Canada Will Get A New Monarch Now That Queen Elizabeth II Has Died & Here's What'll Happen Next

It is a commonly forgotten fact that Queen Elizabeth II was not just the monarch of the United Kingdom but also the Queen of Canada.

On September 8, Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at Balmoral near Aberdeen, Scotland, according to Buckingham Palace.

And, just like the U.K., Canada also has to go through the rigmarole of changing its official monarch now that she has died.

Canada has been ruled by a monarchy since its inception in 1867 and, in our modern parliamentary system, it's the source of all governmental power – a power the queen "entrusts" to parliament.

But what happens when that monarch dies? It's a good question, especially since it hasn't happened since 1952.

Well, a few things take place as soon as calls of "The queen is dead! Long live the king!" start ringing out.

First things first, when a monarch dies, Canada maintains its leadership and government.

In the 1985 Interpretation Act, the law says that when The Crown — aka the monarch — meets their demise, their death "does not affect the holding of any office under the Crown in right of Canada."

So, basically, nothing will dissolve, disappear or go away in Canada's government following the queen's death.

But things are a bit more complicated than just that. According to an article in the National Post, the Governor General, the queen's proxy here in Canada, must now go to Parliament Hill and proclaim that Canada has a new "lawful and rightful liege."

But this is more an act of show or "window dressing."

On the most basic level, as soon as the queen died, her heir succeeded the throne, becoming king. In this case, it would be Charles, Prince of Wales.

So, before Canada has even announced or recognized it, it will have a new monarch.

This, of course, is one of the few changes that will take place now that Queen Elizabeth II has died, along with alterations to our money, passports and more.

There's also a good chance Canadians will get a day off to mourn her funeral.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.