The world witnesses King Charles III’s coronation, which also holds a remarkable significance for Canada.

Among the other titles of the new King, King Charles will also be formally recognized as the King of Canada.

King Charles III’s coronation is the first Coronation in 70 years of the British monarchy. No coronation was held after the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

The honored PM of Canada, Justin Trudeau, will be in London along with the assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald, the President of the Métis National Council Cassidy Caron and the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Natan Obed to attend the special ceremony.

In addition, Janice Charette, the Clerk of the Privy Council and the Secretary to the Cabinet, will attend, and the delegation of Canada will also have youthful leaders.

To remark the special day, Canada will host an official ceremony in Ottawa on May 6, 2023. In addition, the celebrations will be held nationwide on May 6 and 7, 2023.

Canada is a constitutional monarchy, so it has a king. This suggests that as a head of the state, it has the Crown, the monarch. The power to govern the country is technically conferred in the Crown, but on the people’s behalf and in their best interest, it is delegated to the government to exercise.

What is the role of the King in Canada?

The parliament system of Canada is based on the British or ‘Westminister’ tradition, which includes the Crown, the Senate, & the House of Commons. The laws in the country are formed when all three parties agree to them.

In the present scenario, the Crown has a minor role in the government of Canada, and it is purely symbolic. The Governor General is the King’s representative, who attends all the ceremonial functions and represents Canada in international events and state visits. The Governor General is also authorized to dissolve the parliament at the time of the election.

Moreover, the Governor General has the authority to grant Roal Assent to Bills passed by the two parties, the House of Commons and Senate, in the parliament.

This is noteworthy that while the consent of the Governor General is required to pass the law, their job is to remain neutral.

Meaning that if the two parties of the parliament, the House of Commons & the Senate, have passed the Bill, it is the duty of the Crown to sign it without getting involved in it and without sharing an opinion.

Putting it more simply, the King and his representative, the Governor General, are not involved in the Governing of Canada directly.

Taking an oath of loyalty to the Sovereign

Although the role of the King is minor, it is still a part of the citizenship oath of Canada to pledge allegiance to the King.

IRCC offers a study guide to the new immigrants who are required to take the citizenship oath.

Taking an oath to the King means that the new Canadians pledge their loyalty and commitment to the person who represents all the Canadians, not to the constitution(document), flag(banner), or country(geopolitical entity ).

Also, it further states that the Sovereign (Queen or King) encompasses these components or factors, and Canada is personified by the Sovereign just as Canada personified the Sovereign.

What are the thoughts of Canadians about the monarchy?

Although the pledge reflects that the King or Queen represents the Canadian citizens, there is no positive signal and support flowing among the Canadians for King Charles and the monarchy.

In a recent poll of the anticipation of the coronation, it was found that compared to the past years, Canadian citizens are less likely to support the monarchy.

The poll results reflect that 49% of Canadians believe that the Royal Family is not relevant to them personally, 28% believe that the royal family is becoming less relevant over time, 20% believe the Royal Family is as important as it used to be, and 3% see them growing in consequence.

In addition, over 64% of Canadians, aside from the women over 55, believe that the country should serve ties with the monarchy a

A Poll of the previous year, 2022, showed that around 49 % of Canadian citizens believe monarchy has outdated values. At that time, Canadians supported Queen Elizabeth II as an individual despite the low support for the monarchy.

However, now, people are not showing support for King Charles. According to the latest data, around 60% of Canadians are unwilling to recognize King Charles as the King of Canada.

The History of Canadian Monarchy

Since 1534, Canada has had a monarchy, but King Francis I of France was the first king of Canada.

This is due to the fact that Jacques Cartier, who was one of the earliest European explorers who reached Canada, arrived in the St. Lawrence River and claimed land for France in the same year.

The territory was passed back & forth between England and France for several years which is now Canada.

In the late 18th century, after a war, France surrendered Canada to Britain, which has been the ruling monarchy of Canada ever since.

From then until 1867, the Crown and the British government made major decisions concerning Canada.

Britain, in 1867, signed the British North America Act. After this, it permitted the four provinces to form the Dominion of Canada and take on the majority of governance.

Between 1867 & 1982, when the Constitution Act was signed to mark the full independence of Canada from Britain, the role of Britain in the government of Canada witnessed only minor changes.

As per the Constitution Act, Canada can change its constitution without requiring approval from Britain or the monarchy. At the time of signing the document, Queen Elizabeth II was present in Canada.