Editing Monarchy of Canada (section)

==Public perception and understanding==
Prior to the 1970s, Canadians' view of the monarchy was more focused on the person of the monarch than the institution's place in the country's framework.<ref name=Heard115/> Smith, in 2017, and Jackson, in 2018, observed the shift continuing, especially as "the process of 'Canadianization' of the Crown picked up momentum in the early 21st century."<ref>{{Harvnb|Smith|2017|p=45}}</ref><ref name=Jackson15>{{Harvnb|Jackson|2018|p=15}}</ref>

Still, beginning in the later decades of the 20th century, commentators stated that contemporary Canadians had and have a poor understanding of the Canadian monarchy;<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyce|2008|p=115}}</ref> something the Monarchist League of Canada (MLC) claims opponents of the monarchy exacerbate by spreading disinformation and then take advantage of.<ref name=myths>{{Cite web |url=https://www.monarchist.ca/index.php/our-monarchy/myths-about-the-monarchy |title=Myths About the Monarchy |publisher=Monarchist League of Canada |access-date=19 August 2022}}</ref> Jackson wrote in his book, ''The Crown and Canadian Federalism'', that this is part of a wider ignorance about Canadian civics<ref name=Jackson11>{{Harvnb|Jackson|2013|p=11}}</ref> and Hugo Cyr agreed,<ref>{{Harvnb|Cyr|2017|p=104}}</ref> while Smith researched for his 1995 book, ''The Invisible Crown'', he found it difficult to "find anyone who could talk knowledgeably about the subject".<ref name=Treble>{{Citation |url=http://www.macleans.ca/society/the-crown-is-everywhere-so-why-dont-we-actually-understand-it |last=Treble |first=Patricia |title=The Crown is everywhere. So why don't we understand it? |date=14 November 2015 |magazine=Maclean's |publisher=Rogers Media |location=Toronto |access-date=15 November 2015}}</ref> Former Governors General Clarkson and Johnston made similar observations<ref name=Johnstonxi/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Clarkson |first=Adrienne |title=Parliamentary Democracy in Crisis| editor1-last=Russell| editor1-first=Peter| editor2-last=Sossin| editor2-first=Lorne |publisher=University of Toronto Press |date=2009 |location=Toronto |page=ix |isbn=978-1-4426-1014-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/parliamentarydem0000unse}}</ref> and Senator [[Lowell Murray]] wrote in 2003, "the Crown has become irrelevant to most Canadians' understanding of our system of government", which he attributed to the "fault of successive generations of politicians, of an educational system that has never given the institution due study, and of past viceregal incumbents themselves".<ref>{{Citation |last=Murray |first=Lowell |author-link=Lowell Murray |title='Which Criticisms are Founded?' Protecting Canadian Democracy: The Senate You Never Knew |editor-last=Joyal |editor-first=Serge Joyal |publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press |location=Montreal |date=2003 |page=136}}</ref>
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On education, teacher and author Nathan Tidridge asserted that, beginning in the 1960s, the role of the Crown disappeared from provincial education curricula, as the general subject of civics came to receive less attention.<ref name=Tidridge19/> He said Canadians are being "educated to be illiterate, ambivalent, or even hostile toward our constitutional monarchy".<ref name=Jackson11/> The MLC agreed, stating Canada has "an educational system which unfortunately often fails to provide comprehensive knowledge of Canada's constitution."<ref name=myths/>

[[Michael Valpy]] also pointed to the fact that "the Crown's role in the machinery of Canada's constitutional monarchy rarely sees daylight. Only a handful of times in our history has it been subjected to glaring sunshine, unfortunately resulting in a black hole of public understanding as to how it works."<ref>{{Citation |last=Valpy |first=Michael |editor-last=Russell |editor-first=Peter H.| editor2-last=Sossin| editor2-first=Lorne |title=The 'Crisis' |journal=Parliamentary Democracy in Crisis |location=Toronto |publisher=University of Toronto Press |date=2009 |page=4 |url=http://www.cpsa-acsp.ca/papers-2009/Donovan.pdf}}</ref> He later iterated, "the public's attention span on the constitutional intricacies of the monarchy is clinically short".<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/michael-valpy-who-takes-the-crown |last=Valpy |first=Michael |title=Who takes the Crown |date=8 June 2015 |newspaper=National Post |access-date=8 June 2015}}</ref> At the same time, it has been theorized the monarchy is so prevalent in Canada—by way of all manner of symbols, place names, royal tours, etcetera—that Canadians fail to take note of it; the monarchy "functions like a tasteful wallpaper pattern in Canada: enjoyable in an absent-minded way, but so ubiquitous as to be almost invisible".<ref name=Proudfoot/>

