News Clippings
Our Monarchy In The News
Governor General Announces HM The Queen to Visit Canada in 2010
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, is pleased to announce that Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh are grateful to accept the invitation of the Government of Canada to undertake a visit to Canada in 2010, subject to the usual diary considerations.
The visit will be coordinated by the Canadian Secretary to The Queen, Mr. Kevin MacLeod, CVO, CD. Information regarding dates, locations and programme of the visit will be published at a later date.
July 4, 2009
Emperor & Empress of Japan Begin 14 Day State Visit to Canada
Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan are visiting Canada from July 3 to 14, 2009. Their itinerary includes Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria. During their visit they will have the opportunity to meet many Canadians, including representatives of the Japanese-Canadian community. This will be His Majesty's first visit to Canada since he visited as Crown Prince in 1953, touring several Canadian cities en route to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the establishment of Canada’s first diplomatic mission in Japan.
July 4, 2009
Former Governor General Romeo Leblanc Laid To Rest
Romeo LeBlanc was remembered at Friday's state funeral in Memramcook, his hometown, by Canadians from all backgrounds as an unsung hero and a larger-than-life man who devoted his life to others.
Former prime minister Jean Chretien, who appointed LeBlanc governor general in 1995, hailed his friend as "the great gentleman of Acadia."
"This gentlemen embodied what's best about our country, the proof that anything is possible here," he told the 1,000 people who filled Saint Thomas Church as LeBlanc's coffin rested draped in a Canadian flag. "I didn't meet anyone who didn't like him," Chretien said in his eulogy.
Some of the country's most powerful politicians mingled with ordinary Canadians in the small community of Memramcook, south of Moncton, to pay their last respects to the longtime politician who served as a minister and senator before being appointed governor general.
LeBlanc, who made his way from humble beginnings to the halls of power, died on June 24 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's. He was 81.
He returned frequently to this region and spent his last years in the nearby village of Grand Digue.
Dignitaries came in droves to the service, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean, New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff and Phil Fontaine, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
Under grey skies that held off rain until the end of the ceremony, mourners gathered outside the 169-year old church for a last look at the man locals simply called Romeo.
Inside, Chretien stressed LeBlanc was proud of his roots and never forgot his humble beginnings in Memramcook, known as the Cradle of Acadia.
"Romeo you were the first Maritimer and the first Acadian to become governor general and you made them all very proud," he said.
Besides Chretien, LeBlanc's longtime friend, Naomi Griffiths, an expert in Acadian history, and LeBlanc's son, Dominic, an MP from New Brunswick, delivered eulogies.
Dominic LeBlanc said his father had a long and distinguished career, but was most proud of being a parent.
"He was an extraordinary parent. His generosity had no limits. The country has lost a devoted Canadian who did his best to serve with humility and compassion," said LeBlanc, a Liberal, who holds the seat his father once represented.
He said his father went to Ottawa as an MP in the early 1970s with others, including Chretien and Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who had a vision of a "compassionate Canada".
"They devoted their lives to bringing us together, to reminding us of the values formed by this great land, that our first peoples shared with our earliest settlers," he said.
"My father deeply believed that Canada's greatest and most abundant resources lay ... in the hearts and in the minds of Canadians," he added.
The series of honorary pallbearers marching behind the hearse that carried the coffin to the church included Chretien and Justin Trudeau, son of the late prime minister.
The funeral procession, led by a military honour guard, made its way slowly through the parish to the mournful sound of a military band that had draped its instruments in black for the ceremony.
Some 300 people lined the route, including fishermen and officers from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, where LeBlanc served as minister from 1976 to 1982.
He became the country longest-serving fisheries minister and was held in high regard by fishermen, who called him the"fishermen's friend."
After the ceremony, the military pallbearers carried out the coffin and removed and folded the national flag.
The Governor General presented the Maple Leaf to LeBlanc's daughter, Genevieve, and the insignia to his son and embraced them both.
The Last Post was sounded, followed by the Rouse. Then a 21-gun salute commenced.
LeBlanc's coffin was taken to the cemetery just behind the church where the family held a private burial ceremony.
Courtesy of Regina Leader Post
June 28, 2009
Governor General Announces Royal Visit to Canada 2009
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, is pleased to announce an upcoming Royal Visit to Canada that will take place later this year:
Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall have accepted the invitation of the Government of Canada to undertake a visit in November 2009. They will visit Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and the National Capital Region.
The visit will be coordinated by the Canadian Secretary to The Queen, Mr. Kevin MacLeod, CVO, CD. A detailed itinerary will be published at a later date by the Department of Canadian Heritage.
June 2009
Her Majesty and Her Excellency makes the "Top 20" in Reader's Digest "The Canadians You Trust"
In our society—supposedly obsessed with youth and
glamour—age and wisdom usually get short shrift. But while this may be
true in the realms of entertainment and fashion, when
it comes to trust a touch of grey is the furthest thing from a handicap.
An exclusive Reader’s Digest poll conducted by the independent research
firm Harris/Decima shows that we place our trust in a wide array of
public figures, but almost all have one thing in
common: Experience.
So Whom Does Canada Trust Most?
The Top 20
- David Suzuki
- The Queen
- Gen. Rick Hillier (Ret’d)
- Stephen Lewis
- Michael J. Fox
- Lloyd Robertson
- Peter Mansbridge
- Stephen Harper
- Sheila Fraser
- Rick Mercer
- George Stroumboulopoulos
- Wayne Gretzky
- Louise Arbour
- Don Cherry
- Ron MacLean
- Robert Munsch
- Rex Murphy
- Jean Béliveau
- Michael Ignatieff
- Michaëlle Jean
Courtesy of Reader's Digest
May 18, 2009
Message from Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada on the occasion of Victoria Day
I am delighted, on behalf of all Canadians, to offer greetings and best wishes to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, on the occasion of her official Canadian birthday celebrations, this Monday, May 21, Victoria Day.
