Canadian honorifics

Honorifics in Canada are accorded to various office holders in government—in the federal, provincial, and municipal jurisdictions—as well as judges, members of the armed forces, and religious figures. Two styles—the Right Honourable and Honourable—are considered formal, while others, such as Your Excellency, are regarded as honorific and complimentary to the formal styles.^[1] Honours stem from the Canadian Crown.

Royal and governmental honorifics

^[2][3]

"Honorific	Accorded to	Notes
His/Her Majesty (FR: Sa Majesté)	Canadian king and queen, or queen consort	So styled for life (including widowhood in the case of a queen consort), but lost if the monarch abdicates.
His/Her Royal Highness (FR: Son Altesse Royale)	Children and male-line grandchildren of the current or a former reigning monarch	So styled for life.
	Wives of the children and male-line grandchildren of the current or a former reigning monarch	So styled for the duration of marriage and any subsequent widowhood, but lost in cases of divorce.
	Husband of a queen regnant (unless he is also a monarch)	So granted by the monarch, for life unless otherwise provided for.
His/Her Excellency (FR: Son Excellence)	Governor General of Canada	So styled while in office; thereafter, only styled as the Right Honourable.
	Consort of the governor general	So styled for the duration of spouse's time as governor general.
	Ambassadors	So styled only in the country of accreditation.
The Right Honourable (FR:Le/La très honorable)	Governor general of Canada Prime minister of Canada Chief justice of Canada	So styled for life (Since 1963 a right associated with the offices)
	Other individuals as determined by the King-in-Council, or as appointed to Privy Council of the United Kingdom prior to 1963 (see list below)	So styled for life, right granted at pleasure
His/Her Honour (FR:Son Honneur)	Lieutenant governors	So styled while in office; thereafter, only styled as The Honourable.
	Consorts of lieutenant governors	So styled for the duration of spouse's time as lieutenant governor.
The Honourable (FR: L'honorable)	Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada, consists of: all ministers of the crown in the federal governments, by practice upon their appointment other persons appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister	So styled for life, by nature of their membership in the King's Privy Council for Canada (subject to removal from council)
	Lieutenant governors Senators	So styled for life, by practice
	Members of the Executive Council (provincial ministers) of four provinces Nova Scotia (since 2009, initially only those who ended their ministerial service after 2009. In 2010 the privilege was extended to all living former ministers who ended their service earlier. In 2014 the privilege was further granted to six living former speakers[4])[5] Saskatchewan (since 2019)[6] Alberta (since 2022) [7] Ontario (since 2025)[8]	So styled for life, by nature of being honorary members of the Executive Council pursuant to specific legislations, subject to removal upon conviction of certain offences
	Federally appointed judges Judges of the federal courts (Court of Appeal, Federal Court, Tax Court, Court Martial Appeal, Courts Martial) Judges of the provincial and territorial appellate courts Judges of the provincial and territorial superior trial courts Supreme Courts of British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Northwest Territories Courts of King's Bench of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick Superior Courts of Ontario, Quebec Nunavut Court of Justice	So styled for life, by practice (all federally appointed judges upon retirement are granted the right to maintain the title by the governor general)
	Speaker of the House of Commons Supreme Court justices Federal Court justices Territorial commissioners Executive council members (e.g. provincial premiers and cabinet ministers) Speakers of provincial legislatures	So styled while in office, unless otherwise authorized to maintain the style for life.
His/Her Worship (FR: Son Honneur)	Mayors Justices of the peace	So styled while in office.

Right to be styled the Right Honourable

Prior to 1963, the right to be styled the Right Honourable was associated with the membership of the Imperial Privy Council of the United Kingdom.

• Three prime ministers - Alexander Mackenzie, John Abbott and Mackenzie Bowell - were never members and thus were not entitled to be styled as such
• Tupper was appointed after he was no longer Prime Minister.
• Lord Byng was not a member, but was entitled to be styled as such by nature of being a viscount.

