A PORTRAIT OF THE QUEEN

We are stunned by reports that the government has ordered Canadian embassies and missions to have the official Canadian portrait of HM the Queen hung in the ususal prominent place.

What we want to know is: Who removed the portraits of the Queen in first place? Who ordered them removed? When did they do it? Why?

The media thinks that this correction, like the restoration of the RCN and RCAF, is because they consider the Prime Minister to be a 'staunch monarchist'. That may or many not be true. What we do know is that the PM believes in Canada's Constitutional Monarchy, i.e., the Queen as Canada's Sovereign and 'Head of State' whose continuation and role is a formal part of the Conservative Party of Canada's platform.

This is not a matter of opinion. It is the law. It says so in the Constituion Act, 1982 just as it did in the British North America Act, 1867. If the Queen were not Canada's Head of State then why are there hollers from the usual suspects to abolish the monarchy?

Of course, the real issue here is that a certain government prior to the existing government had the portraits of Canada's Head of State removed not only from High Commissions and Embassies but within the offices of Parliament and on the government website.

These are the same people who instructed certain Governors-General to refer to themselves as Canada's 'de facto Head of State' which is, of course, ridiculous. The Governor-General of Canada represents the Queen not himself.

The politest term for this nonsense is the 'abolition of the monarchy by stealth'; so that, if one can pretend it doesn't exist then it will eventually not exist! They do not like Canada as it is and they don't like the law that makes Canada a Constitutional Monarchy even though Pierre Trudeau (whom some regard as the 'Father of their Country') knew that the monarchy was part of the 'deal' when his 'Charter of Rights and Freedoms' was written into the Constitution.

To change or remove the office of the Queen, the Governor-General or Lieutenant-Governors in Canada requires under law the opening of the Constitution, and having unanimous consent of Parliament and the ten Provincial Legislators. That would take some doing.

So, rather than go the democratic way, these self-serving sneaks simply pretend it away. It was remarkable that, during the Senate Hearings concerning the name of the Navy, a certain infamous General and now Senator casually remarked that he personally chose to lop off the Crown from the badge of the Canadian Army. One wonders: Who gave him the authority and why was he permitted to do that? This is the sort of behaviour more suited to a banana republic where certain people feel entitled to act at whim without deference to authority, i.e., the rule of men in place of the rule of law. That wasn't his personal badge. It represented the Land Forces of the Queen in Canada and belongs to Canada not him.

Imagine a Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police choosing to remove the portrait of the Queen from all RCMP offices and then, just, like, because, he lops off St. Edward's Crown from his badge.

Canada is, of course, a country of freedom and political parties as well as individuals have a right to express their opinion but if they wish to have the monarchy removed from their office space and coins, they should run for Parliament and get a mandate. In addition, if they are in the employ of the Crown and act against the Crown, i.e., bring the Crown into disrepute, they should be disciplined.

One is not required to be a monarchist to be a Canadian citizen but one is required to make an oath of allegiance to Canada's rightful Queen, her heirs and successors in the law.

Unless and until Canada's constitutional reality changes, if ever, they, like the current government is doing, should respect Canada as she is and that includes the Queen and Royal Family and the portrait of Canada's Sovereign in all public buildings.

And the media should wake up and realize that the monarchy has not been abolished just because it has previously been ignored and dismissed by a self-appointed elite.

Gregory Benton, 8 Sept 2011