Q: Your other main interaction is with the Queen. Tell me about your last visit with her.
A: It was a bit nostalgic there because we both knew it was the last time we would see each other in this capacity. Of course the Queen is now 91. She’s remarkably physically and mentally acute, and it’s wonderful to be with her. We’ve found both her and her husband so down to earth, so warm, and in her case so very wise. Each time we’ve had the chance to meet I’ve had the sense of someone who’s seen more history than any other living person. It’s been quite a thrill to interact with her.
Q: She’s been the monarch for every Canadian-born governor general, from Vincent Massey to you. When her reign ends, would it be an appropriate time for a debate about the role of the monarchy in Canada?
A: Well, I’m sure there will be, as this debate is going on at all times, and appropriately so in a democracy. And other realms in the Commonwealth will have that debate. My own view is that we have an Act of Succession, the succession is clear, and my role and that of the other members of the vice-regal family is to make that as smooth as it possibly can be.
When I do get into these debates, very often with schoolchildren, I say, ‘You know, Canada has evolved since 1867. We’re the product of a thousand years of constitutional history. We’ve made changes, when changes were appropriate, in how we govern ourselves. But always be conscious of what it is you want. And if you’re making change, why that change seems quite compelling, and what you’re getting into. And if you wanted to name 10 countries around the world that seem to have government that pretty well satisfies the needs of the vast majority of people and has a degree of trust, you’d probably have on that list: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Canada. What’s common to those? They’re all constitutional monarchies with vigorous parliamentary democracies. So something has been working well for us.
Thanks Rudolph!