John Pepall argued in 1990 that, among all this, a "Liberal-inspired republican misconception of the role" of governor general had taken root, though the Conservative government headed by [[Brian Mulroney]] exacerbated the matter.<ref name=Pepall>{{Cite journal |last=Pepall |first=John |title=Who is the Governor General? |journal=The Idler |location=Toronto |date=1 March 1990 |url=http://www.pepall.ca/archive_article.asp?YEAR=&VRT=330 |access-date=15 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706192918/http://www.pepall.ca/archive_article.asp?YEAR=&VRT=330 |archive-date=6 July 2011}}</ref> The position of prime minister has simultaneously undergone, with encouragement from its occupants,<ref name=Pepall/> what has been described as a "presidentialization",<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Geddes |first=John |title=Will the prorogation of Parliament set off a populist revolt? |journal=Maclean's |publisher=Kenneth Whyte |location=Toronto |date=25 January 2009 |url=http://www.macleans.ca/2010/01/25/the-people-speak |issn=0024-9262 |access-date=27 January 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Time to address democratic deficit |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=27 January 2010 |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/756262--time-to-address-democratic-deficit |access-date=27 January 2010}}</ref> to the point that its incumbents publicly outshine the actual head of state.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jackson |first=D. Michael |title=The Senior Realms of the Queen |journal=Canadian Monarchist News |volume=Autumn 2009 |issue=30 |page=10 |publisher=Monarchist League of Canada |location=Toronto |date=2009 |url=http://www.monarchist.ca/cmn/2009/Autumn_2009_CMN.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229100400/http://www.monarchist.ca/cmn/2009/Autumn_2009_CMN.pdf |archive-date=29 December 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=17 January 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Blair |first=Louisa |editor-last=Venne |editor-first=Michel |title=Vive Quebec!: new thinking and new approaches to the Quebec nation |publisher=James Lorimer & Company |date=2001 |location=Toronto |page=91 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xyNlYxdpdfcC |isbn=978-1-5502-8734-9}}</ref> David S. Donovan felt Canadians mostly consider the monarch and her representatives as purely ceremonial and symbolic figures,<ref>{{Citation |url=http://www.cpsa-acsp.ca/papers-2009/Donovan.pdf |last=Donovan |first=David S. |title=The Governor General and Lieutenant Governors: Canada's Misunderstood Viceroys |page=2 |date=27 May 2009 |publisher=Canadian Political Science Association |access-date=22 October 2012}}</ref> while also still viewing the sovereign as British, even if they understand he is King of Canada.<ref name=Heard126/> It was argued by Alfred Neitsch that this undermined the Crown's legitimacy as a check and balance in the governmental system,<ref>{{Harvnb|Neitsch|2006|p=39}}</ref> a situation Helen Forsey (daughter of Canadian constitutional expert [[Eugene Forsey]]) said prime ministers take advantage of, portraying themselves as the embodiment of popular democracy and the reserve powers of the Crown as illegitimate.{{Refn|See [[Government of Canada#cite note-Forsey-45|Note 2]] at [[Government of Canada]].|group=n|name=HF}} The issue is particularly acute in Quebec,<ref name=Cyr/> where sovereigntist politicians consider the Canadian monarchy as British, foreign, and, consequently, as symbol of oppression.<ref name=Serebrin>{{Citation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-queen-elizabeth-death-1.6579266 |last=Serebrin |first=Jacob |title=For Quebecers, the Queen's death raises questions about future of the monarchy in Canada |date=11 September 2022 |publisher=CBC News |access-date=10 March 2023}}</ref>

Beginning slightly earlier, a "growing interest in the Crown and its prerogatives" was observed, as evidenced by "a burst of articles, books and conferences";<ref name=Treble/> the monarchy attracted increased attention from academics, as well as those involved with the law, government, and public policy.<ref>{{Citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s5EHDAAAQBAJ&dq=history+of+the+%22queen%27s+personal+canadian+flag%22&pg=PR2| editor-last1=Jackson| editor-first1=D. Michael| editor-last2=Lagassé| editor-first2=Philippe |last=Jouneau |first=André |title=Canada and the Crown: Essays on Constitutional Monarchy |chapter=Preface |page=xv |publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press |location=Montreal |date=2013 |isbn=978-1-5533-9204-0 |access-date=17 April 2023}}</ref> This was attributed to the coincidental occurrence of publicly prominent events over a number of years, including the [[2008–09 Canadian parliamentary dispute|2008 prorogation dispute]]; an increased use of royal symbols as directed by the Cabinet while headed by Stephen Harper, including three consecutive royal tours;<ref>{{Harvnb|Jackson|Lagassé| 2013 |pp=2–3}}</ref> court cases focusing on the Oath of Citizenship; and increasingly active governors. Smith and Lagassé noted in early 2016 that post-secondary students were giving more focus to the subject of the Crown.<ref name=Treble/>

