The Sovereign
His Majesty King Charles III, as king of Canada and Canada’s head of State, is the personal embodiment of the Canadian Crown. As representatives of the Crown, the governor general and provincial lieutenant governors act on The King’s behalf. In Canada, the power to govern is vested in the Crown but is entrusted to elected governments to exercise on behalf of the people.
The essence of the commonwealth is its remarkable diversity. A family of some 2.4 billion people from 54 nations across 6 continents, whose traditions, knowledge and talents offer an incomparable richness of ideas and perspectives on
the world we share.
About His Majesty The King
His Majesty King Charles III, eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was born at Buckingham Palace on November 14, 1948. Named Charles Philip Arthur George, he became heir to the throne at the age of three upon his mother’s accession to the throne in February 1952.
In 1969, he was invested as The Prince of Wales by The Queen, a title he held until he became king.
He attended school in the United Kingdom and also spent two terms abroad as an exchange student in Melbourne, Australia. He would go on to study archeology, anthropology and history at Cambridge University.
Once he completed his studies, the Prince of Wales launched his military career by joining the Royal Navy, following in the footsteps of his father, his grandfather and two of his great-grandfathers. He qualified as a helicopter pilot in 1974, before joining the 845 Naval Air Squadron, which operated from the commando carrier HMS Hermes.
On September 8, 2022, following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, The Prince of Wales ascended to the throne and was proclaimed king. His Majesty King Charles III became King of Canada and the country’s Sovereign.
The King is patron of many organizations around the world that reflect his diverse interests and priorities, ranging from youth and education to the environment and organic agriculture.
He is married to Her Majesty Queen Camilla. He has two sons: His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales (Prince William) and The Duke of Sussex (Prince Harry).
About Her Majesty The Queen
Her Majesty Queen Camilla (formerly Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall) supports her husband, His Majesty The King, in carrying out his work and duties. She also undertakes public engagements on behalf of charities that she supports.
The Queen was born Camilla Rosemary Shand on July 17, 1947, at King’s College Hospital London. She was first educated at Dumbrells School, in Sussex, and then at Queen’s Gate School in South Kensington. She also attended Mon Fertile school in Switzerland and studied at the Institut Britannique in Paris.
The Queen was previously married to Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles; the marriage was dissolved in 1995. The couple had two children, Thomas Henry and Laura Rose, born in 1974 and 1978, respectively.
On April 9, 2005, The King (then Prince of Wales) and The Queen (then Ms. Camilla Parker-Bowles) were married in a civil ceremony at the Guildhall, Windsor.
The Queen is patron or president of more than 90 charities. Her charity work is varied but several themes prevail: encouraging health and well-being; promoting literacy, the arts and animal welfare; and supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault.
The Official Photo of His Majesty The King
For information on the official Canadian portrait of The King, please visit the website of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
The Royal Family
The governor general plays an important role in maintaining Canada’s long-standing relationship with the Royal Family. The governor general greets members of the Royal Family upon their arrival in Canada for either official tours or working visits. When visiting Ottawa or Québec, members of the Royal Family typically stay at Rideau Hall or at the Citadelle of Québec, respectively.
The Department of Canadian Heritage is responsible for the overall management of Royal visits, and shares the responsibility for their development and execution with provincial and territorial governments.
Messages to the Royal Family
Letters and greetings addressed to His Majesty The King may be sent to the following address:
His Majesty The King
Buckingham Palace
London SW1A 1AA
United Kingdom
The letter should be addressed to His Majesty The King; the salutation of your letter should be “Your Majesty”.
Buckingham Palace is unfortunately unable to accept unsolicited gifts sent to members of the Royal Family. Similarly, gifts for members of the Royal Family should not be sent to the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General (OSGG) at Rideau Hall for forwarding to Buckingham Palace.
Unsolicited gifts for members of the Royal Family received by the OSGG will either be returned at the expense of the sender or destroyed. For additional information, please contact royal@gg.ca.
For correspondence relating to issues of Canadian concern (such as immigration, Canadian politics, Royal Assent of bills, etc.), His Majesty defers to the governor general as his representative in Canada. If such letters are received by Buckingham Palace, they will be forwarded to the OSGG.
All enquiries pertaining to the Royal Family, including honorary appointments to Canadian regiments, Royal visits, patronage, pledges of loyalty, or the use of the word “Royal” should be sent to:
Royal Correspondence
Office of the Secretary to the Governor General
1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa ON K1A 0A1
royal@gg.ca
Extending Invitations to Members of the Royal Family
Inviting His Majesty The King to Canada is the prerogative of the prime minister of Canada. When the prime minister invites His Majesty or other members of the Royal Family to Canada to undertake an official Royal Tour, the tour is organized and supported by the Government of Canada and led by the Department of Canadian Heritage. The governor general does not play a role in the invitation process.
