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Q: queen of england ( No Answer,   6 Comments )
Question  
Subject: queen of england
Category: Reference, Education and News
Asked by: timmysr-ga
List Price: $2.00
Posted: 27 Nov 2005 23:42 PST
Expires: 27 Dec 2005 23:42 PST
Question ID: 598411
Is the Queen of England a "Canadian Citizen"?
Answer  
There is no answer at this time.

Comments  
Subject: Re: queen of england
From: geof-ga on 28 Nov 2005 03:03 PST
 
I hope someone can amswer this one authoritatively for you.
Personally, I doubt it, since the Queen would not have fulfilled any
of the criteria for Canadian citizenship (birthplace, parentage,
naturalization etc). On the other hand, she is the Canadian Head of
State, so that in itself might grant her Canadian citizenship , along
with citizenship of the other countries of which she's Head of State.

The Queen is definitely a UK citizen - see
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page504.asp - and in any case has of
course fulfilled the criteria for that citizenship.

Also, the Queen apparently does not need a passport - see 
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page351.asp - although I would have
thought that was a matter more for the foreign country she is
visiting, than for the UK, which that web-page implies.
Subject: Re: queen of england
From: nelson-ga on 28 Nov 2005 03:48 PST
 
I'd like to see her try to get past the uneducated schmuck manning
passport control at JFK.  No doubt she won't be recognized.  (I'm sure
the latest blond bimbo pop music idol will not have the same problem.)
Subject: Re: queen of england
From: murunbuchstansinger-ga on 28 Nov 2005 14:15 PST
 
As far as I understand it, you cannot be a citizen of the UK. You are
a subject of the Crown.  The Queen is counted as a "citizen" of the
EU, but the EU is not a country - I suppose more of a legal structure
of inter state treaties.

As such, she surely cannot be a citizen of Canada.  I wonder if that
question is similar to asking if a Pilot is a passenger on his own
plane?
Subject: Re: queen of england
From: geof-ga on 28 Nov 2005 15:16 PST
 
With reference to the opening statement of the comment immediately
above, the Queen's passport - if she had one - would like mine have on
its cover "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland"; but
would describe her as a "British Citizen". However, generally most
British people describe themselves as "UK Citizens", since there is no
such country as "Britain", and foreign people rightly tend to be
amused by the term "Great Britain", which in any case is only one part
of the UK. (The structure of, and terms used to describe, the UK are
quite complex, and difficult for non-Brits (and many Brits) to
understand.)
Subject: Re: queen of england
From: trypanosomiasis-ga on 30 Dec 2005 05:30 PST
 
While not providing a clear and direct answer to your question,
perhaps the following will be of some use to you.

The Parliamentary Research Service of Australia asked the same
question in 1995 in respect of the Queen's citizenship of Australia
(as Queen of Australia), and assessed the monarch against two criteria
used to evaluate Australian citizenship:

(1) The Australian Citizenship Act 1948; and

(2) General Priciples of Citizenship and Nationality (including
consideration being given to the Royal Styles and Titles Act 1973)

It was determined that the Queen did not fall within the categories of
citizenship by birth, citizenship by adoption, citizenship by descent,
or citizen-ship by grant listed in the Australian Citizenship Act
1948.

It may be argued, however, that by being the Australian Head of State,
and being recognised in the Royal Styles and Titles Act 1973 as 'Queen
of Australia', this confers on the Queen the attributes of Australian
nationality and, even perhaps citizenship.  The inherent problem in
attributing Australian nationality and/or citizenship to the Queen
lies in reconciling the conflict between the notions of monarchy and
citizenship.

The report thus concludes that the Queen does not fall within the
categories of citizenship by birth, adoption, descent, or grant listed
in the Australian Citizenship Act 1948;

the Queen cannot be her own subject, as one only exists in relation to
the other, and the two cannot as such be combined. Hence there is an
argument that the Queen is not an Australian citizen.

But, as with all these things, nothing appears to be set in concrete! 
Hope this helps.

Full report available here http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/1995-96/96rn06.pdf
Subject: Re: queen of england
From: myoarin-ga on 02 Jan 2006 06:40 PST
 
I would agree with the above comment, as also applying to Canada. 
Wikipedia does not directly address the question, but does point out
that Canadian citizens pledge their allegiance to the Queen, something
she would not do:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_of_Canada

The Queen is bound to uphold the laws of Canada, something that is
discussed at the end of the site when Blair wanted to ennoble a
Canadian citizen, contrary to Canadian law.

This site could also be of interest.  You can click on another
discussion of the manarchy in Canada.
http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Monarchy

It also points out that monarchs can be the head of states for
countries other than their own  - "personal union".  This was the case
in Scandinavia from 1814 or 1815 until 1905, when Norway recognized
the Swedish kings as its heads of state.  Of course, the Hannoverians
were also in this position, kings of Hanover and also of England.
Thus by my inference, the recognized monarch of a country does not
have to be a citizen.  I wonder if Queen Victoria was officially
granted citizenship at any time in her long reign?

This site is also interesting, if not so authoritative:
http://crookedtimber.org/2004/06/14/queens-birthday-message/

A Poster to it points out that Canadians until 1947 were British
subjects, and another one mentions that British citizens may vote in
Aussie elections under a "grandfather clause" from 1894.

This brings up the point of the electoral rights of citizens.  This
site says that the Queen may vote in England, but does not:
http://www.parliament.uk/faq/elections_faq_page.cfm

"Does the Queen vote?
Electoral law does not prohibit the Queen, or other members of Royal
Family from voting. In practice it is considered unconstitutional for
the Sovereign or heir apparent to vote in an election. Other members
of Royal Family do not vote because of their closeness to the
Sovereign."

Source: Royal Encyclopedia. Ronald Allison & Sarah Riddell (Eds). Macmillan. 1991 

The Queen has many hats (literally, but here, figuratively:  as one
site mentions, she is referred to as the Queen of Canada when she is
there.  She is the titular head of the Church of England and  - when
in Scotland -  a member of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.

Here is another site that doesn't answer the question:
http://www.answers.com/topic/british-monarchy

 Myoarin

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