Message from the Governor General of Canada on the Occasion of the Sapphire Jubilee of The Queen’s Accession to the Throne

The Royal Mint has commissioned a range of specially designed Sapphire Jubilee commemorative coins to mark the 65th anniversary of The Queen's accession to the throne.

On 6th February Queen Elizabeth became the first Anglosaxon monarch to mark her Sapphire Anniversary, marking 65 years on the throne. Two very different messages were published by Her Australian and Canadian Governors-General.

The Governor General of Canada His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D., published the following message on the Occasion of the Sapphire Jubilee of The Queen’s Accession to the Throne:

On behalf of all Canadians, I am delighted to convey warm greetings to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and to all the people of the Commonwealth on the historic occasion of the Sapphire Jubilee of her accession to the throne. 
Throughout The Queen’s reign, she has inspired the world, demonstrating constant  dedication to duty and service to others. This impressive milestone, the first for any sovereign in our history, provides us with an opportunity to express our deepest gratitude for everything Her Majesty has done for the Canadian Crown.
I am honoured to add my voice to the chorus of heartfelt words of congratulations to Her Majesty The Queen from around the globe.

Et en français:

Au nom de tous les Canadiens et Canadiennes, je suis heureux de saluer chaleureusement Sa Majesté la Reine Elizabeth II et tous les citoyens du Commonwealth en cette occasion historique du Jubilé de saphir de l’accession au trône de la Reine. 
Tout au long de son règne, la Reine a inspiré le monde, accomplissant son devoir et se  mettant au service des autres avec un dévouement indéfectible. Ce jalon impressionnant,  atteint pour la première fois dans l’histoire par un souverain, nous donne l’occasion d’exprimer notre gratitude la plus profonde envers la Reine pour tout ce qu’elle a fait pour la Couronne canadienne.
Je suis honoré d’unir ma voix au concert de félicitations sincères exprimées à travers  le monde à la Reine.

The Governor-General of Australia His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd) published this on Facebook (not on his website):

Today we acknowledge Her Majesty The Queen's Sapphire Jubilee - 65 years as our Sovereign - and we send Her the nation's best wishes.

Poor Australia, could only afford a simple sentence to mark the sovereign's milestone jubilee. Really a symbol for the shabby behaviour we all are watching in Canberra at the moment.

By the way, Her Majesty's Governor of Victoria does not mention at all the Sapphire Jubilee on the website, but on 6th February had this news item on her Twitter account. 

Prince Charles and Priness Anne newly appointed Commodores-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Navy

The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of National Defence, today announced that His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal (Princess Anne) have been appointed as Commodores-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada. This is the first time in history that members of the Royal Family have been appointed as Commodores-in-Chief of the RCN. The announcement of the appointments coincides with the RCN’s commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of the Battle of the Atlantic, one of the longest, largest and most complex campaigns of the Second World War.

The appointments will see The Prince of Wales becoming Commodore-in-Chief (Fleet Atlantic) and The Princess Royal becoming Commodore-in-Chief (Fleet Pacific).

The duties associated with the appointments are ceremonial in nature. A Commodore-in-Chief is kept informed of all important activities of their affiliated unit and may engage with the unit in a ceremonial capacity as opportunity allows.

Quick Facts
Commodore-in-Chief is an honorary appointment whose purpose is to maintain a direct link between the unit and the Royal Family. It is bestowed by The Queen on various members of the Royal Family.

The Queen has appointed various members of the Royal Family as Commodores-in-Chief of the British Royal Navy since August 2006.

On 9th April 2007 a monument was re-dedicated to remember the bitter Battle of Vimy Ridge in which more than 3,500 Canadian soldiers died. The Queen of Canada and her Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper were present. Prince Philip wore the uniform of the Air Commodores-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Within the ranks of the Canadian Armed Forces, army regiments have members of the Royal Family serve as Colonels-in-Chief. The Royal Canadian Air Force also has The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh serving as Air Commodores-in-Chief – Air Reserves of Canada and the Royal Canadian Air Cadets respectively. Until today, it was only the RCN that did not share this unique relationship with the Royal Family.

The Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George) is Colonel-in-Chief to seven Canadian military regiments.

The Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise) is Colonel-in-Chief of seven Canadian military regiments.

Quotes
“The Royal Family has had a strong relationship with the Royal Canadian Navy since the inception of this proud institution in 1910. I am therefore delighted to welcome the appointments of The Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal as the new Commodores-in-Chief of our Royal Canadian Navy. It is fitting that this honour should be bestowed on the anniversary of the end of the Battle of the Atlantic, during which British and Canadian naval forces fought side by side on the high sea for freedom, peace and democracy.”

Jason Kenney, Minister of National Defence

The Queen's message to Her Canadian people

Cpl. Nathan Cirillo (l.) standing Guards moments before the shooting.

The Queen's message to the Governor-General of Canada

Prince Philip and I were shocked and saddened by the events in Ottawa earlier today. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected.

ELIZABETH R


Message de Sa Majesté la Reine à la suite de la tragédie survenue à Ottawa

Le prince Philip et moi avons été choqués et attristés par les évènements qui ont eu lieu à Ottawa hier. Nos pensées et prières accompagnent toutes les personnes touchées.

ELIZAETH R.

Cpl Nathan Cirillo's dogs. Such a sad sight.

Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was a member of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, a reserve infantry regiment based at the James Street Armoury in Hamilton, Ontario. Their Colonel-in-Chief is of course, Her Majesty.

The Prime Minister of Canada on Victoria Day
 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement on the occasion of Victoria Day:

“Today, Laureen and I join Canadians from across the country in the official celebration of the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.

“This joyous day comes as Canada and the Commonwealth celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with several special events and initiatives taking place throughout 2012.

“For six decades, The Queen and the people of Canada have shared a deep affection, and we pay tribute to the great dedication, distinction, and grace with which Her Majesty has served as Canada’s Head of State.

“Canadians are also marking the 60th anniversary of The Queen’s accession to the Throne by hosting Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall during their Diamond Jubilee Tour.

“Victoria Day also affords an opportunity to celebrate our proud heritage and the strong historical ties that have forged our close friendship with the United Kingdom.

 “On behalf of Canadians, I offer Her Majesty The Queen our most sincere and heartfelt wishes of health and happiness for many years to come.”

The Queen speaks out for the "smaller, more vulnerable nations, many of them from the Commonwealth"

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York for the first time since 1957 on Tuesday, 6th July 2010, paying homage to the organization’s accomplishments.


One interesting aspect of this visit to the UN was the fact that she addressed the General Assembly's 105th plenary meeting as - in her own words - "Queen of sixteen United Nations Member States and as Head of the Commonwealth of 54 countries".

As Queen of some smaller Commonwealth nations, she acted as advocate in their interest, reminding that a great "challenge is climate change, where careful account must be taken of the risks facing smaller, more vulnerable nations, many of them from the Commonwealth".

The Queen's speech can be read here.

Or you can watch this video.

The Queen of Canada:
"It’s very good to be home"

“As Queen of Canada for nearly six decades my pride in this country remains undimmed,” Queen Elizabeth said on her arrival in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “It’s very good to be home.”

The Globe and Mail reported:

"In the pouring rain, the Queen walked steadily and deliberately down the stairs of the Canadian Air Force plane that brought her and Prince Philip from London.

"There was no sign of frailty as she held her own umbrella; later, she showed not a hint of discomfort as the cold wind whipped during the official welcome ceremony at the edge of Citadel Hill.

"It was the first time Queen Elizabeth has been in this province for 16 years, and hundreds of Nova Scotians lined up for hours to get a look.

"The Queen returned the crowd’s affection by hinting at the depth of her attachment to this country."

