Former governors general and prime ministers will join their successors to represent Canada at the Queen’s funeral on Monday, in a delegation that will reflect Canadian society that will also include Indigenous leaders and national celebrities. As a member of the realm, Canada was granted a larger delegation than many other countries sending representatives to the Queen’s funeral. The prime minister’s office released the names of the 19 delegates who will represent Canada, hours after Justin Trudeau and opposition leaders paid tribute to the Queen in the House of Commons. The Canadian delegation will join the approximately 2,000 VIPs attending the funeral. The delegation will include Mr. Trudeau, Governor General Mary Simon and former prime ministers Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper. Former governors-general Michaëlle Jean and David Johnston will also attend the service in Britain, as will Olympian Mark Tewksbury and actress Sandra Oh. The leaders of the three groups representing Indigenous people in Canada – National Assembly of First Nations Chief RoseAnne Archibald, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed and Métis National Council President Cassidy Caron – will attend. Indigenous peoples have a unique relationship with the Crown, for example, through signed treaties, which are agreements that set out ongoing rights and obligations. As sovereign, Queen Elizabeth has recognized the Crown-Indigenous relationship during her reign and often met with Indigenous peoples when visiting Canada. The relationship between Indigenous peoples and the Crown goes back hundreds of years. More than 100 years before Confederation, the Royal Proclamation of 1763 – issued by King George III – formalized the treaty-making process between Aboriginal peoples and the Crown. However, centuries of colonial policies led to the mistreatment and oppression of Métis, Inuit and First Nations people. During the Queen’s reign, Indigenous people in Canada suffered through the abusive residential-school system and the Scoop of the 60s. Some indigenous women were also forcibly sterilized and Inuit were moved against their will. Ms Archibald met the then Prince Charles when he visited Canada in May. He said at the time that he apologized to the Crown for failing to live up to its treaty obligations and for the treatment of Indigenous children in residential schools. Ms Caron also said at the time that the Queen should apologize for the legacy of institutions which have seen Indigenous children forcibly removed from their homes and culture. Dakota Kochi, former chief of staff to the Assembly of First Nations, said the inclusion of the three indigenous leaders in Canada’s delegation to the funeral “is a strong affirmation” of their special relationship with the Crown. “While opinions may differ on the need to have the Crown as part of Canada’s modern social fabric, the Crown has long been a partner on Canada’s road to reconciliation,” said Mr. Kochi. As Prince of Wales, Charles pointed to Canada as “an example of a country trying to deal with its painful history of past abuses,” said John Fraser, the founding president of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada. The Canadian delegation also includes members of the Order of Canada: Ms Oh, Mr Tewksbury and musician Gregory Charles. In addition, Cross of Valor recipient Leslie Arthur Palmer will represent Canada at the funeral. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Palmer was awarded the Medal of Valor in 2006 for a daring winter rescue off BC’s north coast. Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch of modernity, is gone The four Canadians will join a procession of recipients of national honors during the funeral. “It is with a heavy heart, but deep appreciation, that we gather to honor Her Majesty – whose life of public service is an outstanding example for us all,” Mr. Trudeau said in a press release. Members of the RCMP and Canadian Armed Forces will join uniformed personnel from other Commonwealth countries for the service, the Prime Minister’s Office said. US President Joe Biden and hundreds of other world leaders will be in attendance, as will members of Europe’s royal families. The leaders of Russia, Myanmar, Belarus, Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan were not invited to the funeral, but the Royal Family’s decision to send an invitation to China has upset some British MPs. The Prime Minister’s wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, will also join the delegation, as will Ms. Simon’s husband, Whit Fraser. Former prime ministers Brian Mulroney and Joe Clark will not attend the funeral, but will attend a national memorial service for the queen in Ottawa on Monday. Mr Mulroney and former governor-general Adrienne Clarkson are set to eulogize the Queen at the ceremony. Absent from the delegation is Julie Payette, who resigned as governor-general under huge pressure and controversy in 2021. The leaders of the federal opposition parties are also not part of the delegation. With reporting by Marsha McLeod, The Canadian Press and Reuters