Some Canadians have taken the opposite extreme view of the Crown's powers, such as when, in 2013, the leader of the [[Green Party of Canada]], [[Elizabeth May]], wrote to Queen Elizabeth II asking her to call a "[[List of Canadian royal commissions|royal inquiry]]" to "investigate what may potentially be criminal activities which [sic] influenced Canada's last election" and "restore Canada to a free and fair democracy." The monarch's secretary instructed May, "as a constitutional sovereign, Her Majesty acts through her personal representative, the Governor-General, on the advice of her Canadian ministers and it is to them that your appeal should be directed."<ref>{{Citation |url=https://nationalpost.com/opinion/kelly-mcparland-elizabeth-may-gets-civics-lesson-from-the-queen-in-appeal-for-intervention |last=McParland |first=Kelly |title=Elizabeth May writes to the Queen and gets a civics lesson in reply |date=5 April 2013 |newspaper=National Post |accessdate=13 March 2024}}</ref> So many protesters involved in the 2022 [[Canada convoy protest|Freedom Convoy]] called and emailed the office of Governor General Mary Simon to pressure her into dismissing her Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, or dissolving Parliament that Simon made a rare public statement on the role of the governor general. Lagassé pointed to that as "evidence of a recent trend in protest movements", saying, "it has become routine in Canadian politics to write a letter to the Queen, Governor General, or a lieutenant governor asking them to exercise their powers in some way, contrary to constitutional conventions. This is political theatre, no more."<ref>{{Citation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/charter-gg-disinformation-civic-awareness-1.6365223 |last=Zimonjic |first=Peter |title=What many convoy protesters get wrong about constitutional rights and the Governor General |date=27 February 2022 |publisher=CBC News |accessdate=13 March 2024}}</ref>
[[File:Queen Victoria in front of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly – Winnipeg (44011134692).jpg|thumb|The [[Statue of Queen Victoria (Winnipeg)|statue of Queen Victoria]] at the [[Manitoba Legislative Building]] that was destroyed by protesters on [[Canada Day]], 2021]]

