The flag of the governor general of Canada is a

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

used as a symbol to mark the presence of the

governor general of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm ...

. Such a flag has been used by governors general since just after

Canadian Confederation Canadian Confederation (french: Confédération canadienne, link=no) was the process by which three British North American provinces, the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, were united into one federation called the Dominio ...

and the design has altered over decades. The current flag was adopted in 1981.

Design

The first governor general's flag was adopted in 1870 and followed the design of other viceregal flags in use throughout the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

at the time: a

Union Flag The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

defaced with the shield of the coat of arms of Canada; though, in contrast to other imperial governors, the wreath surrounding the central badge was one of maple instead of laurel leaves. The design was updated in 1921, to incorporate changes to the appearance of Canada's coat of arms, and again in 1931, to reflect developments in Canada's constitutional structure brought about by the Statute of Westminster, whereby the governor general became the personal representative of the

monarch of Canada The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional federal structure and Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. The monarchy is the f ...

, rather than a representative of the British monarch in Canada, as it was previously. The current flag was first introduced in 1981 and comprises the crest of the royal coat of arms of Canada—a crowned lion holding a red maple leaf in its paw, standing on a wreath of red and white (Canada's official colours)—on a blue background. This design differs from that of the flags of governors-general in the other

Commonwealth realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealt ...

s; most feature the royal crest of the

arms of the United Kingdom The royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, or the royal arms for short, is the arms of dominion of the British monarch, currently King Charles III. These arms are used by the King in his official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom. Varia ...

above a scroll bearing the relevant country's name; the flag of the governor-general of New Zealand displays the crowned shield of the

coat of arms of New Zealand The coat of arms of New Zealand ( mi, Te Tohu Pakanga o Aotearoa) is the heraldic symbol representing the South Pacific island country of New Zealand. Its design reflects New Zealand's history as a bicultural nation, with a European female figu ...

on a blue field. While

Roméo LeBlanc Roméo-Adrien LeBlanc (December 18, 1927June 24, 2009) was a Canadian journalist, politician and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 25th since Canadian Confederation. LeBlanc was born and educated in New Brunswick, and also ...

served as governor general (1995-1999), the flag was, at LeBlanc's direction, modified: the lion's tongue and claws were removed, which made the animal appear, in LeBlanc's opinion, more "Canadian". These changes were reversed in 2002.

Use

The flag is flown from the governor general's official residences—

Rideau Hall Rideau Hall (officially Government House) is the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and their representative, the governor general of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main bu ...

and La Citadelle—and any other building the governor general is visiting. It may also be flown from any vehicle being used by the governor general. On overseas visits, the

national flag A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours a ...

is used to identify the governor general. The flag takes precedence over the National Flag and the personal standards of any member of the

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term pa ...

other than the sovereign, but not ahead of the royal standard or the flag of a

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

of a province at a function hosted by that lieutenant governor.

Legal

The flag is protected under the Trade-marks Act; Section 9(c) states:

Historical versions

References

External links

Governor General's Flag
– Governor General's official website
''Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges'': Governor General of Canada

''The Flags of Canada'', by Alistair B. Fraser {{Flags, Banners and Standards of Heads of State and Government

Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy ...

Flags displaying animals

Design

Use

Legal

Historical versions

See also

References

External links