Canada is Constitutional Monarchy

The Monarch is the Head of State, whose powers are defined by the Constitution and constitutional conventions. These responsibilities are carried out by the Monarch’s representative in Canada, the Governor General.

Both the Head of State and the Head of Government are held by different individuals. The Head of State is the monarch, who is now His Majesty King Charles III, while the Head of Government is the Prime Minister.

The Monarch’s powers and responsibilities are established and limited by the Canadian Constitution and other laws.

Several other Commonwealth countries, including Australia, India, and the United Kingdom, share the same monarch as Canada. Each nation's monarch plays a distinct and separate function from the others.

In some countries, the Head of State and the Head of Government are the same person. The Head of State in Canada does not play a political role but has significant constitutional obligations. They have no affiliation with any political party or platform and are steadfastly non-partisan.

A political figure who heads Cabinet is known as the Head of Government.

The Governor General's Position

In Canada, the monarch is represented by the Governor General. On the Prime Minister's recommendation, the Monarch appoints them. A new Governor General is typically selected every five years, despite the fact that the position is not given a set tenure under the Constitution.

Constitutional responsibilities, honours presentations, military responsibilities, and ceremonial are the Governor General's four principal spheres of authority.

Powers Reserved to the Monarch

All of the monarch's duties and powers are carried out by the governor general, with the exception of those that the monarch can only carry out personally, such as the following:

Choosing the Governor General: The Monarch may only do this on the Prime Minister's suggestion. No Governor General may select their own replacement.

In the event of a probable political impasse, the Prime Minister may ask for the appointment of four or eight extra senators, evenly distributed across Canada's regions. The Governor General will appoint the new senators if the monarch concurs.