View source for Flag of the governor general of Canada

{{Infobox flag
|Name = Governor General of Canada
|Image=Flag of the Governor-General of Canada.svg
|Alt = Flag of the governor general of Canada
|Proportion = 2:3 on land<br>1:2 at sea (shown)
|Use= [[Heraldic flag#Standard|Viceregal standard]]
|Design = The viceregal badge (a crowned gold lion standing on a twisted wreath of red and white silk and holding a maple leaf in its right paw) featured on a navy blue background.
|Adoption = 1870 (original version)<br> 1981 (current version first adopted)<br>2002 (current version re-adopted)
}}
The '''flag of the governor general of Canada''' is a [[flag]] used as a symbol to mark the presence of the [[governor general of Canada]]. Such a flag has been used by governors general since just after [[Canadian Confederation]] and the design has altered over decades. The current flag was adopted in 1981.

==Design==
The first governor general's flag was adopted in 1870 and followed the design of other viceregal flags in use throughout the [[British Empire]] at the time: a [[Union Flag]] [[Defacement (flag)|defaced]] with the shield of the [[coat of arms of Canada]]; though, in contrast to other imperial governors, the wreath surrounding the central badge was one of maple instead of laurel leaves. The design was updated in 1921 to incorporate changes to the appearance of Canada's coat of arms, and again in 1931 to reflect developments in Canada's constitutional structure brought about by the [[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster]], whereby the governor general became the personal representative of the [[monarch of Canada]], rather than a representative of the British monarch in Canada, as it was previously. Still, the composition was the same for all the governor general of the Dominions: a blue field containing, at the centre, the crest of the [[royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom]] above a scroll bearing the country's name.

The current flag was first introduced in 1981 and comprises the [[Crest (heraldry)|crest]] of the [[Arms of Canada|Royal Coat of Arms of Canada]]—a crowned lion holding a red maple leaf in its paw, standing on a wreath of red and white (Canada's official colours)—on a blue background. Given the lion in the crest of Canada's arms holds a red maple leaf—which formed the centrepiece of the [[Flag of Canada|National Flag]] adopted in 1965—the need for the scroll showing Canada's name was eliminated.<ref name=Patel>{{citation| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lt6CDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22canadian+royal+family%22&pg=PT162| editor-last1=Shore| editor-first1=Chris| editor-last2=Williams| editor-first2=David V.| last1=Patel| first1=Jai| last2=Raudon| first2=Sally| title=The Shapeshifting Crown: Locating the State in Post-Colonial New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the UK| chapter=Localising the Crown| page=213| year=2019| publisher=Cambridge University Press| location=Cambridge| isbn=978-1-108-49646-9| accessdate=12 April 2023}}</ref> The only other national viceregal flags that differ from the norm are the [[flag of the governor-general of New Zealand]]<ref name=Patel/>—which displays the crowned shield of the [[coat of arms of New Zealand]] on a blue field—and the [[Governor-General of Solomon Islands#Symbols|flag of the governor-general of Solomon Islands]]—which uses the common form, but with the name of the country written across a gold silhouette of a two-headed [[frigatebird]].

While [[Roméo LeBlanc]] served as governor general, between 1995 and 1999, the flag was modified at his direction so that the lion's tongue and claws were removed, making the animal appear more "Canadian" in LeBlanc's opinion.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ca-govg.html| title=Governor General of Canada (Canada)| publisher=CRW Flags| access-date=3 January 2013}}</ref> These changes were reversed in 2002, while [[Adrienne Clarkson]] was in office.

