Canadian Citizenship Oath Swears Allegiance to New King of Canada
Since the announcement of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II – who also served as the Queen of Canada since 1952 – some new citizens-to-be were faced with a dilemma: who do they swear their allegiance to?
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has yet to make an announcement on how the oath will proceed, but Roberto Rocha – reporter for Investigative Journalism Foundation – gave some insight into how his friend’s ZOOM citizenship ceremony proceeded:
And they ended with “The Queen is dead, long live the king”!
That’s wild.
— Roberto Rocha (@robroc) September 8, 2022
Furthermore, in common law, the Crown is a “corporation sole”, which essentially means that the Queen or King, regardless of who is the current reigning individual, is understood to represent the same position, legally. In short, swearing to the Queen is not “incorrect” and DOES NOT void the legitimacy of someone’s citizenship oath.
The Historical Impact of Queen Elizabeth II in Canada
As the longest-serving monarch of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II has been an integral part of Canada’s cultural identity. Below are some of the regularities in Canadian life that the Queen saw through or was directly involved with:
- The current red and white maple leaf flag that Canadians are so familiar with was officially proclaimed by Queen Elizabeth II on January 28, 1965.
- The Order of Canada, which recognizes notable Canadians who have profoundly impacted Canada and the world as a whole, such as Wayne Gretzky, Celine Dion, Terry Fox, Leonard Cohen, and David Suzuki, was established by Queen Elizabeth II on July 1, 1967.
- In 1982, Queen Elizabeth II signed the Proclamation of the Constitution Act, which finally gave Canada full sovereignty independent of British Law, and also brought on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- Many know that Queen Elizabeth II is prominently featured on the Canadian $20 bill, but she has been on Canadian bank notes since 1935, when she was just 9-year-old Princess Elizabeth.
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As such an integral part of Canada’s history since her accession to the throne in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II has seen the nation through some of its most formative years, and the legacy she left behind will forever leave an imprint on the fabric of Canadian politics, culture, and society.
