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Learn About the Canadian Crown About the League - Coat of Arms - Directory & Branches - Documents - Events & Special Messages Arguments for the Crown Canadian Monarchist News Frequently Asked Questions Message Board Quotable Quotes Related Sites |
The Queen Speaks About Canada "During a previous visit 32 years ago I said that "... I want the Crown in Canada to represent everything that is best and most admired in the Canadian ideal. I will continue to do my best to make it so during my lifetime, and I hope you will all continue to give me your help in this task." I would like to repeat those words today as, together, we continue to build a country that remains the envy of the world." Edmonton, from the Throne of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, May 24, 2005 "...whether watching a chuck wagon race at the Calgary Stampede or athletic prowess at the Montreal Olympics, whether listening to an Inuit song of greeting in Nunavut or the skirl of pipes in Nova Scotia, I have always felt not only welcome but at home in Canada. "Of course the relationship between Crown and Canada evolves with the times - as it should. But I for one can sense the continuity... "...I have so many vivid memories and a tremendous sense of pride in being part of the Canadian family. This is a relationship I have come to treasure and a country for which I have a deep and abiding affection. "As Queen of Canada, I have had the privilege of speaking to you on numerous occasions since my first visit in 1951. In doing so, I have attempted to convey the admiration and optimism I feel for this land and her diverse people. "Your enduring ties to the Crown stand not only for a respect for heritage, but also for the principles of peace, order and good government developed by the Fathers of Confederation who envisaged and worked so diligently to make this country a reality. Edmonton, Alberta, at a Dinner tendered by Government of Canada, 24 May, 2005 "When we were last here in 1987, I spoke of the Crown in the daily life of Canada, of my role as your Queen and my bond with this land and its people...Premier, you have noted the role of the Crown as a symbol of national identity for Canada and Saskatchewan. To others, one of the strongest and most valued assets of the Crown is the stability and continuity it can bring from the past into the present. My mother once said that this country felt like a "home away from home" for the Queen of Canada. Ladies and gentlemen, six decades later it still does.... and it is good to be back." Regina, address on the grounds of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly, May 18, 2005 "This stone was taken from the grounds of Balmoral Castle in the Highlands of Scotland - a place dear to my great great grandmother, Queen Victoria. It symbolises the foundation of the rights of First Nations peoples reflected in treaties signed with the Crown during her reign. "Bearing the cipher of Queen Victoria as well as my own, this stone is presented to the First Nations University of Canada in the hope that it will serve as a reminder of the special relationship between the Sovereign and all First Nations peoples." Regina, Saskatchewan, on presenting the First Nations University with a tablet from the grounds of Balmoral Castle, 17 May 2005 "I am proud to be the first member of the Canadian Royal Family to be greeted in Canada's newest Territory." Iqaluit, Nunavut, from the Throne of the Territorial Legislature, 2002 "I treasure my place in the life of Canada, and my bond with Canadians everywhere...It is my privilege to serve you as Queen of Canada to the best of my ability, to play my part in the Canadian identity, to uphold Canadian traditions and heritage, to recognize Canadian excellence and achievement and to seek to give a sense of continuity in these exciting, ever-changing times in which we are fortunate enough to live." Vancouver, 2002, during cross-country Golden Jubilee Homecoming "On this Thanksgiving Weekend in my Golden Jubilee year, I want to take the opportunity to express my profound gratitude to all Canadians, those of you here tonight and those of you across the country or serving overseas, for the loyalty, encouragement and support you have given me over these past 50 years. Your understanding and compassion, your confidence and engagement, are sources of inspiration to me. I would like to affirm before you tonight that, wherever the future may take us, my admiration and affection for Canada and C'nadians everywhere is - and will always remain - clear, strong and true. That too, ladies and gentlemen, is for me a constant, an enduring reference point in times of change." Gatineau, 2002, final speech of Golden Jubilee Homecoming "It was no coincidence that when I launched the Buckingham Palace Website on the Internet this year, the link I used was to students in Ontario. It was because Canadians seem to have this natural aptitude for technological wizardry that they were the natural choice." Ottawa, 1997 "The people of the North hold a special place in our memories and in our hearts."Yellowknife, 21 August 1994 "It is fitting that here, in the nation's capital, and before its Parliament