Queen Elizabeth II Has Died & Here's Everything You Need To Know About The Impact On Canada

The queen's death affects Canadian money, documents and more.

Queen Elizabeth II. Right: Canada's Parliament in Ottawa.​

Queen Elizabeth II. Right: Canada's Parliament in Ottawa.

Writer

Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 at the age of 96, ending her reign as the longest-serving monarch in the U.K.'s history.

But what does her death mean for Canada?

The Crown and its symbols are a part of many aspects of Canadian life, including the queen's likeness on Canadian money and references to "Her Majesty the Queen" on Canadian documents and official paperwork.

Her son, the former Prince Charles, immediately became king on her death as well as the Sovereign of Canada. Here's what the change means for the country.

Canada gets a new monarch

Canada has been ruled by a monarchy since Confederation in 1867. With the queen's death, Charles is now king and Canada's head of state.

A number of processes will quickly come into effect now that a monarch has died and a new one is declared.

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Canadian passports could change

The first page of all Canadian passports reads, "The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada requests, in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely, without delay or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary."

In light of the queen's death, all such mentions of "Queen" will be changed to "King," according to the National Post.

It's not the only official document that will be impacted. Many other documents that use "Her Majesty the Queen" will also likely have to be changed.

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Canadian currency will change

Canada has included the likeness (or "effigy") of the reigning monarch on its coins since 1908 when the Royal Canadian Mint began production. This means that almost all the coins in circulation (as well as the $20 bill) have the queen's likeness on them.

With Charles now the reigning monarch, new coins could be designed soon, and the $20 banknote could also be affected.

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Canada's royal anthem will be different

"O Canada" is the country's national anthem, but Canada's royal anthem is "God Save The Queen."

After her death and with the crowning of a new monarch, the anthem will become "God Save The King," the government has said.

Canadians could get a holiday on the day of her funeral

In the event of the death of a monarch, it's the job of Canada's prime minister to convene parliament and pass a resolution expressing "loyalty and sympathy" to the new monarch, adjourn, and declare an official day of mourning.

This has traditionally meant that Canadians get a day off work; however, it remains to be confirmed whether or not Canadians will get a holiday to mourn the queen.

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Canadians swear allegiance to the king

New Canadians taking the Canada Oath of Citizenship would traditionally have to swear allegiance to "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada."

However, after the queen's death, it was reported that new citizens have already begun swearing allegiance to King Charles III.

According to the Government of Canada, however, those who have already sworn allegiance to the queen don't need to swear allegiance to the new Sovereign.

Canadian leaders will be expressing their condolences

Canadian leaders have been sharing messages of condolences and mourning the queen's death, expressing fond memories of her and recalling meetings they shared.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the queen "lived a life of history and duty," and said his thoughts are with her family.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault offered his condolences to the British royal family and said that the Quebec flag would be flown at half-mast on public buildings to mark the queen's passing.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared an emotional tribute to the queen after her passing, saying she was "one of [his] favourite people in the world," in a teary message.

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  • Contributing Writer

    Katherine Caspersz (she/her) is a contributing writer for Narcity Media, covering travel, things to do and more. She has written for various news sites and magazines, including Yahoo Canada and The National Post, and worked as an editor for the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail. She loves shopping, travel and all things spooky.

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