Monarchy in Prince Edward Island
Encyclopedia
By the arrangements of the Canadian federation
, the Canadian monarchy operates in Prince Edward Island
as the core of the province's Westminster-style
parliamentary
democracy
. As such, the Crown
within Prince Edward Island's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Prince Edward Island, Her Majesty in Right of Prince Edward Island, or the Queen in Right of Prince Edward Island. The Constitution Act, 1867
, however, leaves many royal duties in Prince Edward Island specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy
.
in the same way it does in all of Canada's other provinces, being the centre of a constitutional construct in which the institutions of government acting under the sovereign's authority share the power of the whole. It is thus the foundation of the executive
, legislative
, and judicial
branches of the province's government
. The Canadian monarch since 6 February 1952, Queen Elizabeth II is represented and her duties carried out by the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy
, with most related powers entrusted for exercise by the elected parliamentarians
, the ministers of the Crown
generally drawn from amongst them, and the judges
and justices of the peace. The Crown today primarily functions as a guarantor of continuous and stable governance and a nonpartisan
safeguard against the abuse of power. This arrangement began with an 1873 Order in Council by Queen Victoria and continued an unbroken line of monarchical government extending back to the early 16th century. However, though Prince Edward Island has a separate government headed by the Queen, as a province, Prince Edward Island is not itself a kingdom.
Government House
in Charlottetown
is owned by the sovereign in her capacity as Queen in Right of Prince Edward Island, and is used as an official residence
oth by the lieutenant governor and the sovereign and other members of the Canadian Royal Family will reside there when in Prince Edward Island.
. Monuments around Prince Edward Island
mark some of those visits, while others honour a royal personage or event; the royal persons do not receive any personal income for their service, only the costs associated with the exercise of these obligations are funded by both the Canadian and Prince Edward Islander Crowns in their respective councils
. Further, Prince Edward Island's monarchical status is illustrated by royal names applied regions, communities, schools, and buildings
, many of which may also have a specific history with a member or members of the Royal Family; Prince Edward Island is itself named in honour of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn. Associations also exist between the Crown and many private organizations within the province; these may have been founded by a Royal Charter
, received a royal prefix, and/or been honoured with the patronage of a member of the Royal Family. Examples include the Central Agricultural Society, which was under the patronage of Albert, Prince Consort after 1843.
The main symbol of the monarchy is the sovereign herself, her image (in portrait or effigy) thus being used to signify government authority. A royal cypher
or crown may also illustrate the monarchy as the locus of authority, without referring to any specific monarch. Further, though the monarch does not form a part of the constitutions of Prince Edward Island's honours, they do stem from the Crown as the fount of honour
, and so bear on the insignia symbols of the sovereign.
What is today Prince Edward Island was discovered and claimed by John Cabot
for King Henry VII
, though it was later, in 1523, also claimed by Giovanni da Verrazzano for King Francis I
, putting Île Saint-Jean, as Verrazzno called it, under the sovereignty of the French Crown until 1758. In that year, the French settlement of Louisbourg
(in present day Nova Scotia
) fell to the British Royal Navy
and, with the 1762 Treaty of Fontainbleau
, sovereignty over the island was officially transferred by King Louis XV
to King George III
. In 1763, the Earl of Egmont
presented an elaborate memorial to the King, asking that the Island of Saint John, while under the sovereignty of the Crown indefinitely, be granted to him and divided into baronies
. George initially denied Egmont's request, but, after Edgemont again presented his petition in 1767, the King this time approved. On 19 July 1769, Saint John Island was separated from the jurisdiction of Nova Scotia and became its own colony of the British Crown.
Prince Edward, George III's fourth son, arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1794 and, while he never visited Saint John Island, he, as Commander-in-Chief
of the British forces in North America
, ordered that new barracks be built in Charlottetown and defences constructed to protect the harbour. Recognising the Prince's interest in the island, its legislature passed a bill on 1 February 1799 that changed the colony's name in honour of Edward. By 1843 construction of Province House
was begun, and the laying of the cornerstone was followed by a Royal Salute
and three cheers for Queen Victoria. Not four years later, the Legislative Assembly
adopted an address to the Queen, asking for the establishment of responsible government
in the colony, and the request was soon thereafter granted.
Queen Elizabeth II attended the 100th anniversary of Prince Edward Island's entry into Confederation.
Canadian federalism
Canada is a federation with two distinct jurisdictions of political authority: the country-wide federal government and the ten regionally-based provincial governments. It also has three territorial governments in the far north, though these are subject to the federal government...