Buildings, we should celebrate this anniversary. I am reminded that I spoke, when I was here last, of the way in which that Canada Day united Sovereign, Parliament and people. Today, as Canadians are working to modernise and improve the Constitution, this unity of its three elements is yet more significant." Ottawa, Canada Day, 1992 "You have inherited a country uniquely worth preserving. I call on you all to cherish this inheritance and protect it with all your strength." Parliament Hill, Canada 125 celebrations, Ottawa, Canada Day, 1992 (during a period of continuing division over the Constitution) "Our ceremony today brings together Sovereign, Parliament and people - the three parts of Constitutional Monarchy. That is a system in which those who represent the community come together and remain together, rather than dwelling on differences which might further divide them." Ottawa, 1990 "I am and members of my family have been with you on many special days in the life of this country. I particularly recall another July 1st in Canada's Centennial Year, here on Parliament Hill. I said then, and I repeat it today, that 'Canada is a country that has been blessed beyond most countries in the world.' It is a country worth working for....I am not just a fair weather friend, and I am glad to be here at this sensitive time. I hope my presence may call to mind those many years of shared experience, and raise new hopes for the future. The unity of the Canadian people was the paramount issue in 1867, as it is today. There is no force except the force of will to keep Canadians together...I cannot believe that Canadians will not find a way through present difficulties... " Parliament Hill, Canada Day, 1990 (during a time of divisive Constitutional debate) "Parliamentary democracy has fostered tolerance and flexibility - a good balance between individual rights and collective responsibilities. And this is because the Constitutional Monarchy has always placed the emphasis on people in community - as it were, a national family with the Sovereign as its head." 1987, Saskatoon "I am going home to Canada tomorrow." 1983, on leaving California for British Columbia "Today I have proclaimed this new Constitution...There could be no better moment for me, as Queen of Canada, to declare again my unbounded confidence in the future of this wonderful country." 1982, Parliament Hill "I am getting to know our country rather well." 1978 "I dedicate myself anew to the people and the nation I am proud to serve." 1977, Speech from the Throne, Ottawa "My family's association with this country over many generations allows me to see and to appreciate Canada from another viewpoint, that of History." 1977 "I want the Crown to be seen as a symbol of national sovereignty belonging to all. It is not only a link between Commonwealth nations, but between Canadian citizens of every national origin and ancestry... I want the Crown in Canada to represent everything that is best and most admired in the Canadian ideal. I will continue to make it so during my lifetime. I hope you will all continue to give me your help in this t'sk." 1973, Toronto "Canada asks no citizens to deny their forebears, to forsake their inheritance - only that each should accept and value the cultural freedom of others as he enjoys his own. It is a gentle invitation, this call to citizenship... 1973, Regina "Canadian unity is not uniformity." 1971, at a Citizenship Ceremony, Vancouver "Thank you for being just the way you are." 1970, Yellowknife, to the Inuit who were too shy to approach her "If I have helped you feel proud of being Canadian, if I have reminded you of the strength which comes from unity and if I have helped draw your attention to the bright vision of the years ahead, I shall feel well satisfied, because I believe with all conviction that this country can look forward to a glorious future." 1959, on departing Canada after an extensive cross-country tour "Industry and commerce may bring wealth to a country, but the character of a nation is formed by other factors. Race, language, religion, culture and tradition all have some contribution to make, and when I think of the diversity of these factors in Canada today and the achievements that have grown from their union, I feel proud and happy to be Queen of such a nation." 1957 Thanksgiving Day Broadcast on CBC Radio & Television, the first TV broadcast The Queen made anywhere. "As I now address you here for the first time, I will call to your memory the words of the earlier Elizabeth, when, more than three centuries ago, she spoke from her heart, to the Speaker and Members of her last Parliament and said: 'Though God hath raised me high, yet this I count to the glory of my Crown - that I have reigned with your loves.' Now, here in the New World, I say to you that it is my wish that in the years before me I may so reign in Canada and be so remembered." 1957, Speech from the Throne, Ottawa "From the moment when I first set foot on Canadian soil, the feeling of strangeness went, for I knew myself to be not only amongst friends, but amongst fellow countrymen." 