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.

[1][2][3] 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.

Then, in 1882, the legitimacy of the lieutenant governors as direct representatives of the monarch was established by the Lord Watson of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the case of Maritime Bank v. Receiver-General of New Brunswick.

"[32] The Lord Denning of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales ruled in 1982 that "the Crown became separate and divisible, according to the particular territory in which it was sovereign...

"[37] David Smith opined that, by being separated from the monarch by two levels of viceregal representation, the Canadian populace has been made more accepting of the Crown's role in determining who will govern in a minority parliament situation,[38] while Canadian republican leader Tom Freda opposes the system, calling the lieutenant governors "redundant and obsolete",[39] as does Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois, who opined that the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec is a "waste of money".

[45] The provincial coffers supply the relevant lieutenant governor for other expenses of office, travel costs, and the upkeep of official residences, amongst other necessities.

There is no uniform way in which each province distributes the money, and the amounts will also vary, depending on the facilities available to the monarch's representative, how they are used, which departments support them, and how they expenditures are listed in the provincial estimates.

One of the main duties of the Crown in a province is to appoint the individual most likely to maintain the confidence of the legislative assembly as premier; this is usually the leader of the political party with a majority in the legislature, but when no party or coalition holds a majority (referred to as a minority parliament), or similar scenario, the lieutenant governor's judgement about the most suitable candidate for premier must be brought into play.

[64] The premier thereafter heads the executive council, which is made up of other ministers of the Crown who are similarly drawn from and responsible to the elected legislature and are charged with advising the lieutenant governor on how to exercise the royal prerogative,[65] which includes the privilege to maintain the King's peace, grant immunity from prosecution,[66] and invoke the prerogative of mercy, as well as to summon and prorogue parliament and call elections.

In the construct of constitutional monarchy and responsible government, the ministerial advice tendered is typically binding; the monarch reigns but does not rule.

Though it may often appear differently, the royal prerogative belongs to the Crown, not to any of the ministers,[58][67] and the viceregal figures may unilaterally use these powers in exceptional constitutional crisis situations.

[n 10][58] On five occasions a lieutenant governor has dismissed a cabinet due to a crisis of confidence in the incumbent government: in Quebec in 1878 and 1891 and in British Columbia in 1898, 1900, and 1901.

[68][69] The Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Judith Guichon, in 2017 refused the advice of her premier to dissolve parliament and instead called on the leader of the opposition to form a government.

[70] Further, only in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick may the lieutenant governor appoint judges of the courts of probate, and only in Quebec is the solicitor general commissioned by the viceroy.

The lieutenant governor and the legislature are the two components of the parliament in each of the provinces,[71] the former's authority therein being embodied in each house's mace, which all bear a crown at their apex.

[78] In 1959, Premier of British Columbia W. A. C. Bennett wished to have Elizabeth II read the Speech From the Throne at the opening of the parliamentary session, but his request was turned down on the grounds that it was unconstitutional for the Queen to do so.

Though united in their shock at the republican tone in this response from the federal viceroy's office, monarchists debated the legal legitimacy of denying the Queen the ability to give her assent to provincial bills.

Itinerant judges will display an image of the King and the provincial flag when holding a session away from established courtrooms; such situations occur in parts of Canada where the stakeholders in a given court case are too isolated geographically to be able to travel for regular proceedings.

[87] Either as the host or a guest of honour, the monarch, other members of the Canadian royal family, and/or the lieutenant governor attend throughout the year numerous provincial functions that fall into one of two categories:[n 13] official visits—which take place at the direction of the relevant provincial government,[89] through the federal Department of Canadian Heritage,[90][91][92] and include such events as centennials and bicentennials, the openings of fairs or races, anniversaries of First Nations treaty signings, awards ceremonies, commemorations, anniversaries of the monarch's accession, and the like—or working visits—which focus on organizations such as charities or military regiments, and the invitation and expenses associated with these undertakings are predominantly borne by the associated organization.

Usually important milestones, anniversaries, or celebrations of Canadian culture will warrant the presence of the monarch,[93] while other royals will be asked to participate in lesser occasions.

Only twice, so far, has a member of the royal family awarded in person a provincial honour: in 2004, Princess Anne, Princess Royal, presented in Saskatoon the Saskatchewan Protective Services Medal to 25 recipients and,[96] on 6 July 2010, Queen Elizabeth II presented the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship to four recipients.

In response, six provinces—Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan—instituted a provincial platinum jubilee medal program to mark the Queen's seventy years on the Canadian throne.