On July 6, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Queen Elizabeth II had approved Simon's appointment as governor general.

[6] Simon was born Mary Jeannie May[4] on August 21, 1947,[7] in Fort Severight (now Kangiqsualujjuaq), Quebec,[8] to Bob May, who was from Manitoba and of English descent,[9] and to her mother, Nancy, an Inuk.

[18] Simon began her career as a public servant by being elected secretary of the board of directors of the Northern Quebec Inuit Association.

[19] Simon was one of the senior Inuit negotiators during the patriation of the Canadian Constitution, the First Ministers' conferences that took place from 1982 to 1992, as well as the 1992 Charlottetown Accord discussions.

In 1994, Simon was appointed by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to be Canadian Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs,[20] a newly created position she held until early 2004.

During this time, Simon was also the Canadian Ambassador to Denmark[22] (1999–2002),[23] a member of the Joint Public Advisory Committee of the Commission on Environmental Cooperation (1997–2000) and its chairwoman from 1997 to 1998.

From November 2004 to February 2005, she assisted with the facilitation and write-up of reports on the "Sectoral Follow-up Sessions" announced by Prime Minister Paul Martin following the April 19, 2004 Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable on Strengthening the Relationship on Health, Life Long learning, Housing, Economic Opportunities, Negotiations, and Accountability for Results.

On July 6, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Queen Elizabeth II had approved Simon's appointment as the 30th Governor General of Canada.

[31][32] On August 15, 2021, Simon approved the request of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to dissolve Parliament and signed a writ of election for September 20.

[33] On January 6, 2025, she granted Trudeau's request to prorogue Parliament until March 24, 2025 prior to his announcement about his intention to resign as party leader and prime minister as soon as his successor is chosen.

[36] Ajuinnata is an Inuktitut word that does not have a one-word translation, as it encompasses many things: a vow or a promise to never give up, or a commitment to action no matter how daunting the cause may be.

[39] Simon made her first trip abroad as Governor General on October 17, 2021, when she and her husband arrived in Berlin, Germany on a state visit.

[34] In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Simon said she discussed with Steinmeier, how in fulfilling the role of head of state, to express and atone for the darkest moments of their countries' history—the Holocaust and the Residential School System.

We saw the first Canadian named governor general, then the first woman and now, the first Indigenous person.Simon and her husband met the Queen for the first time on March 15, 2022, at Windsor Castle.

[46] Simon and her husband travelled to London from June 2 to 6, 2022, to take part in the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in the United Kingdom.

[50] Following the papal apology in Maskwacis on July 25, Simon said, "Today was a day that moved us forward, giving Survivors words that may help them heal.

[51] With Queen Elizabeth II's death on September 8, 2022, Simon became the first governor general to serve under two monarchs since Lord Tweedsmuir in 1936.

Simon said, "Her Majesty's warm welcome when we spent time with her earlier this year was a profound moment in our lives and a memory we will cherish forever".

[60] In a statement, Simon said:[61] Seventy years have passed since the last Coronation, offering us an opportunity to reflect on all that has changed in our country, the Commonwealth and the world around us.

And while the Crown has also evolved during this time, it continues to be an anchor for our robust and stable democracy and our diverse country.On May 7, 2023, Simon attended the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle.

[62] In June 2022, Simon came under fire after a National Post story was published regarding exorbitant in-flight catering costs of over $93,000 for her eight-day trip to the Middle East.

[63][64] She called the criticism "unfair" as she had no part in the logistics of her trips to discuss world peace but her office would try to "minimize the cost of future voyages".