There are very specific protocols that go into place when a monarch dies including having all flags lowered to half mast until the evening of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.
Saskatchewan’s Chief of Protocol, Jason Quilliam says upon the official notification of the Queen’s death, books of condolence were set up at the legislature, at Government House, as well as City Halls in Regina Saskatoon, with other cities and towns following suit in the province.
He says a memorial was also set up in conjunction with the Book of Condolence at the Legislature and explains that pall ribbons adorned Canadian flags inside government and municipal buildings. These are long black ribbons with a bow at the top. As well, you may have noticed the Queen’s portrait draped with a pall ribbon which is a one or two inch ribbon draped around the top left corner of the portrait at a 45 degree angle, not obscuring Her Majesty.
Based on the information they are receiving from the Department of Canadian Heritage, portraits of the Queen should stay up until the end of the business day Monday at which time it comes down until an official portrait of King Charles the Third is available.
Quilliam says after 70 years there are a lot of things which have “Queen” on it. For instance it is no longer Court of Queen’s Bench but Court of King’s Bench and all of the Queen’s counsels became King’s counsels. He says while the change from the Queen of Canada to the King of Canada is immediate upon the death of one monarch to another, practically speaking these things take time like coinage, stamps, great seals which all remain legally valid having been entrenched in various Acts and regulations over the years.
He says some things will stay in the name of Queen Elizabeth the II like the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal which was presented for the first time this year on August 30 in Saskatchewan to 70 recipients. The medal recognizes a person’s commitment of donating their time and effort to serving others in the community and province. Included in the first group were Saskatchewan Roughrider legend George Reed, chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab and Regina Mayor Sandra Masters. The entire list of 70 Platinum Jubilee Medal Recipients is in our story at cjwwradio.com.
Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark says flags were raised for His Majesty’s Accession and are now lowered again until the day of the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II. Afterwards, they will remain at half-mast until each life lost at James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon has been acknowledged the flags are being lowered one day for each life lost.
