5.4.1 Constitutional Monarchy

Canada's head of state is a hereditary sovereign, a king or a queen. The position passes down through the Royal Family; nobody is elected to it. The Sovereign reigns according to the Constitution, which means under the rule of law rather than above it. The Sovereign is also one of the three parts of Parliament. The role is deliberately non-partisan: the Sovereign belongs to no political party and does not take sides between the parties.

For Canadians the Crown acts as a focus of citizenship and of allegiance. That is seen most clearly when members of the Royal Family visit Canada. The Sovereign stands as a symbol of Canadian sovereignty, as a guardian of the freedoms the Constitution protects, and as a living reminder of the country's history. The Royal Family's habit of serving the community for a whole lifetime is held up as an example, encouraging citizens to give their own best to Canada.