1951, first Canadian Homecoming, as Princess Elizabeth Canadians Speak About the Crown Politicians & pundits, athletes & vice-regals... "Her Majesty remains at the head of the State, the living symbol of the roots and continuity of the values we hold in common and those that are our permanent ideals. She is there to remind us of the principles according to which we Canadians understand our government should be conducted, how the powers of the state should be arranged for our safety and protection. Without the Queen of Canada, without the sacredness and otherness of royalty, without her articulating the importance of the spiritual dimension in people's lives, the office of the Governor General... and that of the Lieutenant Governors would be seriously weakened. She is the one entrusted with the conscience of the nation..." Fr Jacques Monet, SJ, author, historian and former Cultural Advisor at Rideau Hall, writing in Canadian Monarchist News, Autumn 2002 "When [The Queen] daintily bent over to drop a puck at an NHL game...she achieved perhaps the most brilliant melding of symbolism in Canadian history...The faces of the Canadians who did turn out to see her mirrored the face of the country. It wasn't crowds of elderly WASP's - and the farther the Queen was from Ottawa, the bigger the crowds, which may be a statement in itself." Michael Valpy, Royal reporter, The Globe and Mail, October 15, 2002 "It was a wonderful meeting...we discussed a wide range of subjects. I was impressed beyond description at how well [The Queen] is informed about everything." Stephen Harper, MP, Leader of the Opposition, after being received in Private Audience, Ottawa, October 14, 2002 "I think [the Monarchy's] great/ We're losing so many of our traditions. L't's keep some of them. And lets bring our kids into it." Legendary CFL quarterback Russ Jackson, Ottawa, October 14, 2002 "Do Canadians have confidence that Mr Chretien, or his equivalent from any of the other federal parties, has the imagination to come up with "the uniquely Canadian institution" casually tossed off by Mr Manley, let alone the integrity to do it without yielding to partisan politics ? Thus, one half of the equation centres on the monarchy itself, which has proven itself again on this tour a valuable and apolitical creation with genuine connections to a remarkable number of Canadians. The other lies with the federal political landscape and its remarkably shallow talent pool." Christie Blachford, National Post feature reporter, October 12, 2002 "For me, putting my arms around The Queen or putting my arms around you, it's no different...When I put my arm around The Queen, it was love. There's no difference. She's like us." Hon Claudette Bradshaw, Minister of Labour, Moncton, October 11, 2002 "If there are those who wonder what purpose The Queen serves Canada in the third millennium, perhaps it's this: Unlike our own politicians, too many of them, she has a deep and sincere regard for soldiers, a poignant and intrinsic attachment for those who stand on guard for thee...when Queen Elizabeth II stands to take the salute...there is no artifice. She is their commander, and not merely by the divine right of kings. She's earned it." Rosie DiManno, Toronto Star columnist, October 11, 2002 "We recall, with great honour, the political and military bond of mutual affection and alliance that has marked the relationship between the Mohawk people and the British and Canadian Crown for the last three centuries." Chief Donald Maracle, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, speaking to The Queen at the Festival of Ontario, Toronto, October 9, 2002 "Every country is different, and we grew up in this one with the Royal Family as part of our heritage." Hockey great Wayne Gretzky, GM Place, Vancouver, October 7, 2002 "The warmth of the reception accorded to Her Majesty and yourself here in British Columbia speaks more eloquently than any one of us ever could of the admiration, respect and affection that we have for your lives that have been lived in duty, discipline and dedication to public service." Hon Iona Campagnolo, Lieutenant Governor of BC, at Duke of Edinburgh Awards Ceremony, Vancouver, October 7, 2002 "The Queen is in Canada to receive the thanks of Canadians after 50 years of service, and it's richly deserved." Hon John Manley, Minister of Finance, Winnipeg, October 6, 2002 "I have a considerable regard for The Queen and the monarchy although I'm a New Democrat and a socialist. I think that the monarchy has validity at a time when everything else is flying off in all directions. I'd like to tell her that she's had a tough road and I sure in hell wouldn't change places with her. I admire her stubborn refusal to break down and take the easy way, to conform with the constantly changing public image of how our leaders should act." Author Farley Mowat, September, 2002 ...And that's the fundamental argument to be made for royalty. They represent. They are defiantly ordinary people...They are not movie stars, they are not extra-smart, they are not "special." After learning from the blow-outs of the 1980's and 90's, they show up every day and, without fuss, do the work. They represent the values of ordinary middle-class families all over the world, who are restrained, sensible, kind, practical, steadfast, penny-pinching, punctual, dutiful, charitable, trustworthy