The following Canadians were granted the right to be styled the Right Honourable without having been prime minister, chief justice or governor general of Canada, or minister in the UK government.

Upon appointment to the Imperial Privy Council

• 1886: Sir Sir John Rose (while informally serving as unofficial representative of the Canadian government in London)
• 1902: Sir Richard John Cartwright (while Minister of Trade and Commerce)
• 1904: Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal (while High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, for extensive philanthropy in Canada and Britain)
• 1907: Sir Charles Tupper (after he was no longer prime minister)
• 1916 Birthday Honours: Sir George Eulas Foster (while Minister of Trade and Commerce)
• 1919: Sir Lyman Duff (while Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court, became Chief justice in 1933)
• 1920 New Year Honours
  • Arthur Sifton (while Secretary of State for Canada, for his contribution at the Paris Peace Conference)
  • Charles Doherty (while Minister of Justice, for contribution at the Paris Peace Conference)
  • Sir William Thomas White (for service as acting Prime Minister while Prime Minister Robert Borden was attending the Paris Peace Conference)
• 1923 Birthday Honours: William Stevens Fielding (while Minister of Finance)
• 1925:
  • Sir William Mulock (while Chief Justice of Ontario)
  • George Perry Graham (while Minister of Railway and Canals, upon losing his seat)
• 1931: Sir George Halsey Perley (while a minister without portfolio)
• 1937 Coronation Honours: Ernest Lapointe (while Justice Minister and Mackenzie King's Quebec's lieutenant)
• 1941 Birthday Honours: Vincent Massey (while High Commissioner to London, became Governor General in 1952)
• 1941: Raoul Dandurand (while Government Leader in Senate)
• 1946 New Year Honours
  • Louis St. Laurent (while Secretary of State for External Affairs, became Prime Minister himself in 1948)
  • James Lorimer Ilsley (while Minister of Finance)
  • C. D. Howe (while minister responsible for post war reconstruction)
• 1947 New Year Honours
  • Ian Alistair Mackenzie (while Government House Leader)
  • James Garfield Gardiner (while Minister of Agriculture)

Since 1963

• 1992: (on advice of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney as part of Canada's 125th anniversary celebrations)
  • Martial Asselin (while Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, former cabinet minister)
  • Ellen Fairclough (first woman ever to serve in the Canadian Cabinet)
  • Alvin Hamilton (former cabinet minister)
  • Paul Martin Sr. (former Secretary of State for External Affairs and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom)
  • Jean-Luc Pépin (former cabinet minister)
  • Jack Pickersgill (former Clerk of the Privy Council and cabinet minister)
  • Robert Stanfield (former Leader of the Opposition and Premier of Nova Scotia)
• 1993: Don Mazankowski (on advice of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney a week prior the end of their respective service as Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister)
• 2002: Herb Gray (on advice of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien upon the end of his service as Chretien's Deputy Prime Minister)

Military honorifics

Officers and non-commission members within the Canadian Armed Forces use ranks in accordance with the ranks and insignia of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army, or the Royal Canadian Air Force, depending on which element they are a part of.^[9][10] Although all of the rank structures of the separate services were abolished with the unification of all three into one Canadian Forces in 1964, distinctive uniforms, insignia, and rank names have been gradually restored since then. Former members who were honourably released after serving a minimum of 10 years may continue to use the rank title held at the time of release with the word "(Retired)" or abbreviation "(Ret'd)".^[11] Similarly, members of the Supplementary Reserve sub-component of the Reserve Force may use their rank in the same manner as former members, unless on duty or engaged in military activities.^[12]

Religious honorifics

Religions are free to use their own titles and honorifics, provided they do not contradict those used elsewhere in Canada. This is seen in the use of the style His Excellency by Roman Catholic archbishops and bishops, which is not recognized by Canadian civil authorities.^[13]

See also

• List of post-nominal letters in Canada
• Title and style of the Canadian monarch
• List of titles and honours of Queen Elizabeth II
• List of titles and honours of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
• List of titles and honours of Charles III
• List of titles and honours of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
• English honorifics