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Canada is a constitutional monarchy. The governor general acts as the representative of the Crown in Canada. The governor general has extensive ceremonial duties. They also fulfill an important role in upholding the traditions of Parliament and other democratic institutions. Canada’s most recent governor general was Julie Payette. Following her resignation on 21 January 2021, the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, Richard Wagner, assumed the responsibilities of the office until a replacement could be confirmed.
Canada is a constitutional monarchy. The governor general acts as the representative
of the Crown in Canada. The governor general has extensive ceremonial duties. They also fulfill an important role in upholding the traditions of Parliament and
other democratic institutions. Canada’s most recent governor general was Julie Payette. Following her resignation on 21 January 2021, the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada,
Richard Wagner, assumed the responsibilities of the office until a replacement could be confirmed.
The governor general’s personal standard (flag) flies wherever he or she is in residence. It takes precedence over all other flags in Canada except the monarch’s.
| Name | Term |
| Viscount Monck | 1867-68 |
| Lord Lisgar | 1869-72 |
| Earl of Dufferin | 1872-78 |
| Marquess of Lorne | 1878-83 |
| Marquess of Lansdowne | 1883-88 |
| Baron Stanley of Preston | 1888-93 |
| Earl of Aberdeen | 1893-98 |
| Earl of Minto | 1898-1904 |
| Earl Grey | 1904-11 |
| Duke of Connaught | 1911-16 |
| Duke of Devonshire | 1916-21 |
| Lord Byng | 1921-26 |
| Viscount Willingdon | 1926-31 |
| Earl of Bessborough | 1931-35 |
| Lord Tweedsmuir | 1935-40 |
| Earl of Athlone | 1940-46 |
| Viscount Alexander of Tunis | 1946-52 |
| Vincent Massey | 1952-59 |
| Georges Vanier | 1959-67 |
| Roland Michener | 1967-74 |
| Jules Léger | 1974-79 |
| Edward Schreyer | 1979-84 |
| Jeanne Sauvé | 1984-90 |
| Ramon John Hnatyshyn | 1990-95 |
| Roméo A. LeBlanc | 1995-99 |
| Adrienne Louise Clarkson | 1999-2005 |
| Michaëlle Jean | 2005-10 |
| David Johnston | 2010-17 |
| Julie Payette | 2017-21 |
