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Queen Elizabeth in 3D: Facts About the Monarchy
Provided by Garry Toffoli, Author and Director of the Royal Heritage Trust
ELIZABETH II
Queen Elizabeth II is the fourth longest reigning monarch in Canadian history. The first three are King Louis XIV, Queen Victoria and King George III.
Although the Queen acceded to the thrones of all her realms the second that her father King George VI died on 6nd February 1952, separate proclamations of her accession were issued in each of the realms. The Canadian proclamation of the Queen’s accession was the first one issued and was issued one day before the British proclamation.
The Queen’s title “Defender of the Faith” was given to King Henry VIII by Pope Leo X and meant “Defender of the Catholic Faith”. After Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church the title was retained but redefined to mean “Defender of the Church of England (the Anglican Church)”. In 1953, four days before her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II adopted separate style and titles as Queen of Canada and “Defender of the Faith” was retained but redefined again in the Canadian Parliament by a more general reference to God, declaring the Queen simply “Defender of the Faith in a supreme ruler”.
It was on her 1959 tour of Canada that the Queen learned from her doctor that she was pregnant with Prince Andrew. The first public official to be told was John Diefenbaker, the Canadian Prime Minister and it was suggested in the media at the time that the new prince might therefore eventually be created Duke of Ottawa.
The Queen is descended from over forty different ethnic backgrounds, including European, Asian and African ancestors.
CANADIANA
Canada is the largest monarchy in the world in area and the fifth largest in population.
The maple leaf was adopted as Canadians’ national badge to mark the 1860 royal tour of Canada by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII).
Three provinces are named after the Royal Family. One province’s name was chosen by a monarch. The provinces are Alberta (Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, daughter of Queen Victoria), Prince Edward Island (Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, father of Queen Victoria), New Brunswick (the Royal House of Brunswick – King George I through Queen Victoria) and British Columbia (named by Queen Victoria).
Four capital cities are named after the Royal Family and one other was originally given a royal name. The four are Victoria (Queen Victoria), Regina (Queen Victoria), Fredericton (Prince Frederick, Duke of York, son of King George III) and Charlottetown (Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III). Toronto was originally named York (Prince Frederick, Duke of York, son of King George III).
The City of Guelph in Ontario is named after the Royal Family. Guelph is the original Italian name of the Royal Family, whose roots are in northern Italy. The Guelphs were the supporters of the Pope against the Ghibellines, who supported the Holy Roman Emperor in his disputes with the Pope. The Guelphs moved to Germany where they became the Dukes of Brunswick and Electors of Hanover. Their descendant became King George I of the United Kingdom, who was the founder of the House of Brunswick or Hanover in Canada’s royal line.
Queen Victoria’s father, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, lived in Canada for a decade, from 1791 to 1800 and served as Commander in Chief. He was the first person to use “Canadian” to mean all people living in Canada and not just the French-speaking Canadiens, he prepared the defences that protected Canada in the War of 1812 and he advocated union of the British North American provinces half a century before Confederation and was quoted by the Fathers of Confederation.
In 1931 the Statute of Westminster, which granted the Commonwealth dominions full independence of and equality with the United Kingdom, made King George V, as the embodiment of the Canadian State, the first Canadian in international law separate from British status. Canadian citizenship was not introduced until 1947 for other Canadians, who were until then Canadian nationals within British subject status.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is a “crown corporation”. This means that the CBC is owned by Queen Elizabeth II in Right of Canada
SOCIAL
King Edward VII, when Prince of Wales, personally created the dinner jacket in 1875 as a semi-formal alternative for men to the normal white tie and tails for dinner parties. In 1886 an American friend of the Prince, James Brown Potter, visiting in England, attended one of his parties. He was outfitted by the Prince’s tailor in a dinner jacket, which he brought back to the United States and wore to his own club – the Tuxedo Park resort. As a result it became known as a tuxedo in the United States.
The four kings in a pack of cards are based on real kings. The King of Spades is King David of the Bible. King David was the warrior king and spades comes from the Italian spada, meaning sword. The King of Clubs is Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered the world and the King of Clubs holds a sword and the globe. The King of Diamonds is Julius Caesar. The King of Diamonds holds a battleaxe that evolved from the fasces, the symbol of ancient Rome. The King of Hearts is the Emperor Charlemagne. Charlemagne was the emperor who revived the Roman Empire and was regarded as head of all Western Europe. Hearts are the chief suit in the deck of cards and the King of Hearts has the most magnificent attire.
