Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the person who represents Canada's King (or Queen). The King of Canada does not spend much time in Canada because he is also the King of several other countries.
Governor General of Canada
Gouverneure générale du Canada | |
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Government of Canada | |
Style | His/Her Excellency The Right Honourable |
Abbreviation | GG |
Residence | |
Appointer | Monarch of Canada on the advice of the prime minister of Canada |
Term length | At Her Majesty's pleasure |
Formation | 1 July 1867 |
First holder | The Viscount Monck |
Deputy | Deputies of the Governor General of Canada |
Salary | CA$288,900 annually |
Website | {{URL|example.com|optional display text}} |
The Governor General is technically chosen by the King and is allowed to use almost all of the King's powers. But most of the time neither the King nor the Governor General use their powers without advice from the Prime Minister of Canada.
- The King would normally always choose whoever the Prime Minister wants them to choose to become Governor General.
- The Governor General usually uses his/her powers for what the Prime Minister advices him/her to do.
Once in a while the Prime Minister may want something done that the Governor General is not allowed to do on her own. The Prime Minister must then go straight to the King, for example for the appointment of 4 or 8 extra Senators to Parliament.
Official Title
As Canada has two official federal languages, the Governor General's title is in both English and French.
The Governor General's style and title in full is, in English: Her Excellency The Right Honourable Julie Payette, Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada, Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Canada, and in French: Son Excellence la très honorable Julie Payette, chancelière et compagne principale de l'ordre du Canada, chancelière et commandeuse de l'ordre du mérite militaire, chancelière et commandeuse de l'ordre du mérite des forces de police, gouverneure générale et commandant en chef du Canada
Living former governors-general of Canada
As of September 2024, there are five living former governors general of Canada. The most recently deceased former governor general, Roméo LeBlanc (1995–1999), died on 24 June 2009.
Edward Schreyer
(1979–1984)
21 December 1935Adrienne Clarkson
(1999–2005)
10 February 1939Michaëlle Jean
(2005–2010)
6 September 1957David Johnston
(2010–2017)
28 June 1941Julie Payette
(2017–2021)
20 October 1963