Canada’s unworn crown

As I write today our new king, Charles III, has just been crowned in Westminster Abbey, a historic venue that doubles as worship space and national monument. As I watched the King and his consort receive their crowns, my first thought was how uncomfortable they looked. Charles received St. Edward’s Crown, made for his predecessor, Charles II, in 1661. Because it weighs 2.07 kilograms, it could not but place undue stress on our sovereign’s 74-year-old neck. He may need physiotherapy for the next little while as he recovers from the ordeal.

My second thought was how different the coronation was from the installation of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands ten years ago. Since 1948, a Dutch monarch has served, not for life, but until retirement after several decades at the helm, leaving the throne to her heir. This precedent, set by Queen Wilhelmina, has now been followed by Spanish and Belgian monarchs, and even by Pope Benedict XVI. At Willem-Alexander’s installation, the Crown was certainly present in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, but at no time did it rest upon his head – much to his relief, I’m sure.

Royal representatives

Although we Canadians share our king with our cousins across the pond, ours is a considerably scaled down monarchy. Our governors general are remote representatives of the King, carrying little of his gravitas in their own persons. Serving for shorter periods of time, their experience and insight would be less than those of a monarch reigning for several decades. While governments in the UK undoubtedly benefitted from our late Queen’s wisdom and advice, it is difficult to imagine Trudeau deferring to Mary Simon in the same way.

Whenever a royal event, such as the coronation, occurs, we can count on someone in the press to urge Canadians to dispense with the monarchy as a relic of colonialism. Nevertheless, our monarchy has served us well over the past century and a half. Dividing executive power between a head of state and a head of government simply makes sense. The most successful democracies incorporate this division into their constitutions, recognizing the need for an impartial office above partisan politics – something that Americans, for example, lack in their system.

In Canada, our Crown is not a bejewelled headpiece. Its weight is metaphorical, symbolizing the state as a unifying element in a larger system of justice. Our King is the embodiment of the Crown. Whether it actually rests on his head matters little to our system of government. While no political system is perfect, we Canadians have reason to be thankful for what we have, and that includes our monarchy. May our King grow into his role and fulfill the duties to which he has been called for the benefit of all.