The nine-day visit will take the Queen of Canada and her husband, The Duke of Edinburgh, also to Manitoba and Ontario, where they will celebrate Canada Day on Parliament Hill Thursday.

It has to be noted, that the BBC - unlike its Australian counterpart - correctly referred to Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Canada as soon as she touched down in Halifax. In itself, this is no great achievement, but considering the persistant ignorance of constitutional facts by the ABC, The Age and countless other Australian media, the proper reporting has to be highlighted.

Predictable, populist – and rather stupid

John Williams of Bendigo in Victoria wrote a letter I had expected, when I read yesterday's Age article on Prince William's schedules for the coming years. It came as no surprise that Williams’ remarks were picked by the editor of The Age and published today:

Our disloyal 'head'
PRINCE William will campaign for Britain to host the 2018 World Cup (The Age, 4/1). His Aunty Anne did the same when Melbourne last tried for the Olympic Games. Why do we still have this family as Australia's head of state when it actively works against our interests?
John Williams, Bendigo

The article referred to stated that

“Prince William … is determined to spend the next few years developing his military career and working for the many charities and bodies of which he is patron.
“One of those roles, as president of England's Football Association, will bring him into direct competition with Australia, as Prince William has made it clear he wants to lobby for Britain to host the 2018 World Cup.”

So Williams and probably some other misguided minds who can’t think of anything else than sport, sport, and again sport see Prince William – and other members of our Royal Family – as actively working “against our interests”.

Have they ever spared a thought on using the prestige of the Australian Royal Family to lobby for our interests? Nobody denies Australia the right to ask for a royal patron. And which Australian football club has offered, let’s say, Prince Harry, a chairmanship?

Complaining about other people’s activities comes back as lack of one’s own activities. Am I right, John Williams?

I am sure members of our Royal Family would be only too happy to become spokespersons for Australian causes. When was the last time the Australian government asked Her Majesty to represent Australia?

On the other hand, Canada knows very well the value of the Queen’s presence and she represented the Canadian interests for example at Vimy in France. On 9th April 2007 a monument was re-dedicated to remember the bitter Battle of Vimy Ridge in which more than 3,500 Canadian soldiers died. Her Majesty was in France as Queen of Canada to preside over the ceremonies to rededicate the great Canadian Memorial of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, fought ninety years ago. The refurbished memorial was originally dedicated by King Edward VIII, as King of Canada, and it stands on what will forever be Canadian land, a mark of the gratitude France bears for Canada for that great victory.

In the presence of over 15,000 Canadians, The Queen, in English and in French, paid tribute to the Canadians who took the ridge.

It was a hop from the UK to France, saving the Canadian taxpayer thousands of dollars for travel allowances.

But where is no will, there’s no way, just all too predictable and very cheap efforts to discredit royal activities.

Observant Canadians: "Monarchists write poetry. Republicans write instruction manuals"

Jack Knox, Victoria Times Colonist, 24th May 2009:

"Republicans argue that Canada is no longer a British colony (as if we didn't know this) and that the monarchy is illogical. Well, of course, Canada's monarchy is illogical. All monarchies are. But it's also illogical that Americans should elect a man who, even after eight years with his hand hovering over the button, still thought it was pronounced "nucular." It's illogical that 16 years after he left office, we are still trying to figure out whether Brian Mulroney deserves an apology or a shot at getting shanked by Conrad Black in the shower room. Logic is overrated.

"Wretched, soulless republicans are grim-faced slaves to the logic chips that replaced their hearts. (Monarchists write poetry. Republicans write instruction manuals.) Republicans fail to understand that the value of the monarchy is not in the individuals, but in the ideals they represent (honour, loyalty, courage, inbreeding, corgi maintenance). Like they say in the army, you salute the uniform, not the person inside it."

Would Canada be safer in republican hands?
You know, sometimes, the republicans' logic is beyond me. In Canada, people are upset by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s refusal to face a vote of no confidence. A fellow blogger wrote: "We have a non-elected official protecting a Prime Minister from facing a confidence motion. It amounts to the Queen interfering with the legislative process in this country.
"Unelected officials should have no say in how parliament does its job."

