Question Period Note: HONOURARY MILITARY APPOINTMENTS OF THE DUKE OF YORK

• Given Prince Andrew’s public announcement indicating that he is stepping away from official duties, why does he still hold honourary military appointments in the Canadian Armed Forces?

• The Canadian Armed Forces has made building a respectful workplace and eliminating all forms of sexual misconduct its top institutional priority.
• We are following the case of the Duke of York closely and we take this issue very seriously.

If pressed on the Duke of York’s role as Colonel-in-Chief of three Canadian regiments
* It is a longstanding tradition for members of the Royal Family to hold honourary roles in Commonwealth regiments.
* The Duke of York holds the honourary title of Colonel-in-Chief for three Canadian Army regiments.

BACKGROUND

The Appointment of Colonels-in-Chief

• Only Her Majesty The Queen can grant members of the Royal Family with Commonwealth honorary titles, such as Colonel-in-Chief.
• The process for removal of a member of the Royal family from a honourary appointment also rests solely with Her Majesty The Queen. The process to remove a member of the Royal Family from the honourary title can be initiated, through a request, by the Prime Minister and the Governor General.
• The appointment of Colonel-in-Chief is seen to be the guardian of regimental traditions and history, promoting the regiment's identity and ethos and being an advisor to the Commanding Officer on virtually all issues excluding operations.

The Appointments of the Duke of York

• The Duke of York holds the honorary title of Colonel-in-Chief of three army regiments: the Princess Louise Fusiliers, the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada and the Queen's York Rangers.
• At this time, so close to the Duke of York’s announcement, only Her Majesty The Queen would definitively know the current status of his appointments.
• The Minister of National Defence has received letters from members of the public requesting that the Duke of York be stripped of his honorary title of Colonel-in-Chief.

RECENT PARLIAMENTARY INTEREST

• Nil.

RECENT MEDIA INTEREST

• In November and December 2019, in the aftermath of the Duke of York’s public announcement to step away from his official duties and allegations of sexual assault, media outlets covered how the Duke of York maintains his honourary title of Colonel-in-Chief within the Canadian Armed Forces.

GBA+

• Nil.

INDIGENOUS

• Nil.

Responsible Principals: Chief of the Defence Staff, Director Senior Appointments

QUICK FACTS

• The Duke of York, is the Colonel-in-Chief of 3 Canadian Army Regiments:

  • The Princess Louise Fusiliers;
  • The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada;
  • The Queen's York Rangers.

• Historians indicate that no Royal has been forcibly stripped of such appointment since World War I, when some foreign royals, such as Kaiser Wilhelm II, were stripped of their British military titles.

• Honourary appointments can only be granted by Her Majesty The Queen.