Although Her Majesty's natural birthday is in April, it has long been the tradition in Canada to mark official celebrations of the Sovereign's birthday on Victoria Day, a date chosen in honour of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, who was born on May 24, 1819.
The connection between Her Majesty and Canadians is enduring and deeply rooted. Her genuine affection for our country and our people extends beyond her role as Sovereign. Canadians recognize this heartfelt kinship and have reciprocated with great fondness and admiration, and recently were touched to see and hear Her Majesty at Vimy Ridge to commemorate this country's war-time sacrifice, and a defining moment in Canada's history.
This year also marks the 150th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s official selection of Ottawa as the capital of Canada. There are a great many commemorative activities scheduled to take place throughout the year. As Honorary Patron of this celebration, I encourage all of you to take part.
But first, let us wish Her Majesty a very happy birthday!
December 29, 2008
Governor General's 2009 New Year's Message
As a new year dawns, we are filled with a renewed sense of hope. The days, weeks and months ahead may be whatever we imagine them to be and will be whatever we make of them.
But let us be realistic: the challenges are considerable and have caused a great deal of anxiety. This past year came to a close with the announcement of a global recession—one from which we are not immune—while an unprecedented political crisis shook the country. In December, the number of our soldiers killed in Afghanistan surpassed 100, and the entire country shares the pain of those tragic losses.
What these recent events bring to light is how important it is for us to work together—nations, governments, societies, businesses, organizations, individuals, side by side. The “fend for yourself” mentality has no place in an interdependent world, where the decisions of some have a profound impact on the lives of others; where our fates are inextricably linked. Today, I am calling for greater solidarity between us.
Given the magnitude of the challenges before us, the time has come for us to invent new ways of living together. It is up to us to seize that opportunity. It is in this spirit that my husband Jean-Daniel Lafond, our daughter Marie-Éden and our entire team join us in wishing everyone a year filled with promise and possibilities.
Michaëlle Jean
December 2008
The Queen's 2008 Christmas Message
"Christmas is a time for celebration, but this year it is a more sombre occasion for many. Some of those things which could once have been taken for granted suddenly seem less certain and, naturally, give rise to feelings of insecurity.
"People are touched by events which have their roots far across the world. Whether it is the global economy or violence in a distant land, the effects can be keenly felt at home.
"Once again, many of our service men and women are serving on operations in common cause to bring peace and security to troubled places.
"In this 90th year since the end of the First World War, the last survivors recently commemorated the service and enormous sacrifice of their own generation.
"Their successors in theatres such as Iraq and Afghanistan are still to be found in harm's way in the service of others. For their loved ones, the worry will never cease until they are safely home.
"In such times as these we can all learn something from the past. We might begin to see things in a new perspective. And certainly, we begin to ask ourselves where it is that we can find lasting happiness.
"Over the years those who have seemed to me to be the most happy, contented and fulfilled have always been the people who have lived the most outgoing and unselfish lives; the kind of people who are generous with their talents or their time.
"There are those who use their prosperity or good fortune for the benefit of others whether they number among the great philanthropists or are people who, with whatever they have, simply have a desire to help those less fortunate than themselves.
"What they offer comes in the form of what can easily be recognised as service to the nation or service to the wider community.
"As often as not however, their unselfishness is a simply taken-for-granted part of the life of their family or neighbourhood.
"They tend to have some sense that life itself is full of blessings, and is a precious gift for which we should be thankful.
"When life seems hard the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.
"I think we have a huge amount to learn from individuals such as these. And what I believe many of us share with them is a source of strength and peace of mind in our families and friends.
"Indeed, Prince Philip and I can reflect on the blessing, comfort and support we have gained from our own family in this special year for our son, the Prince of Wales. Sixty years ago, he was baptised here in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace. As parents and grandparents, we feel great pride in seeing our family make their own unique contributions to society.
"Through his charities, the Prince of Wales has worked to support young people and other causes for the benefit of the wider community.
"At Christmas, we feel very fortunate to have our family around us. But for many of you, this Christmas will mean separation from loved ones and perhaps reflection on the memories of those no longer with us.
"I hope that, like me, you will be comforted by the example of Jesus of Nazareth who, often in circumstances of great adversity, managed to live an outgoing, unselfish and sacrificial life. Countless millions of people around the world continue to celebrate his birthday at Christmas, inspired by his teaching.
"He makes it clear that genuine human happiness and satisfaction lie more in giving than receiving; more in serving than in being served.
"We can surely be grateful that, two thousand years after the birth of Jesus, so many of us are able to draw inspiration from his life and message, and to find in him a source of strength and courage.
"I hope that the Christmas message will encourage and sustain you too, now and in the coming year.
"I wish you all a very happy Christmas."
The Official 60th birthday photograph of HRH The Prince of Wales was taken by photographer Hugo Burnand. His Royal Highness is wearing the Ceremonial Uniform of The Welsh Guards.
The Prince of Wales has been Colonel of the Welsh Guards since 1975. His Royal Highness wears this Ceremonial Uniform every year for the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards (which marks The Queen’s official birthday).
The photograph was taken on the 27th February 2008 at Clarence House, London.
HRH The Prince of Wales, photographed by Hugo Burnand.
Courtesy of the official site of HRH The Prince of Wales
September 10, 2008
