Everything about The Monarchy In Nova Scotia totally explained
The
Monarchy in Nova Scotia is a legal entity formally known as the
Crown in Right of Nova Scotia, which serves as the institution from which the power of the state flows within the province of
Nova Scotia, forming the core of the province's
Westminster system of
constitutional monarchy. The present
Canadian monarch is Queen
Elizabeth II, since
February 6,
1952, who is known within Nova Scotia's legal jurisdiction as Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Nova Scotia. As the monarch doesn't reside in Nova Scotia, a
vice-regal representative, the
Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, is appointed to carry out all the monarch's duties in the province.
The Crown in Right of Nova Scotia was established with the
British North America Act, 1949 (now
Newfoundland Act), though the governments of the previous incarnations of the province, going back to the unification of the Island of Newfoundland in
1638, have been monarchical in nature, and historical links with the
French and
British Crowns extend back even further, to the late 1400s.
Constitutional monarchy in Nova Scotia
Within the Canadian constitutional monarchy system the
headship of state isn't a part of either the federal or provincial jurisdictions; the Queen reigns impartially over the country as a whole. However, due to
Canada's federal nature, each
province in Canada, as with the
federal government, derives its authority and sovereignty directly from the one
Canadian monarch, meaning there effectively exists within the country eleven legally distinct crowns with one sovereign. Thus, Nova Scotia has a separate government headed by the Queen; however, as a province, Nova Scotia isn't itself a monarchy.
A
lieutenant governor is appointed by the
Governor General, on the advice of the
Prime Minister of Canada, to serve as the Queen's representative in the province, carrying out all the monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties of state on her behalf. The viceroy is provided an official residence by the Crown:
Government House in
Halifax. The building belongs to the Crown, being held in trust for future rulers, and can't be sold by the monarch. Her Honour The Honourable
Mayann E. Francis is the current Lieutenant Governor, having served since
September 7,
2006.
The Crown in Right of Nova Scotia performs a vast number of functions and duties central to the provincial government, judicial system, and system of honours, as well as owning provincial
Crown corporations and
Crown Land.
Symbols
Images of St. Edward's, the Tudor, and King's Crown are visible on provincial symbols such as the
Order of Nova Scotia, illustrating the monarch's place as the ceremonial head of the
Canadian honours system. Portraits of the monarch are often found in government buildings, schools, and military installations.
Monuments to members of the
Royal Family are located across the province.
Royal presence
Members of the Royal Family have been visiting Nova Scotia since before
Confederation, either as a royal tour, a vice-regal tour, or as a "working visit" (meaning in association with a charity or military organization instead of a state affair). Queen Elizabeth II has travelled to Nova Scotia more than any other member of the Royal Family, touring all parts of the province from
Annapolis Royal to
Digby.
History
The first establishment of non-indigenous monarchy came with the French settlers under
Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts,
Governor of Acadia, under the authority of King
Henry IV. One year after the establishment of the first colony at
Saint Croix Island, in modern day
New Brunswick, in 1604, another settlement was put down at
Port Royal.
Twenty years later, King
James VI & I created, with the Charter of New Scotland, the
Barontage of Nova Scotia for
Earl Alexander of Stirling to settle that province. By 1625, the colony was granted its first coat of arms, by James' successor, King
Charles I.
By 1627, war had broken out between
England and
France, and the French re-established their settlement at Port Royal. Later that year the French settlement was destroyed, and by 1629 the first Scottish settlement at Port Royal was inhabited; the charter of which made Nova Scotia as part of mainland
Scotland. However, this didn't last long: in 1631 King Charles VI & I signed the Treaty of Suza, which returned Nova Scotia to the French King.
However, in 1654 English colonists captured Acadia during
King William's War, but
William II, III & I returned the territory to France in the
Treaty of Ryswick at the war's end. The territory was recaptured by forces loyal to the British monarch during the course of
Queen Anne's War, and its conquest was confirmed by the
Treaty of Utrecht of 1713, placing all French colonists under the sovereignty of the British Crown. Seeking confirmation of their integration, on
June 23 that year, the French residents of Acadia were given one year to declare allegiance to King
George II, or leave
Nova Scotia. The Acadians were forced to swear an oath in 1730 giving their allegiance to the Crown but with a caveat that they wouldn't be required to bear arms against the French or
First Nations. In 1754, with hostilities growing in the lead-up to the
Seven Years' War, the Acadians were ordered to renew their oath — but this time, without including any reservation against fighting the French or their
Mi'kmaq neighbours. The majority of Acadians refused. The response was the forced removal of thousands of the French-speaking inhabitants, to board ships that headed off in various directions. This event came to be known as the
Great Upheaval.
Prince
William, the future King William IV, spent three years in the Canadian Maritimes and Quebec, including a lengthy stay in Halifax.
Following the
American Revolutionary War against King
George III, some 30,000
United Empire Loyalists settled in Nova Scotia; 14,000 going to New Brunswick and 16,000 to Nova Scotia. Approximately 3,000 of this group were former slaves of
African ancestry, known as
Black Loyalists, who were freed under the decree of
Governor of Virginia John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore.
