Lieutenant Governor of Quebec

Infobox vice-regal
province = Quebec
shield = QUEarms.jpg
incumbent = Pierre Duchesne
his/her = His
appointed_by = Michaëlle Jean
first_lg = Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau
date = July 1, 1867The Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (French (masculine): "Lieutenant-gouverneur du Québec", or (feminine): "Lieutenant-gouverneure du Québec") is the vice-regal representative of the Queen of Canada in the province of Quebec. The role of the Lieutenant Governor is to carry out the constitutional and ceremonial duties of the monarch in the province.

The Governor General appoints the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec on the advice of the Canadian Prime Minister . There is no set limit to a Lieutenant Governor's term, the traditional description being "at Her Majesty's pleasure."

The present Lieutenant Governor of Quebec is Pierre Duchesne, who has served in the role since July 7, 2007.

History

Since 1867, twenty seven lieutenant governors have served Quebec; previously they acted as Lieutenant Governors of Canada East (1841-1867) and Lieutenant Governors of Lower Canada (1791-1841), and Governors of Quebec served as representative of the British Crown in the colony from 1760 to 1791. Before the British conquest of Quebec, 13 Governors General of New France (1663-1760), six Governors of New France (1627-1663), and seven Lieutenants General of New France (1541-1627), served as the King of France's viceroy.

The appointment of Jean-Louis Roux as Lieutenant Governor of Quebec by Governor General Roméo LeBlanc, on the advice of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, stirred controversy as Roux was well known as a strong opponent of Quebec independence, and soon after he took up the post it was revealed that as a university student he had worn a swastika on his lab coat in protest of the proposal to invoke conscription for service in World War II. Roux resigned his post voluntarily. [McWhinney, Edward; "The Governor General and the Prime Ministers"; Ronsdale Press, Vancouver; 2005; pg. 41]

Lise Thibault, a former civil servant, was the first woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, from 1997 to 2007. The shortest mandate by a Lieutenant Governor of Quebec was Lomer Gouin, from January to March 1929, when he died in office. The longest was Hugues Lapointe, for 12 years between 1966 and 1978.

Duties

The Lieutenant Governor of Quebec is vested with a number of governmental duties, as well as being expected to undertake various ceremonial roles. The Lieutenant Governor, attends various functions throughout the province and abroad, either as the host or a guest of honour. The Lieutenant Governor undertook approximately 400 engagements each year in 2002, 2003 and 2004. [ [http://www.monarchist.ca/new/docs/Report.pdf Guthrie, Gavin and Aimers, John; "$1.54 per Canadian: The cost of Canada's constitutional monarchy, 2005"] ] However, unlike the other Canadian provinces, there is no Throne Speech; instead a session of the National Assembly begins with the Opening Speech by the Premier. [ [http://www.assnat.qc.ca/eng/Assemblee/parl_gouv.html National Assembly of Quebec: Parliament and Government] ] The Lieutenant Governor is normally entitled to an audience with the sovereign, which usually occurs in the first year of their time in office, at Buckingham Palace.

For more detailed information on the viceroy's responsibilities in Quebec see: Lieutenant Governor (Canada)

ymbols

The Lieutenant Governor of Quebec bears a personal flag that consists of a blue field bearing the shield of the Arms of Her Majesty in Right of Quebec, surmounted by a crown, within a white disk. Along with the flag of the Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia, the Quebec vice-regal flag is only one of two that differs from all the others in Canada.

ee also

* List of Lieutenant Governors of Quebec
* Governor General of Canada
* Monarchy in Canada

References

External links

* [http://www.lieutenant-gouverneur.qc.ca/fr/index.html Lieutenant Governor of Quebec]