, the Canadian monarchy operates in Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
as the core of the province's Westminster-style
Westminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
parliamentary
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. As such, the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
within Prince Edward Island's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Prince Edward Island, Her Majesty in Right of Prince Edward Island, or the Queen in Right of Prince Edward Island. The Constitution Act, 1867
Constitution Act, 1867
The Constitution Act, 1867 , is a major part of Canada's Constitution. The Act created a federal dominion and defines much of the operation of the Government of Canada, including its federal structure, the House of Commons, the Senate, the justice system, and the taxation system...
, however, leaves many royal duties in Prince Edward Island specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
The Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island is the viceregal representative in Prince Edward Island of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her...
, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
.
Constitutional monarchy in Prince Edward Island
The role of the Crown is both legal and practical; it functions in Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
in the same way it does in all of Canada's other provinces, being the centre of a constitutional construct in which the institutions of government acting under the sovereign's authority share the power of the whole. It is thus the foundation of the executive
Executive Council of Prince Edward Island
The Executive Council of Prince Edward Island is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
, legislative
Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, along with the Lieutenant-Governor, forms the parliament of the province. The General Assembly meets at Province House, which is located at the intersection of Richmond and Great George Streets in Charlottetown....
, and judicial
Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island
The Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island is the top court in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island and the highest Court of Appeals in the province....
branches of the province's government
Politics of Prince Edward Island
The politics of Prince Edward Island are centred on a provincial government resembling that of the other Canadian provinces. The capital of the province of Prince Edward Island is Charlottetown, where reside the premier, provincial legislature, lieutenant-governor and cabinet.-The...
. The Canadian monarch since 6 February 1952, Queen Elizabeth II is represented and her duties carried out by the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
The Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island is the viceregal representative in Prince Edward Island of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her...
, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
, with most related powers entrusted for exercise by the elected parliamentarians
Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, along with the Lieutenant-Governor, forms the parliament of the province. The General Assembly meets at Province House, which is located at the intersection of Richmond and Great George Streets in Charlottetown....
, the ministers of the Crown
Minister of the Crown
Minister of the Crown is the formal constitutional term used in the Commonwealth realms to describe a minister to the reigning sovereign. The term indicates that the minister serves at His/Her Majesty's pleasure, and advises the monarch, or viceroy, on how to exercise the Crown prerogatives...
generally drawn from amongst them, and the judges
Court system of Canada
The court system of Canada is made up of many courts differing in levels of legal superiority and separated by jurisdiction. Some of the courts are federal in nature while others are provincial or territorial....
and justices of the peace. The Crown today primarily functions as a guarantor of continuous and stable governance and a nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
safeguard against the abuse of power. This arrangement began with an 1873 Order in Council by Queen Victoria and continued an unbroken line of monarchical government extending back to the early 16th century. However, though Prince Edward Island has a separate government headed by the Queen, as a province, Prince Edward Island is not itself a kingdom.
Government House
Government House (Prince Edward Island)
Government House of Prince Edward Island, often referred to as Fanningbank, is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, as well as that in Charlottetown of the Canadian monarch...
in Charlottetown
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...
is owned by the sovereign in her capacity as Queen in Right of Prince Edward Island, and is used as an official residence
Official residence
An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...
oth by the lieutenant governor and the sovereign and other members of the Canadian Royal Family will reside there when in Prince Edward Island.
Royal associations
Those in the Royal Family perform ceremonial duties when on a tour of the province; the royal persons do not receive any personal income for their service, only the costs associated with the exercise of these obligations are funded by both the Canadian and Prince Edward Island Crowns in their respective councilsQueen-in-Council
The Queen-in-Council is, in each of the Commonwealth realms, the technical term of constitutional law that refers to the exercise of executive authority, denoting the monarch acting by and with the advice and consent of his or her privy council or executive council The Queen-in-Council (during...
. Monuments around Prince Edward Island
Royal monuments in Canada
In Canada, a number of monuments have been erected to honour royal individuals, whether a member of the past French Royal Family, British Royal Family, or present Canadian Royal Family, thus reflecting the country's status as a constitutional monarchy under the Canadian Crown.-Alberta:-British...
mark some of those visits, while others honour a royal personage or event; the royal persons do not receive any personal income for their service, only the costs associated with the exercise of these obligations are funded by both the Canadian and Prince Edward Islander Crowns in their respective councils
Queen-in-Council
The Queen-in-Council is, in each of the Commonwealth realms, the technical term of constitutional law that refers to the exercise of executive authority, denoting the monarch acting by and with the advice and consent of his or her privy council or executive council The Queen-in-Council (during...