By 1794,
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, father of Queen
Victoria, was sent to take command of Nova Scotia, where he designed many of Halifax's forts, oversaw the construction of many roads, devised a telegraph system, and he left an indelible mark on the city in the form of many public buildings of Georgian architecture. He is still remembered in that city for his good deeds such as the construction of both St. George's Church and the town clock as well as improvements to the Grand Parade. He departed in 1800.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York undertook his first tour of Nova Scotia in 1986, during which he visited Halifax, and skippered the
Bluenose II.
In December 2003,
Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, representing Canada's
Monarch, declared the Crown's acknowledgement (but without an apology) of the Great Upheaval and designated
July 28 as "A Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval." This closed one of the longest open cases in the history of the British courts since the Acadian representatives first presented their grievances of forced dispossession of land, property and livestock in 1760.
First Nations and the Crown
The Treaty of 1725 established the relationship between the First Nations inhabitants of Nova Scotia and the Crown, along with
Acadia and
New England, specifically "Maeganumbe delegates of the Tribes of Penubscutt, Norrigewock, St. Johns, Cape Sables, and other tribes Inhabiting His Majesty’s Territories." The First Nations acknowledged King
George III's title to the provinces, in exchange for which the aborigionies were guaranteed "not be molested in their persons, Hunting, Fishing and planting grounds nor in any other their lawful Occasions by His Majesty's subjects or their Dependants nor in the exercise of their Religion provided the Missionaries residing amongst them have Leave from Governor or Commander in Chief of His Majesty's said Province of Nova Scotia or Accadie for so doing." The First Nations were also accorded equal protection under the law as provided for the cololials.
Between 1725 and 1779, the Mi'kmaq signed a series of peace and friendship treaties with the British Crown, but none were land cession treaties. The Nation historically consisted of seven districts, but this was later expanded to eight with the ceremonial addition of Great Britain at the time of the 1749 treaty.
Royal connections
Nova Scotia's monarchical status is illustrated via associations between the Crown and many private organizations within the province, as well as through royal names applied to a plethora of regions, communities, schools, buildings, and monuments, many of which may also have a specific history with a member or members of the Royal Family.
Communities
The Crown's presence at the most local levels is demonstrated in part by royal and vice-regal namesakes chosen to be incorporated by communities across the province. Communities with royally or vice-regally associated named include:
Towns/cities named for Canadian sovereigns include:
|
| Community |
Named for |
| Annapolis Royal |
an amalgam of the original French name of Port Royal, and an honour to Queen Anne. Port Royal itself, founded in 1605, paid homage to the French Crown under which it was established. |
| Louisbourg |
King Louis VX |
| Louisdale |
King Louis IX |
| Kingston |
|
| Queen's municipality |
|
| Kingsburg |
|
Other:
|
| Community |
Named for |
| Windsor |
Windsor Castle, one of the Sovereign's Palaces |
Counties named for Canadian sovereigns include:
|
| Community |
Named for |
| King's County |
King George III |
| Victoria County |
Queen Victoria |
Counties named for members of the Canadian Royal Family include:
|
| Community |
Named for |
| Cumberland County |
Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland; dedicated in 1759 by Lieutenant Governor Robert Monckton |
| Queen's County |
Queen Charlotte; formed July 21, 1762, by Lieutenant Governor Jonathan Belcher |
| Annapolis County |
Queen Anne |
| Cumberland County |
Prince William, Duke of Cumberland |
Counties named for Canadian viceroys include:
|
| Community |
Named for |
| Guysborough County |
Governor General Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester |
| Richmond County |
Governor General Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond |
| Kemptville |
Governor General Sir James Kempt |
| Sherbrooke |
Governor General John Coape Sherbrooke |
Education
Schools across the province are also named for Canadian sovereigns, royal family members, or either federal or provincial viceroys.
Landmarks
A number of buildings, monuments and geographic locations around the province are named for Canadian monarchs, members of the Royal Family, or federal or provincial viceroys.
One of Halifax's most prominent features is St. George's Round Church, the construction of which was begun under the direction of
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, himself an amateur architect who also commissioned the
Halifax Town Clock. On
June 2,
1994, two boys set fire to the building, resulting in 40% of it being completely destroyed. However, it was decided to restore the church at a cost of $6 million. Continuing its royal connection,
Prince Charles, who had attended service there in 1983, donated to the fundraising, and in 1994
Prince Philip visited St. George's, taking a personal interest after the fire at
Windsor Castle two years earlier. The province's gift to the Queen and Duke was a $1000 donation to the restoration of St. George's.
Located in
Halifax is the
Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre
, and, named for the same monarch,
Queen Elizabeth Park is found in
Glace Bay.
Royal designation and patronage
Organizations in Nova Scotia may be founded by a
Royal Charter, receive a "royal" prefix, and/or be honoured with the patronage of a member of the Royal Family.
Two examples of this are the
University of King's College, founded by royal charter issued by King
George III in 1802. The
Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, the oldest yacht club in North America, was granted it's royal status by Queen
Victoria in 1837, and
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh currently serves as the Club's patron.
Further Information
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