Editing Canadian Armed Forces (section)

==Symbolism and honours==
The Canadian Forces have derived many of their traditions and symbols from the Navy, Army, and Air Force of the United Kingdom, including those with royal elements. Contemporary icons and rituals, however, have evolved to include elements reflective of Canada and the [[Monarchy of Canada|Canadian monarchy]]. Members of [[Monarchy of Canada#Royal family and house|the country's royal family]] maintain personal relationships with the forces' divisions and regiments.<ref name="Tidridge2011">{{cite book|author=Nathan Tidridge|title=Canada's constitutional monarchy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JvGsvHsAtDgC&pg=PA84|year= 2011|publisher=Dundurn Press|isbn=978-1-4597-0084-0|page=84}}</ref><ref name=CRHTAF>{{cite web|url=http://www.crht.ca/DiscoverMonarchyFiles/ArmedForces.html |author=Gary Toffoli |title=The Royal Family and the Armed Forces |publisher=Canadian Royal Heritage Trust |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701050507/http://www.crht.ca/DiscoverMonarchyFiles/ArmedForces.html |archive-date=1 July 2007 }}</ref>

The monarch is regarded as the [[fount of honour]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hon/nat-honour-honneur/index-eng.htm |last=Royal Canadian Mounted Police |title=Honours and Recognition Programs: Canadian National Honours |publisher=Queen's Printer |access-date=20 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090323114038/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hon/nat-honour-honneur/index-eng.htm |archive-date=23 March 2009 }}</ref><ref name=DND>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhr-ddhr/chc-tdh/chart-tableau-eng.asp?ref=SM |last=Department of National Defence |author-link=Department of National Defence (Canada) |title=Canadian Honours Chart: Sacrifice Medal (SM) |publisher=Queen's Printer |access-date=2 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091114162425/http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhr-ddhr/chc-tdh/chart-tableau-eng.asp?ref=SM |archive-date=14 November 2009 }}</ref> and the [[Orders, decorations, and medals of Canada|Canadian system of orders, decorations, and medals]] includes numerous specifically for the military, such as the [[Victoria Cross (Canada)|Victoria Cross]], [[Order of Military Merit (Canada)|Order of Military Merit]], [[Cross of Valour (Canada)|Cross of Valour]], [[Star of Courage (Canada)|Star of Courage]], and [[Medal of Bravery (Canada)|Medal of Bravery]].<ref name=McCreery2005kii>{{cite book|author=Christopher McCreery|title=The Order of Canada: its origins, history, and development|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4f_dQFXQpVkC&pg=PA228|year=2005|publisher=University of Toronto Press|isbn=978-0-8020-3940-8|page=228|author-link=Christopher McCreery}}</ref> The Victoria Cross is the highest honour in Canada. The British version was presented to 94 Canadians and two Newfoundlanders<ref name=Filey1993>{{cite book | author= Mike Filey |title=More Toronto sketches: "the way we were"|url=https://archive.org/details/moretorontosketc0000file| url-access= registration |year= 1993|publisher=Dundurn Press|isbn=978-1-55002-201-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/moretorontosketc0000file/page/175 175]|author-link=Mike Filey}}</ref> between its creation in 1856 and 1993, when the Canadian Victoria Cross was instituted.<ref name=McCreery2005kii/> No Canadian has received either honour since 1945.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.thestar.com/article/189029 |author=Isabel Teotonio|work=[[Toronto Star]] |title=Vets irate at Victoria Cross proposal|access-date=12 July 2007|date=7 March 2007}}</ref>

During the unification of the forces in the 1960s, a renaming of the branches took place, resulting in the loss of the ''royal'' designations for the Navy and Air Force.<ref name="MurrayViotti1994pl">{{cite book|author1=Douglas J. Murray|author2=Paul R. Viotti|title=The defense policies of nations: a comparative study|url=https://archive.org/details/defensepolicieso00doug|url-access=registration|year=1994|publisher=JHU Press|isbn=978-0-8018-4794-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/defensepolicieso00doug/page/84 84]}}</ref> On 16 August 2011, the federal Cabinet announced that Air Command was re-assuming the Air Force's original name, ''Royal Canadian Air Force''; Land Force Command the name ''Canadian Army''; and Maritime Command the name ''Royal Canadian Navy''.<ref name=Restoration>{{cite web|url=http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/news/news_release.2011.08.0889.html|title=Restoration of traditional military service names welcomed|publisher=Government of New Brunswick |year=2011|access-date=1 January 2012}}</ref> The government stated that the change was made to better reflect Canada's military heritage and align Canada with other [[Commonwealth realm]]s whose militaries use the ''royal'' designation, while political opponents claimed the changes were more politically motivated and designed to appeal to monarchists in the [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative party]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Meagan |date=17 August 2011 |title=Peter MacKay hails 'royal' renaming of military |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/peter-mackay-hails-royal-renaming-of-military-1.1059811 |work=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref><ref name=Restoration/>