Editing Politics of Canada (section)

===Monarchy===
; [[Head of state]]: [[Charles III]], [[Monarchy of Canada|King of Canada]] (since September 8, 2022).

; [[Viceroy]]: [[Mary Simon]], [[Governor General of Canada]] (since July 26, 2021).
{{Multiple image
| align             = right
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| image1            = King Charles III (July 2023).jpg
| caption1          = [[Charles III]], King of Canada, the country's [[head of state]]
| image2            = Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada.jpg
| caption2          = [[Mary Simon]], Governor General of Canada, the monarch's representative
}}
{{quote box
| quote = The function of constitutional monarchy is to personify the democratic state, to sanction legitimate authority, to assure the legality of means, and guarantee the execution of the public will.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.readersdigest.ca/culture/queen-elizabeth-quotes/| title=The Queen's speech to the Quebec Legislature emphasizing the role of constitutional monarchy as a source of freedom, good government, and national unity| date=9 October 1964| author=Elizabeth II| publisher=Reader's Digest Canada| access-date=May 15, 2023| archive-date=29 May 2023| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529183631/https://www.readersdigest.ca/culture/queen-elizabeth-quotes/| url-status=live}}</ref>
| source = [[Elizabeth II]], Queen of Canada, [[Quebec City]], 1964
| align = right
| width = 250px
| border = 1px
| salign = right
}}Canada is a constitutional monarchy, wherein the role of the reigning [[sovereign]] is both legal and practical, but not political.<ref name="Forsey">{{Cite journal |last=Forsey |first=Helen |date=1 October 2010 |title=As David Johnson Enters Rideau Hall&nbsp;... |url=http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/david-johnson-enters-rideau-hall |url-status=live |journal=The Monitor |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203201325/http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/david-johnson-enters-rideau-hall |archive-date=3 February 2011 |accessdate=23 January 2011}}</ref> The [[Monarchy of Canada|monarch]] is formally vested with all powers of state,<ref>{{cite book |last=Privy Council Office |url=http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/index.asp?lang=eng&page=information&sub=publications&doc=ag-gr/2008/ag-gr-eng.htm |title=Accountable Government: A Guide for Ministers and Ministers of State – 2008 |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-100-11096-7 |location=Ottawa |page=45 |author-link=Privy Council Office (Canada) |access-date=17 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100318110030/http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/index.asp?lang=eng&page=information&sub=publications&doc=ag-gr%2F2008%2Fag-gr-eng.htm |archive-date=18 March 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> which are in practice exercised only by the various institutions of government acting under the sovereign's authority.<ref name="Smith6">{{citation |last=Smith |first=David E. |title=Conference on the Crown |date=10 June 2010 |work=The Crown and the Constitution: Sustaining Democracy? |page=6 |url=http://www.queensu.ca/iigr/conf/ConferenceOnTheCrown/CrownConferencePapers/The_Crown_and_the_Constitutio1.pdf |location=Ottawa |publisher=Queen's University |accessdate=22 May 2020}} Archived from the [http://www.queensu.ca/iigr/conf/ConferenceOnTheCrown/CrownConferencePapers/The_Crown_and_the_Constitutio1.pdf original] on 17 June 2010.</ref><ref>{{citation |last1=Bosc |first1=Marc |title=Parliamentary Institutions |year=2017 |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/About/ProcedureAndPractice3rdEdition/ch_01_2-e.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507081041/http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/House/compendium/web-content/c_d_rolecrowngovernorgeneral-e.htm |archive-date=7 May 2017 |url-status=live |chapter=1: House of Commons Procedure and Practice |edition=3 |location=Ottawa |publisher=House of Commons Table Research Branch |last2=Gagnon |first2=André |accessdate=22 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{citation |author=Table Research Branch of the House of Commons |title=The Canadian Parliamentary System |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/procedure/our-procedure/ParliamentaryFramework/c_g_parliamentaryframework-e.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530121029/https://www.ourcommons.ca/procedure/our-procedure/ParliamentaryFramework/c_g_parliamentaryframework-e.html |archive-date=30 May 2022 |url-status=live |chapter=Our Procedure |location=Ottawa |accessdate=22 May 2020}}</ref><ref name="Murdoch">{{cite journal |last=Cox |first=Noel |date=September 2002 |title=Black v Chrétien: Suing a Minister of the Crown for Abuse of Power, Misfeasance in Public Office and Negligence |url=http://www.murdoch.edu.au/elaw/issues/v9n3/cox93.html |url-status=live |journal=Murdoch University Electronic Journal of Law |volume=9 |issue=3 |page=12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626163652/http://www.murdoch.edu.au/elaw/issues/v9n3/cox93.html |archive-date=26 June 2020 |access-date=17 May 2009}}</ref> The executive is thus formally referred to as the ''King-in-Council'', the legislature as the ''King-in-Parliament'', and the courts as the ''King-on-the-Bench''.<ref name="MacLeod17">{{Harvnb|MacLeod|2015|p=17}}</ref>