Would it be better had an elected official barred the Canadian parliament from sitting and voting out the present prime minister?

The Queen of Canada - and so Her representative in Canada, the Governor General - acts on the advice of the prime minister. That's how it works in a Constitutional Monarchy. And usually that is working quite well. The present situation in Canada is different. When the Governor General decided on 4th December to suspend parliamentary sessions, she acted on the advice of the prime minister, however, it is doubtful that he still has a majority in the parliament. The Governor General could have asked him to show that he still has the support of the elected members of parliament before she acted on the advice he gave.

That would have been the proper way. But Mr. Harper knew that he does no longer enjoy the support of the majority and therefore he avoided the vote of confidence. Instead he clings to power by all means, even by not very proper ones. Just imagine for a moment, the Governor General had refused the prime minister's advice. The concerned half of the country would cried foul: "An unelected Governor General interfered with the legislative process in this country!" The Governor General could have sacked the prime minister and asked the Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition to form a new government. That's what happened in Australia in November 1975. May be Ms. Jean did not want to become Canada's Sir John Kerr and she left the sitting government in charge.

In the photo on the right hand side the Governor General is sitting in the Canadian Parliament. Mr. Harper can be seen on the left.

The Governor General did nothing wrong, it was Mr. Harper who asked for the wrong action.

What happens, when a Monarch (or the Governor General) acts against the wish of a prime minister can been seen in Luxembourg, where Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker announced five days ago, that the Grand Duke of Luxembourg should be stripped of his right to sign and en-act laws. Luxembourg has a conservative prime minister just like the Dominion of Canada. What's wrong with today's conservatives that they want to get rid of good old practices that keep the balance of power? How power hungry must they all be?

The question is: Would they be less power hungry, would they have to deal with a president? And why should a democracy where politicians grabbed 100 percent of the official posts be safer than a Monarchy, where the Queen, King or Grand Duke remind them that there is more than their own little or great self that rules in the country?

Nobody has ever accused the Queen of obstructing democracy. Replacing Her with someone, who would certainly not have the same dedication as she has can make things only worse.

A Royal visit for Quebec's 400th birthday celebrations

While the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper found it unwise to invite Queen Elizabeth, Queen of Canada, to celebrate Quebec's 400th birthday, the province will not be without a royal dignitary:

French Prince Jean, Duc de Vendôme, will be in Quebec to join in the city's birthday party. On his website Gens de France, Prince Jean posted the news that he will be in Quebec from 28th June to 6th July.

Le Prince Jean se rendra au Québec du 28 juin au 6 juillet et pour le 400ème anniversaire de la fondation de la ville. Le duc de Vendôme est invité par la ville de Québec.

Prince Jean is son and heir of Prince Henri, Comte de Paris, who is claimant to the French throne.

Of course it is only right that the descendent of the French kings who founded the American colonies should be present at the celebrations. It is equally not understandable that the Canadian Royal Family should not be represented other than by the Governor-General.

The non-invitation to Queen Elizabeth caused a stirr in the Canadian media, when it was first reported in December 2007:

CBC News December 10, 2007
"Montreal newspaper La Presse reported that the federal government is not inviting Queen Elizabeth to la vielle capitale' s birthday bash next summer because it would be too controversial. The newspaper report was based on federal documents obtained under access to information laws.

"The Quebec government said it was disappointed to hear the news because it thought an invitation should have been extended despite possible reprisals. Quebec hasn't ruled out the possibility of appealing the decision, said Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Benoît Pelletier.

"'We told the Canadian government about our wish to have the Queen present at the 400th anniversary celebrations,' Pelletier told Radio-Canada, the CBC's French-language service.

"'We know there would be controversy if the Queen came to Quebec. But this controversy would be provoked by a minority of people, and we can't be at the mercy of these minorities, these individuals, who still have their gaze turned towards 1760.'"

