Governor General of Canada
 Governor-General's Flag 1981- |
The Governor General of Canada (Fr. Gouverneur(e) général(e)) is the representative in Canada of Queen Elizabeth II who is also the Queen of Canada, the country's head of state. (The Prime Minister of Canada is the head of government.) The Governor General is named by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister.
The Throne of Canada
Throne Chairs for The Queen of Canada, and the Duke of Edinburgh and the Governor General, in the Canadian Senate, Ottawa. (The front chair is used by the Speaker of the Senate)
Although state power rests legally with the Governor General - Parliament sits at his or her pleasure, Royal Assent is necessary for all laws passed by Parliament, and the Governor General is the commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces - real political power rests with the Prime Minister, Parliament, and the provincial governments. The Governor General's is a formal, ceremonial, and cultural office. Current and past Governors General use the title "Right Honourable" (très honorable), like the Prime Minister. However, Governors General in office also use the title "His/Her Excellency". The Governor General's official residence is Rideau Hall; by tradition, he or she also spends several weeks a year at the Citadelle in Quebec City.
The Queen also has representatives in each provincial government: Lieutenant Governors (lieutenants gouverneurs) who are nominally appointed by the Governor General but in practice appointed by the Prime Minister.
The current Governor General of Canada is Adrienne Clarkson.
Unlike in some other countries, the title of the Governor General of Canada has no hyphen.
See also
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