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( Monarchy of Canada)
This article is part of the series
Politics and government of
Canada The monarchy of Canada, also known as the Canadian monarchy,[1][2] is a constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Canada,[3] forming the core of the country's Westminster style parliamentary democracy.[4] The terms Crown in Right of Canada, Her Majesty in Right of Canada, or The Queen in Right of Canada may also be used to refer to the entire executive of the government of Canada. Though the Canadian Crown has its roots in the French and British Crowns, it has evolved over the centuries to become a distinctly Canadian institution,[5] represented by unique symbols, and sometimes being colloquially dubbed the Maple Crown;[6] a term first coined by Governor General Lord Grey in 1905.[7] The present monarch is Elizabeth II&_160;– officially titled Queen of Canada (French Reine du Canada)&_160;– who has reigned since February 6, 1952. She, her consort and other members of the Canadian Royal Family undertake various public and private functions across Canada and on behalf of the country abroad. However, the Queen is the only member of the Royal Family with any constitutional role, holding ultimate executive authority,[4][8] though her Royal Prerogative remains bound by laws enacted by her in parliament and by conventions and precedents,[3] leaving the day-to-day exercise of executive power to her Cabinet. While several powers are the sovereign's alone, most of the royal constitutional and ceremonial duties in Canada are carried out by the Queen's representative, the Governor General;[3] as such, the Governor General can sometimes be referred to as the de facto head of state.[9] In each of Canada's provinces the monarch is represented by a lieutenant governor.[3] The territories are not sovereign, and thus do not have a viceroy. The Canadian monarch, besides reigning in Canada, separately serves as monarch for each of fifteen other Commonwealth countries known as Commonwealth realms. This developed from the former colonial relationship of these countries to Britain, but they are now independent and the monarchy of each is legally distinct.
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