Canadian provinces, territories, municipalities or organizations may invite a member of the Royal Family (other than His Majesty The King) for a working or private visit to Canada. However, all costs related to the acceptance of such an invitation (e.g. travel, accommodation, hospitality for the member of the Royal Family and any supporting staff, as well as for any advance planning visits by supporting staff) would be borne by the party that extended the invitation. Before inviting a member of the Royal Family to Canada, the party that extends the invitation must be certain that the necessary funds to cover the costs of the visit would be available, should the invitation be accepted.
Addressing a Member of the Royal Family
When meeting a member of the Royal Family, many people wish to observe tradition, though there are no obligatory codes of behaviour. Traditionally, for men, a neck bow (from the head only) will suffice; for women, a small curtsy. One can shake hands with a member of the Royal Family only if the member reaches out first.
The correct form of address on presentation to The King is “Your Majesty” and then, subsequently, “Sir.”
The correct form of address on presentation to The Queen is “Your Majesty” and then, subsequently, “Ma’am.”
For other members of the Royal Family, “Your Royal Highness” on first introduction and then, subsequently, “Ma'am” or “Sir,” as required.
Criteria for Receiving Royal Patronage
Numerous Canadian organizations have been granted Royal patronage by the Sovereign and other members of the Royal Family—a very personal mark of both recognition and support. Therefore, having the right to carry Royal patronage is a tremendous honour that must be seen as being truly warranted, and based on significant contributions to the betterment of Canada and to Canadian society. Interested parties are asked to develop a detailed submission that fully addresses or confirms the validity of the following five points.
In order to be considered for patronage, an organization must:
- possess a clearly stated mandate that encompasses specific and defined goals and objectives in service to others
- be able to provide examples of ongoing, annual programming that speaks to such public engagement through specific activities and events
- demonstrate a proven track record of sustained public service on a regional or national basis through specific examples
- be in existence and functioning as an entity on an uninterrupted basis for a minimum of 15 years
- have documented evidence that confirms financial solvency and effective / acceptable standards of organizational management
Each submission will be carefully reviewed by the OSGG; positive recommendations will be forwarded to the Royal Household in London for final consideration.
Requests for Royal patronage must be submitted to royal@gg.ca or sent by mail to:
Royal Patronage
Office of the Secretary to the Governor General
1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa ON K1A 0A1
Criteria for Receiving Royal Designation
The granting of the use of the prefix “Royal” to Canadian associations, organizations and other entities is a personal prerogative of His Majesty The King. Usage of the prefix “Royal” is therefore a tremendous honour that must be seen as being truly warranted, and based on significant contributions to the betterment of Canada and to Canadian society. Interested parties are asked to develop a detailed submission that fully addresses or confirms the validity of the following five points.
The association/organization/entity must:
- possess a sustained record of service/accomplishment to the wider community that is well known, recognized and seen as pre-eminent in its field—a record worthy of royal recognition
- have a well-defined mandate in an established discipline (e.g. the arts, humanities, science and technology, volunteerism, education, philanthropy, community service, etc.) that corresponds to a reach that is at least regional in scope (Note: consideration will only be given to recreational/athletic organizations in exceptional circumstances)
- enjoy a long-standing and verifiable record of service/accomplishment that covers a minimum of 25 years
- be duly registered as a non-profit entity under the terms and conditions of the Income Tax Act
- have a well-defined and effective administrative structure as well as a current, verifiable state of sound finances
Each submission will be carefully reviewed by the OSGG; positive recommendations will be forwarded to Buckingham Palace for final consideration.
Requests for Royal designation must be submitted to royal@gg.ca or sent by mail to:
Royal Designation
Office of the Secretary to the Governor General
1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa ON K1A 0A1
Criteria for Naming a Building, Park, Scholarship, etc., after a Member of the Royal Family
In order to apply for the use of a Royal Family member's name, certain criteria must be fulfilled:
- The building or facilities should be completed or almost completed at the time of the request
- There should be no other building or park of a similar nature bearing the same royal name in the near vicinity
- In the case of scholarships or bursaries, it is important to ascertain that the necessary funds are in place and that criteria have been established for these awards prior to submitting a request for approval
Each submission will be carefully reviewed by the OSGG; positive recommendations will be forwarded to the appropriate Royal Household for final consideration.
Requests to use the name of a member of the Royal Family must be submitted to royal@gg.ca or sent by mail to:
Royal Correspondence
Office of the Secretary to the Governor General
1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa ON K1A 0A1
Your application should include:
- a detailed description of the feature being named in honour of the Royal Family, including details about its facilities and costs
- a photo of the completed building or park
Royal Events
Please visit the Royal events in the UK section of the High Commission of Canada to the United Kingdom website for information on such issues as Royal Garden Parties, the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade, and the Royal Ascot.