23 Facts About the Monarchy of Canada

With the news of the upcoming royal tour of Canada by Prince Charles and Camilla, here's a list of 23 facts relating to Canada's monarchy and Royal family.

The Queen's Royal Standard in Canada

1. Canada has been a country with a monarchy for centuries - first under the French Crown in the 16th-18th centuries, then under the British Crown through the 18th and 19th centuries, and finally under a Crown (as an independent kingdom) in its own right.

2. Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as Canada's capital on December 31, 1857. 

3. In 1867, Canada became the first self-governing dominion within the British Empire. It's independence was affirmed in 1931 by the Statute of Westminster.

4. The first reigning monarch to step foot on Canadian soil was King George VI, who toured the country with Queen Elizabeth (the future Queen Mother) in 1939.

5. During the 1939 tour, the Queen Mother was asked whether she was Scottish or English. She replied: "Since I have landed in Quebec, I think we can say that I am a Canadian!"

6. In 1951, the reigning Queen - as Princess Elizabeth - made her first visit to Canada, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh.

7. Legally speaking, Elizabeth II's role as Queen of Canada is separate and distinct from her role as Queen of the United Kingdom, as well as her other realms.

8. The Queen is represented in Canada by a Governor-General, and in each of the ten provinces by a Lieutenant Governor.

9. The Governor-General is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Canadian Prime Minister, whilst the Lieutenant Governor's are appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

10. The Governor-General visits foreign nations as the Queen's representative and serves as Commander-in-Chief of Canada for Her Majesty’s Canadian Armed Forces. He or she also accepts Letters of Credence from newly-appointed ambassadors / high commissioners.

11. The Governor-General and Lieutenant Governors have duties that cover a broad range of responsibility - including the summoning and dissolution of Parliament / Provincial Legislature, the swearing in of public officials, the reading of the Speech from the Throne, the granting of Royal Assent, the use of reserve powers, and the awarding of honors to Canadian citizens.

12. The current Governor-General is David Johnston.

13. Stephen Harper is the Queen's 12th and current Prime Minister of Canada.

14. Canada is the country most-visited by the Queen - who has made over 20 official visits - over the course of her nearly 62 year reign. Other members of the Royal family have made numerous visits over the past 200 years.

15. The monarch's principal residence in Canada is Rideau Hall in Ottawa, which is primarily occupied by the Governor-General.

16. The Queen and other members of the royal family use royal standards in Canada that are separate and distinct from the ones used in the UK.

17. Two Canadians have married into the Canadian Royal Family: in 1988, Sylvana Jones wed George Windsor, Earl of St. Andrews - a grandson of George V, and in 2008, Autumn Kelly wed Peter Phillips, the Queen's eldest grandson.

18. Peter Phillips' two daughters - Savannah and Isla, who are currently 13th and 14th in the line of succession - hold dual Canadian and British citizenship.

19. Aside from the Queen, other members of the Canadian Royal Family do not have Canadian titles. Instead, they use their British titles as courtesy titles while in Canada.

20. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir-apparent to the Canadian Crown.

21. According to the Monarchist League of Canada, the Canadian monarchy cost $57 million in 2013; about $1.63 per Canadian.

22. The Queen's full Canadian title and style in English is Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

23. The Queen's full Canadian title and style in French is Elizabeth Deux, par la grâce de Dieu Reine du Royaume-Uni, du Canada, et de ses autres royaumes et territoires, Chef du Commonwealth, Défenseur de la Foi.