and good. These are the values we must celebrate and promote, because these are the values, and no others, that make our lives possible; not the awful cor'uptions of Hollywood or the "I'm so clever I must run your life" egomania of Ottawa. That's why we must keep the Windsors in perpetuity. And that's why I'll curtsy if I ever meet The Queen." Elizabeth Nickson, National Post columnist, June 7, 2002 "The Queen - our Queen - represents a Commonwealth based upon enduring freedoms, remarkable diversity and a tradition of lasting peace. She represents, in an extraordinary way, the values we all share." Hon John Hamm, Premier of Nova Scotia, at Golden Jubilee Flag raising, Province House, Halifax, May 16, 2002 "...our ability to love inclines most naturally to persons, and in the person of The Queen we can invest all those many fractured loves that make up patriotic love: love of country, love of nation, love of culture, love of land, all combined and channeled through one person, one family..." Southam Press columnist Andrew Coyne, April 10, 2002 "In a world often focused on self-indulgence, on "my" desires and "my" priorities and "my" agenda, The Queen's focus on the "we" and the "us" and on tolerance and getting along with each other, and on the needs and interests of others, has served as antidote, example and inspiration. And that is why, ladies and gentlemen, from the uplands of Papua New Guinea to the jungles of Belize; from Stewart Island in New Zealand to the beaches of Jamaica; and most certainly from those living within the sound of Big Ben's chimes to the prairie farms, huts of the tundra and teeming cities of this Dominion; in countless tongues, from peoples of many different complexions and faiths and backgrounds; and from hearts full of respect and gratitude and deep affection, a common cry will echo and a common toast be raised in this year of Golden Jubilee: God Save The Queen !" HRH Prince Michael of Kent, addressing Golden Jubilee Banquet of the Monarchist League of Canada, Toronto, March 15, 2002 "We do well to recall, in this year of Jubilee, that from her first days, Canada's history has been inextricably linked to the Crown, under which it has flourished. The earliest European explorers and settlers were colonists whose enterprises were often chartered by the Kings and Queens of France and Britain. On these shores and fields they met the native peoples, with their own varying experience of tribal chieftains. Together with immigrants who subsequently arrived from many lands across the globe, they built a country "strong and free," and they affirmed the desire expressed by Sir John A MacDonald to Queen Victoria, the Mother of Confederation, "to live under the sovereignty of Your Majesty and your family for ever." From that time, the Maple Crown has adapted the best traditions of the old country, and grafted onto them many indigenous to Canada." HRH Prince Michael of Kent, addressing Golden Jubilee Luncheon of the Vancouver Island Branches of the Monarchist League of Canada, Victoria, March 20, 2002 "Fifty years after her accession to the Throne, Elizabeth II remains a symbol of continuity, stability and tradition in a world that is under a barrage of constant change...a Sovereign, faithful and loyal to our people...The Queen and the heritage she gives to us is not just part of our past, but part of our common future...When you're a mature country, you don't need to break your ties with the past." Hon Sheila Copps, Minister of Canadian Heritage, launching Federal Golden Jubilee Initiatives and speaking to National Post, Ottawa, February 19-20, 2002 "Her Majesty has been present for many of our defining moments and has championed our most cherished Canadian values..." Judy Sgro, MP, House of Commons, Accession Day, February 6, 2002 " [The Queen} symbolizes for many the merits of a constitutional monarchy in which the head of state...is separate and apart from the ongoing political struggles of the'day." Bill Blaikie, MP, House of Commons, Accession Day, February 6, 2002 "The Crown is an important symbol of our identity and unity as Canadians." Hon Joanne Crofford, MLA, Provincial Secretary, Government of Saskatchewan, February 2002 "I feel pride every time I go into a citizenship ceremony and I repeat the Oath of Citizenship and I pledge allegiance to the Queen." Hon Elinor Caplan, Minister of Citizenship, May 22, 2001 "I see the Crown as an important part of our constitutional arrangements..." Hon Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice, May 22, 2001 "We're able to have the best of both worlds. We have the stability and the tradition of the monarchical system, but we also have a Canadian representative in the Governor General, who represents Canada as it is, as a Canadian, and does an incredible job representing the Monarch, but also all Canadians." Hon. David Collenette, Minister of Transport, May 18, 2001 "The monarchy is something we're an important part of. I like it for our country and I like it partly because it is something the Americans haven't got." Senator Frank Mahovlich, former NHL star, April 25, 2001 "Sir, you (HRH The Prince of Wales) have raised our spirits by being here in Hamilton. As a member