-----------------------------
CTV.ca News Staff wrote:

"Canada's monarchists are upset at Ottawa for what they say is an 'insult' to the Queen, after she was left off the list for Quebec City's 400th birthday bash next year.

"Dignitaries from around the world will be in Quebec City next year to celebrate the city's birthday.

"But there are media reports that the Tories have vetoed a visit by the Queen apparently because it may upset soft nationalists and separatists in Quebec.
NDP Leader Jack Layton said that he doesn't understand why the Queen has been shut out of the ceremonies.

"'Given the people of Quebec City -- I'm sure -- want everyone to come and celebrate the magnificent 400th birthday, I don't know why anyone would want to exclude the Queen,' he said."

Why wasn't the Queen invited to Villers-Bretonneux?


What a difference one person can make. Almost exactly to the day a year ago the Canadians commemorated their war dead at Vimy. On 9th April 2007 a monument was re-dedicated to remember the bitter Battle of Vimy Ridge in which more than 3,500 Canadian soldiers died. To quote a report: Although it was the first day of the official part of the presidential campaign in France, the main TV news broadcast from France 2 in Paris, rebroadcast by SBS in Australia on Tuesday morning, 10 April 2007, began with film of what the presenter called a rare event: Queen Elizabeth II was on the soil of France.

He went on to describe her appearance was “en tant que souveraine du Canada”. Her Majesty was in France, as Queen of Canada, to preside over the ceremonies to rededicate the great Canadian Memorial of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, fought ninety years ago. The refurbished memorial was originally dedicated by King Edward VIII, as King of Canada, and it stands on what will forever be Canadian land, a mark of the gratitude France bears for Canada for that great victory.

In the presence of over 15,000 Canadians, The Queen, in English and in French, paid tribute to the Canadians who took the ridge, a German stronghold which she said had become a "symbol of futility and despair". "It was a stunning victory," she said. "In capturing this formidable objective, the Canadian Corps transformed Vimy Ridge from a symbol of despair into a source of inspiration. After two-and-a half years of deadly stalemate, it now seemed possible that the Allies would prevail and peace might one day be restored".

Nothing of this kind took place, when on ANZAC Day 2008 the Australians commemorated their war dead. The Age: It was the first Anzac Day dawn service in the Somme, an official ceremony that many hope will carry on in tandem with the Gallipoli tradition — and remind Australians of the 46,000 compatriots who fought and died on the Western Front. …
At dawn yesterday, … 3000 Australian men and women joined their French brothers and sisters on a Somme hilltop to keep the promise made by a long-dead mayor. …
Alan Griffin, Kevin Rudd's … Veterans' Affairs Minister, made clear to the crowd the need for a national realignment of understanding: "It must be said that our strong connection with the Anzacs at Gallipoli has, over the years, overshadowed our commemoration of the Australians who gave so much on the Western Front."

Unlike last year there was no Queen. Obviously the Queen of Australia was not invited to address the people who had gathered in Villers-Bretonneux. There was no Prime Minister, neither an Australian, nor French, and there was hardly any media coverage, except by the Australian media. The French evening news of France 2 that had so prominently reported on the Queen of Canada’s speech, did not even mention that there was an Australian commemoration gathering.

The BBC last year reported: The Queen has paid tribute to thousands of Canadian troops who lost their lives in World War I as she unveiled a restored monument in France. The memorial remembers the bitter Battle of Vimy Ridge in which more than 3,500 Canadian soldiers died. She was joined at the memorial, near Lille, by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his French counterpart, Dominique de Villepin. The ceremony featured prayers, the Last Post and a minute's silence. And this year? The BBC followed their French colleagues’ example and ignored the Australians.

What a difference a person makes. Had the Australian government invited the Queen of Australia to lead the commemoration, it would have received the attention that the war dead deserved. After all: many, if not most of them, died for King and Country. Even if the Australian republicans deny this fact, it remains deep in the heart of the First World War.