The relationship between Canada's Indigenous peoples and the monarch remains unchanged, aside from the issue of [[Reconciliation (ethnic relations)|reconciliation]] arising in it through the late 2010s into the 2020s,<ref name=Jackson15/> when there were some assertions by activists and in the media that the monarchy and the Queen herself represented colonialism{{Refn|<ref>{{Citation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/queen-elizabeth-death-monarchy-1.6585821 |title=Monarchy and Queen Elizabeth II a symbol of colonialism for some Windsorites |date=18 September 2022 |publisher=CBC News |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |url=https://calgary.citynews.ca/2022/09/13/canada-monarchy-colonialism |last=Code |first=Jillian |title=Reflecting on the Monarchy's role in Canada and around the world |date=13 September 2022 |publisher=CityNews |access-date=2 February 2023}}</ref><ref name=Iqbal>{{Citation |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/09/11/quiet-opposition-or-colonial-complicity-queen-elizabeths-legacy-as-monarch.html |last=Iqbal |first=Maria |title=Quiet opposition or colonial complicity? Queen Elizabeth's legacy as monarch |date=11 September 2022 |newspaper=The Toronto Star |access-date=3 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/indigenous-leaders-call-on-king-charles-iii-to-renounce-doctrine-of-discovery-1.6064497 |last=Jones |first=Alexandra Mae |title=Indigenous leaders call on King Charles III to renounce Doctrine of Discovery |date=11 September 2022 |publisher=CTV News |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref>}} and racism<ref>{{Citation |url=https://catalystmcgill.com/abolishing-the-british-monarchy-a-step-towards-ending-racism-in-canada |last=Hicks |first=Jenna |title=Abolishing the British Monarchy: A Step Towards Ending Racism in Canada |date=21 November 2022 |newspaper=The Capsule |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> and she did not do enough to either prevent or rectify supposed offences.<ref name=Iqbal/> Those who made such claims also, though, mistook the independent Canadian Crown<ref>{{Citation |url=https://iscc-iecc.ca/backgrounder/historical-perspective-on-monarchy |last=Jackson |first=D. Michael |title=Historical Perspective on Monarchy in Canada |date=14 December 2021 |publisher=Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> as the British Crown in Canada and demonstrated a misunderstanding of the Crown-Indigenous peoples relationship<ref name=Tidridge2020>{{Citation |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2020/02/12/abolishing-monarchy-in-canada-will-complete-colonization-of-indigenous-people.html |last=Tidridge |first=Nathan |title=Abolishing monarchy in Canada will complete colonization of Indigenous people |date=12 February 2020 |newspaper=The Toronto Star |access-date=2 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |url=https://rabble.ca/politics/canadian-politics/queen-elizabeth-passing-first-nations-legacy |last=Seebruch |first=Nick |title=Passing of Queen leaves complicated legacy for First Nations |date=8 September 2022 |publisher=Rabble.ca |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> and the workings of [[constitutional monarchy]] and [[responsible government]],<ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://ppgreview.ca/2016/03/19/the-key-role-of-the-queen-and-her-representatives-in-reconciliation |last=Tidridge |first=Nathan |title=The key role of The Queen and her representatives in Reconciliation |journal=PP+G Review |date=19 March 2016 |access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref> in which the sovereign must, outside of [[constitutional crisis|constitutional crises]], follow [[Advice (constitutional law)|the directions]] of his or her ministers and parliamentarians.{{Refn|<ref name=Tidridge2020/><ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://www.thetrumpet.com/24275-long-live-the-queen-statue-of-queen-victoria-torn-down/print |last=Blondeau |first=Abraham |title=Long Live the Queen? Statue of Queen Victoria Torn Down |date=6 July 2021 |journal=The Trumpet |access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://www.hilltimes.com/2018/05/14/ndp-mp-angus-working-indigenous-affairs-minister-bennett-convincing-pope-apologize-churchs-role-residential-school-system/143707 |last=Rana |first=Abbas |title=NDP MP Angus working with Minister Bennett to convince Pope to apologize for Catholic Church's role in residential schools |journal=The Hill Times |date=14 May 2018 |access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |url=https://ualawccstest.srv.ualberta.ca/2016/12/the-monarchy-in-canada-god-save-the-queen |title=The Monarchy in Canada: God Save the Queen? |date=January 2017 |publisher=The Centre for Constitutional Studies |access-date=3 February 2023 |archive-date=3 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203175314/https://ualawccstest.srv.ualberta.ca/2016/12/the-monarchy-in-canada-god-save-the-queen  |url-status=dead}}</ref>}} The leader of the [[Parti Québécois]], [[Paul St-Pierre Plamondon]], claimed in 2022, "we cannot overlook that she [Queen Elizabeth II] represented an institution, the British Crown, that has caused significant harm to Quebecers and Indigenous nations."<ref name=Serebrin/>

Within Quebec, too, the Canadian Crown is often depicted as being synonymous with the British Crown, with [[Quebec sovereignty movement|Quebec sovereigntists]] arguing that it is fundamentally foreign to Quebec and should be abolished within the province as a part of Quebec independence. For instance, in the televised [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|Radio-Canada]] leaders' debate on 22 September 2022, during [[2022 Quebec general election|that year's general election in the province]], the moderator, [[Patrice Roy]], asked the panel, with "incredulous chuckles", "should we still, in Quebec, swear allegiance to the British Crown, thus Charles III [to take one's seat in the National Assembly]?"<ref>{{Citation |url=https://parliamentum.org/2022/10/19/how-would-we-amend-or-abolish-the-oath-of-allegiance-to-the-king-in-the-constitution-act-1867 |last=Bowden |first=James |title=How Would We Amend or Abolish the Oath of Allegiance to the King in the Constitution Act, 1867? |date=19 October 2022 |publisher=Parliamentum |access-date=9 March 2023}}</ref> [[Bloc Québécois]] leader [[Yves-François Blanchet]] on 26 October 2022 tabled a motion in the [[Canadian House of Commons|House of Commons]] proposing that the "House express its desire to sever ties between the Canadian state and the British monarchy."<ref name=parl>{{Citation |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/votes/44/1/199 |author=Parliament of Canada |title=Notes > 44th Parliament, 1st Session - Vote No. 199 |date=26 October 2022 |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> This motion was defeated 266 to 44.<ref name=parl/>