. Further, Prince Edward Island's monarchical status is illustrated by royal names applied regions, communities, schools, and buildings
Royal eponyms in Canada
In Canada, a number of sites and structures are named for royal individuals, whether a member of the past French Royal Family, British Royal Family, or present Canadian Royal Family, thus reflecting the country's status as a constitutional monarchy under the Canadian Crown.-King Francis I:-Queen...
, many of which may also have a specific history with a member or members of the Royal Family; Prince Edward Island is itself named in honour of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn. Associations also exist between the Crown and many private organizations within the province; these may have been founded by a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
, received a royal prefix, and/or been honoured with the patronage of a member of the Royal Family. Examples include the Central Agricultural Society, which was under the patronage of Albert, Prince Consort after 1843.
The main symbol of the monarchy is the sovereign herself, her image (in portrait or effigy) thus being used to signify government authority. A royal cypher
Royal Cypher
In modern heraldry, a royal cypher is a monogram-like device of a country's reigning sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a crown. In the case where such a cypher is used by an emperor or empress, it is called...
or crown may also illustrate the monarchy as the locus of authority, without referring to any specific monarch. Further, though the monarch does not form a part of the constitutions of Prince Edward Island's honours, they do stem from the Crown as the fount of honour
Fount of honour
The fount of honour refers to a nation's head of state, who, by virtue of his or her official position, has the exclusive right of conferring legitimate titles of nobility and orders of chivalry to other persons.- Origin :...
, and so bear on the insignia symbols of the sovereign.
History
John Cabot
John Cabot was an Italian navigator and explorer whose 1497 discovery of parts of North America is commonly held to have been the first European encounter with the continent of North America since the Norse Vikings in the eleventh century...
for King Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
, though it was later, in 1523, also claimed by Giovanni da Verrazzano for King Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
, putting Île Saint-Jean, as Verrazzno called it, under the sovereignty of the French Crown until 1758. In that year, the French settlement of Louisbourg
Louisbourg, Nova Scotia
Louisbourg is a community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.-History:The town's name was given by French military forces who founded the Fortress of Louisbourg and its fortified seaport on the southwest part of the harbour, in honour of Louis XV...
(in present day Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
) fell to the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and, with the 1762 Treaty of Fontainbleau
Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762)
The Treaty of Fontainebleau was a secret agreement in which France ceded Louisiana to Spain. The treaty followed the last battle in the French and Indian War, the Battle of Signal Hill in September 1762, which confirmed British control of Canada. However, the associated Seven Years War continued...
, sovereignty over the island was officially transferred by King Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
to King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. In 1763, the Earl of Egmont
John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont
John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont PC, FRS was a British politician, political pamphleteer, and genealogist...
presented an elaborate memorial to the King, asking that the Island of Saint John, while under the sovereignty of the Crown indefinitely, be granted to him and divided into baronies
Barony (administrative division)
Tenure by barony was the higher feudal tenure of a lord who had subordinate knights. Originally, a barony was the land subject to a baron and could, in England after the Norman Conquest, consist of estates scattered throughout the country or in several regions (Not to be confused with...
. George initially denied Egmont's request, but, after Edgemont again presented his petition in 1767, the King this time approved. On 19 July 1769, Saint John Island was separated from the jurisdiction of Nova Scotia and became its own colony of the British Crown.
Prince Edward, George III's fourth son, arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1794 and, while he never visited Saint John Island, he, as Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the British forces in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, ordered that new barracks be built in Charlottetown and defences constructed to protect the harbour. Recognising the Prince's interest in the island, its legislature passed a bill on 1 February 1799 that changed the colony's name in honour of Edward. By 1843 construction of Province House
Province House (Prince Edward Island)
Province House is where the Prince Edward Island Legislature, known as the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, has met since 1847. The building is located at the intersection of Richmond and Great George Streets in Charlottetown; it is Canada's second-oldest seat of government.- History...
was begun, and the laying of the cornerstone was followed by a Royal Salute
Honors music
The honours music for a person, office or rank is music played on formal or ceremonial occasions in the presence of the person, office-holder, or rank-holder, especially by a military band...
and three cheers for Queen Victoria. Not four years later, the Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, along with the Lieutenant-Governor, forms the parliament of the province. The General Assembly meets at Province House, which is located at the intersection of Richmond and Great George Streets in Charlottetown....
adopted an address to the Queen, asking for the establishment of responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
in the colony, and the request was soon thereafter granted.
Queen Elizabeth II attended the 100th anniversary of Prince Edward Island's entry into Confederation.