Loading

Canada

Canada, 1867 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed

Canada was formed in 1867 as a federal dominion of four provinces through the union of three British North American colonies. More provinces and territories were added, resulting in the displacement of Indigenous populations, along with a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom. Increased sovereignty was highlighted by the Statute of Westminster, 1931, and culminated in the Canada Act 1982, which severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy in the Westminster tradition.

Seat of power: Ottawa

Rulers

Victoria

monarch of Canada, 1867–1901

Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. In 1857, Queen Victoria was asked to select a permanent seat of government. Her decision to make Ottawa the permanent capital of the Province of Canada was announced in February 1858.

Portrait of Victoria: Alexander Bassano, Public domain, file

Edward VII

monarch of Canada, 1901–1910

Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. He proved to be an effective constitutional monarch whose reign strengthened the popularity of the British monarchy. The four-month tour throughout Canada and the United States considerably boosted Edward's confidence and self-esteem, and had many diplomatic benefits for Great Britain.

Portrait of Edward VII: W. & D. Downey, Public domain, file

George V

monarch of Canada, 1910–1936

George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. The Statute of Westminster 1931 formalised the Dominions' legislative independence and established that the succession to the throne could not be changed unless all the Parliaments of the Dominions as well as the Parliament at Westminster agreed. In 1917, George became the first monarch of the House of Windsor, which he renamed from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as a result of anti-German public sentiment.

Portrait of George V: Bassano Ltd, Public domain, file

George VI

monarch of Canada, 1936–1952

George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. In May and June 1939, the King and Queen toured Canada and the United States, the first visit of a reigning British monarch to North America. Following the London Declaration of 1949, he was the first Head of the Commonwealth.

Portrait of George VI: Matson Photo Service, Public domain, file

Edward VIII

monarch of Canada, 1936–1936

Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 20 January 1936 until his abdication in December of the same year. Only months into his reign, Edward caused a constitutional crisis through his proposal to marry Wallis Simpson, an American who had divorced her first husband and was seeking a divorce from her second. When it became apparent he could not marry Simpson and remain on the throne, he abdicated.

Portrait of Edward VIII: Freeland Studio, Public domain, file

Elizabeth II

monarch of Canada, 1952–2022

Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She opened the 23rd Canadian Parliament, becoming the first monarch of Canada to open a parliamentary session. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days is the longest of any British monarch, the second-longest of any sovereign state, and the longest of any queen regnant in history.

Portrait of Elizabeth II: Donald McKague, Public domain, file

Charles III

monarch of Canada, 2022 to today

Charles III is King of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms. The King, accompanied by the Queen, made his first visit to Canada as monarch in May 2025 at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney. During the visit, he opened the 45th Canadian Parliament and delivered the Speech from the Throne, the first time a Canadian monarch had done so in person since 1977.

Portrait of Charles III: White House, Public domain, file

Culture

Picture

Parliament Hill is an area of Crown land on the southern bank of the Ottawa River that houses the Parliament of Canada in downtown Ottawa, Ontario.

Image: Wladyslaw, CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.