of our Canadian Royal Family, we express our affection and as Heir to the Throne of our Canadian Constitutional Monarchy, we express here in Hamilton our loyalty and our fondest hopes and best wishes to you in the future." Robert M. Morrow, Mayor of Hamilton, 29 April 1996 "I know that all New Brunswickers join me in asking you [HRH The Prince of Wales] to convey our deepest affection and loyalty to Her Majesty the Queen." Hon. Frank McKenna, Premier of New Brunswick, 28 April 1996 "I think the monarchy is alive and well in New Brunswick". Hon. Margaret McCain, Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, 28 April 1996 "Every time I come to Canada, and I've been here many times since 1970, a little more of Canada seeps into my bloodstream. And from there, straight into the heart." HRH The Prince of Wales, Winnipeg, April 24, 1996 "The Monarchy is not a problem in Canada ... it is not an issue at all." Rt. Hon. Jean Chretien, Prime Minister of Canada, [at Canberra, Australia], 14 November 1995 "As I assume my responsibilities as your [Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada's] representative, I wish to assure you of my loyalty and devotions, as well of my determination to serve you and the people of Canada to the utmost of my abilities." Rt. Hon. Romeo LeBlanc, Governor-General of Canada, 8 February 1995 "The point to be made is that the Queen is Our Monarch and likely she and her successors will be all that will be available in that line of work. Our ruler only does what we say and only says what we asked be said, and goes where we tell her to go......But for all those who don't want the Queen there are easily as many who don't want a President and even more who certainly would not want one if they knew who it would be. As you can readily see, I have given more thought to this subject than most and I have reached my own conclusion. God save the Queen." Dalton Camp, political columnist, August 23, 1994 "The monarchy is the last bulwark of democracy." Hon. Daniel Johnson, Premier of Quebec, 18 February 1994 "When you think about it, the American Revolution was promoted by the French. And they, Quebec, refused to join. It was nothing to do with language but a lot to do with religion. And they felt more secure in the main, Catholics in Canada. More security for the religion, what the Monarchy was giving them in those days, compared to the Americans. So they stayed." Rt. Hon. Jean Chreti'n, Prime Minister of Canada, 23 April 1994 "For the Monarchy is much more than a person. It embodies the constitutional framework of our freedoms, the set of beliefs and attitudes of tolerance that make up this great country and make it distinctive. The Queen is the symbol of what we are today and the history of which we are the result and which is part of us. If Canada were to abolish the Monarchy we would be abolishing the symbol of our distinctiveness." Hon. Henry Jackman, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, 24 November 1994 "In a government like ours, the Crown is the abiding and unshakeable element in government, politicians may come and go, but the Crown remains and certains aspects of our system pertain to it which are not dependent on any political party. In this sense the Crown is the consecrated spirit of Canada." Robertson Davies, Introduction to Hunting Stuart & The Voice Of The People, 1994 "The Oath to the Queen is fundamental to the administration of law in this country. It signifies that, here in Canada, justice is done - not in the name of the Prime Minister, or the Mayor, or the Police Chief, as in totalitarian nations - but by the people, in the name of the Queen. Rather than being offensive, I submit that it's one of the hallmarks of our society that attracts people to Canada." Hon. Mike Harris, Premier of Ontario, (as Leader of HM Loyal Opposition), 15 September 1993 "For 200 years, the Monarchy has been the most important influence in keeping our country together and creating a truly unique and distant society in North America." Bill Vankoughnet, M.P. Hastings-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington, 25 May 1993 "...I was always impressed not only by the grace she [Queen Elizabeth II] displayed in public at all times, but by the wisdom she showed in private conversation." Rt Hon Pierre-Elliot Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada in his Memoirs, 1993 "The Crown has symbolised a continuity in the values of decency, fairness and equality before the law that have made this country great. And no Sovereign has served her Canadian subjects with more grace, more concern and more goodwill than has Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen's sense of duty, her courage, warmth and her honour are known and appreciated by all Canadians." Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney, Prime Minister of Canada, Canada Day, 1 July 1992 "The Queen has no personal power; but the crown is the foundation of Canadian political, legal and social practice, and the guarantor of our rights and freedoms. The Queen offers a reasonable alternative to anarchy, republicanism, communism or fascism." Heather Robertson, columnist, May 1991 |
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