Honouring Her Majesty

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II dedicated her life to public service and served Canada and its people for over 70 years. She was the sixth sovereign since Confederation in 1867; for many Canadians, The Queen was the only sovereign they had known.

The Government of Canada is marking the passing of Queen Elizabeth II with a 10-day period of mourning. During this period, the flags on all Government of Canada buildings and establishments in Canada and abroad will be flown at half-mast. The national half-masting will be effective from the day of the passing until sunset on the day of the funeral, with the exception of the day on which the new Monarch is proclaimed.

Expressions of mourning are personal and may take many forms. Canadians who wish to honour Her Majesty may also consider the following opportunities.

National Day of Mourning

The day of the national commemorative ceremony will be a National Day of Mourning in Canada.

Commemorative ceremonies in Canada

In addition to the national commemorative ceremony in, othercommemorative ceremonies will also take place in different locations across Canada.

Find information on commemorative events.

Books of condolences

Canadians are invited to extend their condolences in the following ways:

Illuminations across Canada

To highlight the important connection between Her Majesty and Canada, a national initiative to illuminate buildings and landmarks from coast to coast to coast was launched. All places visited by Her Majesty in Canada are invited to illuminate their building and/or site in a royal blue hue. To create a powerful nation-wide visual tribute, all buildings, sites and landmarks in Canada can also take part in this special initiative.

The royal blue is inspired from the blue that is found in all the viceregal flags of Canada, a colour that unites the viceregal family. The royal blue hue also mimics the shade of the jewels worn by Her Majesty in her last official Canadian portrait.

Examples of sites that will be illuminated are the Parliament buildings (which will be illuminated with a projection of the Royal Cypher of Her Majesty on the Peace Tower), the Senate of Canada Building (illuminated with projections on the Rideau Canal side), museums, city halls, legislatures, Government Houses and internationally recognized landmarks from coast to coast to coast. Illuminations will take place from sunset until midnight local time.

Share your memories through social media

Share messages, photos and other memories on these social media channels:

In memory of Her Majesty

Her Majesty was supportive of charitable work and patron of over 600 charities and organizations across the globe, including several organizations in Canada. In lieu of flowers, Canadians may wish to make a donation to a charity of their choice or use this occasion to volunteer.

Page details

Date modified: