The lieutenant governor of Manitoba is appointed in the same manner as the other provincial viceroys in Canada and is similarly tasked with carrying out most of the monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties.

[6] At these events, the lieutenant governor's presence is marked by the lieutenant governor's standard, consisting of a blue field bearing the escutcheon of the coat of arms of Manitoba surmounted by a crown and surrounded by ten gold maple leaves, symbolizing the ten provinces of Canada.

The first two holders of the title (Adams George Archibald and Alexander Morris) held more power in the province so much so in becoming a de facto Premier and only changed under Joseph-Édouard Cauchon.

In 1919, the Manitoba legislature voted in favour of The Initiative and Referendum Act, which sought to eliminate the lieutenant governor from the legislative process in the province.

Royal Assent to the bill was reserved by Lieutenant Governor James Aikins and eventually the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council at Westminster ruled that, since the law affected an appointee of the federal Crown, it was ultra vires and struck down.