Joseph Royal (7 May 1837 – 23 August 1902) was a Canadian journalist, lawyer, politician, businessman, and Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories.

He then founded and published other Montreal-based publications such as L'Ordre (1859–1860), La Revue Canadienne (1864) and Le Nouveau Monde (1867, editor-in-chief).

[1] His legal career began in Lower Canada where he was called to that province's bar in 1864.

[2] In an 1879 by-election, he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada representing the Manitoba riding of Provencher.

Royal was appointed to, and served as a member on the Temporary North-West Council, the first legislature of the Northwest Territories from 1872 to 1876.