Governor General of Canada

Canada is a Constitutional monarchy, and the Governor General of Canada is delegated to act as the de facto Head of State, on behalf of the actual head of State, the current monarch.

The current monarch appoints the Governor General, but, in practice, monarchs always defer to the advice of the Prime Minister.

Unlike the United States of America, Canada's evolution to full sovereignty has been gradual. Originally the recommendation as to who should be the next Governor General was made in the United Kingdom, by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. More recently the recommendation has been made by the Prime Minister of Canada.