter" (PDF). In MacLeod, Kevin S. A Crown of Maples. Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada (published 2012). p. vii. ISBN 978-0-662-46012-1. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- ↑ Bousfield, Arthur; Toffoli, Garry. "The Sovereigns of Canada". Canadian Royal Heritage Trust. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ↑ "Origin of the Name - Canada". Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ↑ Robertson, Colin (February 2008). "The true white north: reflections on being Canadian". Institute for Research on Public Policy. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- 1 2 Parliament of Canada. "Canada: A Constitutional Monarchy". Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
- ↑ MacLeod 2012, pp. 2–3, 39
- ↑ Monet, Jacques (2007). "Crown and Country" (PDF). Canadian Monarchist News. Toronto: Monarchist League of Canada. Summer 2007 (26): 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
- ↑ MacLeod 2012, p. 9
- ↑ "Queen and Canada". The British Monarchy. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
- ↑ Bousfield, Arthur & Toffoli, Garry (2004). "The Monarchy and Canadian Independence". Canadian Royal Heritage Trust. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
- 1 2 Bousfield, Arthur; Toffoli, Garry. "The Sovereigns of Canada". Canadian Royal Heritage Trust. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
- 1 2 MacLeod 2012, p. 78
- ↑ "Sovereigns Who have Reigned Over Canada". The Canadian Encyclodpdia. Historica Canada. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- ↑ Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (22 August 2013). "Kings and Queens of Canada". Queen's Printer for Ontario. Archived from the original on September 15, 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
- ↑ Heritage Canada (2013). "The Kings and Queens of Canada" (PDF). Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
- ↑ Tidridge, Nathan (2011). Canada's Constitutional Monarchy. Toronto: Dundurn. pp. 233–236.
- ↑ "Canada's Monarchy throughout History". Monarchist League of Canada. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
- ↑ The Canadian Encyclopedia (22 September 2013). "Confederation". Historica Canada. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
- ↑ Department of Canadian Heritage. "Ceremonial and Canadian Symbols Promotion > The crown in Canada". Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
- ↑ "Constitutional History, 1867 – 1931: Becoming a Nation". Canadiana. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
- ↑ Royal Household. "The Queen and the Commonwealth > Queen and Canada > History and present government". Queen's Printer. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
- ↑ Heard, Andrew (1990). "Canadian Independence". Simon Fraser University. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
- ↑ "Constitutional History, 1931 – 1982: Toward Renewal and Patriation". Canadiana. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
- ↑ R v Foreign Secretary, Ex parte Indian Association (as referenced in High Court of Australia: Sue v Hill [1999] HCA 30; 23 June 1999; S179/1998 and B49/1998), QB 892 at 928 (English Court of Appeal June 1999).
- ↑ Galbraith, William (1989). "Fiftieth Anniversary of the 1939 Royal Visit". Canadian Parliamentary Review. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. 12 (3). Retrieved 3 January 2009.
- ↑ "A Part of Our Heritage...Jacques Cartier". Historica Canada. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
- ↑ "Burke's Peerage and Gentry > The Royal Family > HRH The Duke of Edinburgh". Burke's Peerage & Gentry and The Origins Network. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
- ↑ LCO 6/3677 Title of Prince: HRH Philip Duke of Edinburgh
- ↑ "Prince Charles to marry Camilla". BBC. 10 February 2005. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
- ↑ "Charles-Camilla civil marriage seen as compromise". CTV. 10 February 2005. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
- ↑ "Camilla's 'flexible role'". News24. 11 February 2005. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
External links
- Government of Canada: The Kings and Queens of Canada: The Crown in Canadian History
- Senate of Canada: Canada, A Constitutional Monarchy