The flag is protected under the Trade-Marks Act; Section 9(c) states, "No person shall adopt in connection with a business, as a trade-mark or otherwise, any mark consisting of, or so nearly resembling as to be likely to be mistaken for [...] the standard, arms, or crest of His Excellency the Governor General."<ref>{{cite act| url=http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showdoc/cs/T-13/bo-ga:s_1::bo-ga:s_2?page=2| title=Trade-marks Act| index=Section 9(c)| type=Act of parliament| date=June 5, 2011}} {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605043258/http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showdoc/cs/T-13/bo-ga:s_1::bo-ga:s_2?page=2| date=}}</ref>

==Use==
[[File:Governor General of Canada Flag - Drapeau de la gouverneure générale du Canada (2138897131).jpg|thumb|The flag affixed to the governor general's [[Official state car#Canada|official car]] in 2007]]
The flag is flown from the governor general's official residences—[[Rideau Hall]] and [[Citadelle of Quebec|La Citadelle]]—and any other building the governor general is visiting. It may also be flown from any vehicle being used by the governor general. On overseas visits, the [[Flag of Canada|national flag]] is used to identify the governor general.

The flag takes precedence over the National Flag and the personal standards of any member of the [[Monarchy of Canada#Canada's royal family and house|royal family]] other than the sovereign, but not ahead of the [[Royal standards of Canada#Sovereign's standard|royal standard]] or the flag of a [[Lieutenant Governor (Canada)|lieutenant governor]] of a province at a function hosted by that lieutenant governor.

==Historical versions==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" style="width:150px;"| Flag
! scope="col" style="width:100px;"| Date
! scope="col" style="width:500px;"| Description
|-
|[[File:Flag of the Governor-General of Canada (1869-1901).svg|center|170px]]
| 1869–1901
| The [[Union Jack]], defaced with a white circle, at the centre of which is the crowned shield of arms of Canada in 1869, surrounded by a wreath of green maple leaves.
|-
|[[File:Flag of the Governor-General of Canada (1901-1921).svg|center|170px]]
| 1901–1921
| The [[Union Jack]], defaced with a white circle, at the centre of which is the crowned shield of arms of Canada in 1869, surrounded by a wreath of green maple leaves.
|-
|[[File:Flag of the Governor-General of Canada (1921–1931).svg|center|170px]]
| 1921–1931
|  The Union Jack, defaced with a white circle, at the centre of which is the crowned shield of arms of Canada in 1921, surrounded by a wreath of stylize green maple leaves.
|-
|[[File:Flag of the Governor-General of Canada (1931–1952).svg|center|170px]]
| 1931–1952
| The royal crest from the coat of arms of the United Kingdom, with 'Canada' on a golden scroll below. The crown in the crest is the [[Tudor Crown (heraldry)|Tudor crown]].
|-
|[[File:Flag of the Governor-General of Canada (1953-1981).svg|center|170px]]
| 1952–1981
| The royal crest from the coat of arms of the United Kingdom, with 'Canada' on a golden scroll below. The crown in the crest is the [[St. Edward's crown]].
|-
|[[File:Flag of the Governor-General of Canada.svg|center|170px]]
| 1981–1999
| The crest of the Royal Coat of Arms of Canada on a blue background. 
|-
|[[File:Flag of Canadian Governor General LeBlanc.svg|center|170px]]
| 1999–2002
|[[Roméo LeBlanc]] requested that the tongue and claws of the lion be removed. The changes were reverted after the end of his tenure, during the office of [[Adrienne Clarkson]].
|-
|[[File:Flag of the Governor-General of Canada.svg|center|170px]]
| 2002–present
| Reverted back to the crest of the Royal Coat of Arms of Canada on a blue background. 
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Canada|Heraldry|Monarchy}}
* [[Canadian royal symbols]]
* [[Flags of the lieutenant governors of Canada]]
* [[List of Canadian flags]]
* [[National symbols of Canada]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.gg.ca/en/heraldry/viceregal-emblems/governor-generals-flag Governor General's Flag] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213022759/https://www.gg.ca/en/heraldry/viceregal-emblems/governor-generals-flag |date=2021-12-13 }} – Governor General's official website
* [http://reg.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=464 ''Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges'': Governor General of Canada]
* [http://www.fraser.cc/FlagsCan/Nation/StateHead.html Head of State], ''The Flags of Canada'', by Alistair B. Fraser

{{Governor General of Canada}}
{{CanadaFlags}}
{{Heraldry in Canada}}
{{Flags, Banners and Standards of Heads of State and Government}}

[[Category:Personal flags of Canada|Governor General]]
[[Category:Flags displaying animals]]