Flag of the Governor General of Canada
Encyclopedia
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
(officially a "Standard") was adopted in 1981. It features Canada's royal crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
; a crowned lion holding a red maple leaf in its paw, standing on a wreath of the official colours of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(red and white), on a blue background. The flag differs from the flags of Governors-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
in the other Commonwealth Realm
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
s with governors-general (besides New Zealand
Flag of the Governor-General of New Zealand
The Flag of the Governor-General of New Zealand is an official flag of New Zealand and is flown continuously in the presence of the Governor-General of New Zealand. The flag in its present from was adopted in 2008...
), in that the flag does not feature the country's name, and the inclusion of the maple leaf and wreath as national symbols. Prior to 1981, the Canadian Governor General's flag was similar to the other realm governors'; the lion crest (the royal crest of the United Kingdom), with the name of the country below being the only national marker.
The flag takes precedence over the National Flag
Flag of Canada
The national flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, and , is a red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf. Its adoption in 1965 marked the first time a national flag had been officially adopted in Canada to replace the Union Flag...
, but not over the Royal Standard
Queen's Personal Canadian Flag
The royal standards of Canada are personal standards, or official flags, employed to mark the presence of the bearer at any building or area or aboard any car, ship, or airplane, both in Canada and abroad. There are three royal standards, one each for the monarch, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke...
, or the flag of a Lieutenant Governor of a province at the Lieutenant Governor's residence, or on occasion when the Lieutenant Governor is performing his duties as the Queen's
Monarchy in Canada
The monarchy of Canada is the core of both Canada's federalism and its Westminster-style parliamentary democracy, being the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Canadian government and each provincial government...
representative in the province.
The flag is flown from the Governor General's official residences, Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall is, since 1867, the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and the Governor General of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a 0.36 km2 estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main building consisting of 170 rooms across 9,500 m2 , and 24 outbuildings around the...
and La Citadelle, and any other building the Governor General is visiting. The flag may also be flown from the Governor General's car. On overseas visits, the National Flag is used as a more recognizable Canadian symbol.
Previous governor general flags
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
; a Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
defaced with the coat of arms of Canada
Coat of arms of Canada
The Arms of Canada is, since 1921, the official coat of arms of the Canadian monarch, and thus also of Canada...
. In contrast to other Imperial governors, the wreath surrounding the central badge was maple leaves instead of laurel leaves. The design was updated in 1921, when the coat of arms changed to the current design. In 1931, the flag of the governor general was changed to reflect the Balfour Declaration of 1926 whereby the governor general was now the representative of the monarch of the Dominion of Canada, rather than a representative of the British monarch in Canada, as it was previously. The 1931 design remains the basic design of governor general flags in the other Commonwealth realms.
Legal
The Standard is protected under the Trade-marks Act. Section 9(c) "Prohibited Marks" states:Roméo LeBlanc
During the period while Roméo LeBlancRoméo LeBlanc
Roméo-Adrien LeBlanc was a Canadian journalist, politician, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 25th since Canadian Confederation....
was Governor General of Canada, he asked that the standard of the Governor General be modified to be more "Canadian."
The Canadian newspaper, the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
, reported on Monday, August 16, 1999, that a revised flag has been introduced for Canada's Governor General. The revision was to the lion emblem in the flag. LeBlanc did not like the attitude of the lion used previously, which was deemed to be gardant and poking its tongue at observers. It was now deprived of its claws and has its tongue politely hidden in its mouth. The change was introduced gradually and quietly. The original flag was reintroduced in 2002.
See also
- Flags of the Lieutenant Governors of CanadaFlags of the Lieutenant Governors of CanadaAs the viceregal representative of the monarch of Canada, the lieutenant governors of the Canadian provinces have since Confederation been entitled to and have used a personal standard. Within a lieutenant governor's province, this standard has precedence over any other flag, including the national...
- List of Canadian flags
- Canadian royal symbolsCanadian royal symbolsCanadian royal symbols are the visual and auditory identifiers of the Canadian monarchy and the monarch's viceroys, in both the country's federal and provincial jurisdictions...
- National symbols of CanadaNational symbols of CanadaNational symbols of Canada are the symbols that are used in Canada and abroad to represent the country and its people. Prominently, the use of the maple leaf as a Canadian symbol dates back to the early 18th century, and is depicted on its current and previous flags, the penny, and on the coat of...