Her Majesty, World Citizen

One of the republicans' main objections to the Monarchy is their claim that we don't have an “Australian head of state”. Constitutional Monarchists say that we do indeed have an “Australian head of state” – the Governor General - and that the Queen is the Australian sovereign. This definition is, of course, rejected by republicans for it would discredit their effort to abolish the Monarchy.

I on the other hand, want to point out that the Queen is not a foreigner, but an Australian. She is also Canadian, Barbadian, Jamaican, Scottish, Irish, English and even French, when one considers her status as Duke of Normandy (for the Channel Islands).

She may not have an Australian passport – in fact, I doubt that she has a passport at all, not even a British one - but she has served this country since ascending to the throne. She is as free a person, as we once were and will never be again.

The Queen embodies the time, when everybody could travel without a passport. Before World War I travellers on the Orient Express could board a train in Istanbul and get off the train in Calais to board a ship to Britain without visa and passports. A passport was a request to assist and protect the bearer of the passport. Today travel documents are become high tech instruments, but not to make travelling easier or more convenient, but to control the passport holder and restrict our free movement. The currently standardized biometrics used for the new type of passports with electronic identification systems are facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, and iris recognition. A biometric identifier held on an electronic chip gives those who can read the data total access to the stored information. Those who issue these new passports give the illusion they could prevent terrorist attacks. In fact they give total control of all our movements. Passport holders are constantly watched and monitored but for what real purpose?

Does this give the Queen a privilege she should not have? On the contrary: Her Majesty not being a passport holder is a reminder to politicians – and in fact to all of us – that we should resist electronic documents of all sorts. We should aim to get the same freedom that Her Majesty still enjoys. As I said: She embodies this freedom.

Passports don’t prove anything. Having the passport of a certain country does not mean that you are a citizen who contributes in a positive way to the society that issued the passport. It just states that the passport was issued by a certain country, how you received this little booklet is of no importance. You may have received it because your parent(s) belonged to this state, you may have been naturalised, you may have been forced to accept it, because you lost your home country and fled to the new one, giving you no choice, but to accept it. However, you may have bought your way into the country that issued the passport either by bribing officials or by promising to “invest money” in your new country. And certainly there are those who use – false – passports to achieve something they would not be able to do with another passport. Does your passport show that you render a special loyalty to the state that issued the passport? Also, this piece of paper can give no proof for that.

The Queen of Australia may not have an Australian passport, but Her loyalty towards Australia has never been in doubt. The Queen represents the type of international citizen that politicians around the world resent.


The biometric passport has an updated design since its first launch and additional security features. The updated features include pages with intricate designs, complex watermarks and a chip antenna.

On Wednesday 6 February 2008, the Governor-General, His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC sent the following message to Her Majesty The Queen on the occasion of the 56th Anniversary of Her Accession to the Throne:

"It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of the people of Australia, to send to Your Majesty loyal and affectionate greetings on the Anniversary of Your Accession to the Throne”.



On a much more enthusiastic note the Canadian Government asked all Canadians to celebrate the accession of the Queen of Canada to the throne:

Statement by the Hon. Jason Kenney, PC, MP, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity) on Accession Day
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwir e - Feb. 5, 2008) -

February 6 marks the anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne as Queen of Canada.

For more than 50 years, Her Majesty has been a constant reminder of our heritage as a constitutional monarchy and of our unique identity-of our origins and of our constant evolution.

As Prime Minister Stephen Harper said last year, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's "lifelong dedication to duty and self-sacrifice have been a source of inspiration and encouragement to the many countries that make up the Commonwealth and to the people of Canada."

I would like to take the opportunity presented by Accession Day to encourage all Canadians to express their pride in our identity as a constitutional monarchy and in the democratic heritage left to us by our forbears.

For more information, please contact
Office of the Honourable Jason Kenney, PC, MP,
Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity)
Alykhan Velshi, Director of Communications
819-934-1122