Though the person who is monarch of Canada (currently [[{{Canadian monarch, current|plainname=1}}]]) is also the monarch of [[Commonwealth realm|14 other countries]] in the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], he nevertheless reigns separately as [[Style of the Canadian sovereign|King of Canada]], an office that is "truly Canadian" and "totally independent from that of the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|monarch of the United Kingdom]] or the other Commonwealth realms."<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/fr-rf/crnCdn/index-eng.cfm |title=Crown of Maples- Constitutional Monarchy in Canada |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-662-46012-1 |edition=2008 |pages=5, 12, 20, 40, 49 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727093738/https://www.canada.ca/home.html |archive-date=27 July 2020 |url-status=live |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Queen and Canada: History and present Government |url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/Canada/Historyandpresentgovernment.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727070332/http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/Canada/Historyandpresentgovernment.aspx |archive-date=27 July 2020 |accessdate=2 May 2012 |publisher=The Royal Household}}</ref> On the advice of the Canadian prime minister, the sovereign appoints a federal [[Viceroy|viceregal representative]]—the [[Governor General of Canada|governor general]] (currently [[Mary Simon]])—who, since 1947, is permitted to exercise almost all of the monarch's [[royal prerogative]]; though, there are some duties which must be specifically performed by the monarch themselves (such as assent of certain bills). In case of the governor general's absence or incapacitation, the [[administrator of Canada]] performs the Crown's most basic functions.

[[Royal assent]] is required to enact laws. As part of the royal prerogative, the [[royal sign-manual]] gives authority to [[letters patent]] and [[Order in Council|orders-in-Council]]. The royal prerogative also includes summoning, [[Prorogation in Canada|proroguing]], and [[Dissolution of parliament#Canada|dissolving Parliament]] in order to [[Dropping the writ|call an election]] and extends to foreign affairs, which include the negotiation and ratification of treaties, alliances, international agreements, and [[Declaration of war by Canada|declarations of war]];<ref>{{citation |last=Brode |first=Patrick |title=War power and the Royal Prerogative |date=1 May 2006 |journal=Law Times |url=http://www.lawtimesnews.com/20060501549/Headline-News/War-power-and-the-Royal-Prerogative |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122075404/http://www.lawtimesnews.com/20060501549/Headline-News/War-power-and-the-Royal-Prerogative |archive-date=22 November 2012 |url-status=dead |publisher=Thomson Reuters Canada |accessdate=22 October 2012}}</ref> the accreditation of Canadian diplomats and receipt of foreign diplomats; and the [[Canadian passport|issuance of passports]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elizabeth II |author-link=Elizabeth II |year=2006 |title=Canadian Passport Order |url=http://www.pptc.gc.ca/publications/pdfs/81-86_administrative_2006_eng.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326043231/http://www.pptc.gc.ca/publications/pdfs/81-86_administrative_2006_eng.pdf |archive-date=26 March 2009 |access-date=19 May 2009 |series=4.4 |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |publication-date=28 June 2006 |location=Ottawa |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Despite the wide theoretical extent of the sovereign's powers, in actual practice he or she exercises them only through or with the advice of the Prime Minister and [[Cabinet of Canada|Cabinet]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Forsey |first=Eugene |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/idb/forsey/PDFs/How_Canadians_Govern_Themselves-6ed.pdf |title=How Canadians Govern Themselves |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-662-39689-5 |edition=6 |location=Ottawa |page=1 |author-link=Eugene Forsey |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325074418/http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/idb/forsey/PDFs/How_Canadians_Govern_Themselves-6ed.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2009 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all |accessdate=14 May 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Marleau |first1=Robert |last2=Montpetit |first2=Camille |year=2000 |title=House of Commons > 1. Parliamentary Institutions |url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/MarleauMontpetit/DocumentViewer.aspx?DocId=1001&Sec=Ch01&Seq=5&Lang=E&Print=2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828112251/http://www.parl.gc.ca/MarleauMontpetit/DocumentViewer.aspx?DocId=1001&Lang=E&Print=2&Sec=Ch01&Seq=5 |archive-date=28 August 2011 |accessdate=28 September 2009 |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Within the [[Constitutional_conventions_of_the_United_Kingdom|constitutional conventions]] of the [[Westminster system]], the sovereign's freedom of action or personal choice in any area of governance is quite limited.<ref name="MacLeod16">{{Harvnb|MacLeod|2015|p=16}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Russell |first=Peter |title=And no one cheered: federalism, democracy, and the Constitution Act |date=1983 |page=217 |editor-last=Banting |editor-first=Keith G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sUwOAAAAQAAJ |contribution=Bold Statecraft, Questionable Jurisprudence |location=Toronto |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-458-95950-1 |editor2-last=Simeon |editor2-first=Richard}}</ref>