Death Of The Queen And Change To The King – What That Means For Canada

Queen Elizabeth, Canada’s head of state and the longest-reigning British monarch, has died. She was 96. Upon her passing, her son Charles automatically became the King. His title is King Charles III.

There are going to be a number of changes over the coming days, and years, as not everything will happen immediately.

For starters; Canada should enter a period of 10 days of mourning, beginning on Thursday, the day of the Queen’s death. This will come with special events, ceremonies and symbolic gestures. That first day high-profile figures donned black clothing while flags across the country were lowered to half-mast. They will remain so until sunset on the day of the funeral; except for the day King Charles III is proclaimed. Reports out of the United Kingdom say King Charles III will be proclaimed on Saturday.

When that happens, an Accession Council will be convened at St. James’ Palace in London. The Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ralph Goodale, will be invited to attend and sign the accession proclamation, according to an article by Nathan Tidridge, vice-president of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada.

Officials have been issuing statements of condolences and then official statements beginning with the Governor General when she announced the death officially, followed by the Prime Minister.

Before Thursday’s end, the Department of Canadian Heritage opened up a book of condolences so Canadians can share their memories of the queen and their sadness at her loss. Find the online book here. They also offer social media messages you can add your name to on all three major platforms.

Alternatively Canadians may wish to sign a physical book in person. Books of condolences are made available to Canadians in every province and territory. For locations of books in your area, please contact your protocol office. These books are expected to remain open until the day of the funeral, which has yet to be announced.

Or you may wish to write a message privately.

Please send your letter to:
State Ceremonial and Protocol Directorate
Department of Canadian Heritage
25 Eddy St
Gatineau QC  K1A 0M5

According to a City of Ottawa memo obtained by Global News, there will be “no federal, provincial, or municipal closures of any buildings or establishments.” That means there has been no federal directive to shut down official buildings. However, Canadians might wish to check with their local city council website, or call their favourite business, to ensure all services are available this week.

The date of the funeral has been announced, it will be Monday, September 19th. A bank holiday across the UK has been approved by King Charles III for the day of the funeral of his mother Queen Elizabeth II. The state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey, the historic church where Britain’s kings and queens are crowned, and where Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip in 1947. There has not been a monarch’s funeral service in the Abbey since the 18th Century, although the funeral of the Queen’s mother was held there in 2002.

While it will be a bank holiday across the UK, it has not been stated if Canadians can expect a holiday. Much of the proceedings of the days of mourning in Canada will be up to the Prime Minister’s discretion.

Canadians can expect Canada’s national commemorative ceremony to also occur on Monday Sept. 19th. That ceremony will be held in Ottawa at Christ Church Cathedral, according to the Canadian heritage department. Government officials, dignitaries and “representatives of organizations with whom Her Majesty had a close connection,” including charities and military regiments, will be invited. The solemn event will be broadcast live and made available to watch online.

The day will begin with a memorial parade, with participants from the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. During the parade, there will be a gun salute — one round per year of the queen’s life, according to the department, which means 96 shots.

There will also be a fly-past of CF-18s over Parliament Hill and the cathedral where the ceremony will take place.

When it comes to our currency; many have wondered if they will start to see King Charles face appearing on the $20 bill and coins in place of the queen. The Canadian Mint has addressed this and said there are no immediate plans to start production on new coins or bank notes after Queen’s death. “The legal tender status of existing circulation coins does not change because Canada’s monarch has changed,” a Canadian Mint spokesperson said. So don’t expect to see King Charles’ face on our money any time soon.

Everything else is still to be decided; or at least yet to be announced. This is an evolving situation and some information available now might still be subject to change. Expect more details to emerge in the days to come.

Source: https://bit.ly/3BtwefU