What Does the Governor General Do? Role & Duties (2026)

# What Does the Governor General of Canada Do?

The Governor General represents the King of Canada (currently King Charles III) and is Canada's vice-regal head of state on a day-to-day basis. The Governor General is one of the most heavily tested topics on the citizenship exam. Here is what the role involves and how it fits into Canada's system of government.

Canada is a constitutional monarchy. That means we have a king as our head of state — currently King Charles III. The King lives in the United Kingdom, so a representative is needed to perform the head-of-state role in Canada. That representative is the Governor General.

The Prime Minister is Canada's head of government (the political leader who runs the country day to day). This is one of the most commonly confused points on the test — see [Head of State vs Head of Government in Canada](/blog/head-of-state-vs-head-of-government-canada).

The Governor General has several constitutional and ceremonial duties:

Constitutional duties

• Gives Royal Assent to bills — the final step that turns a bill into law
• Summons, prorogues, and dissolves Parliament at the Prime Minister's request
• Swears in the Prime Minister and the Cabinet
• Reads the Throne Speech at the opening of each session of Parliament
• Appoints senators, judges, and Lieutenant Governors on the Prime Minister's advice
• Acts as Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces

Ceremonial duties

• Represents Canada at home and abroad
• Awards honours like the Order of Canada, the Meritorious Service Cross, and bravery medals
• Hosts state visits and meets with foreign dignitaries
• Attends national events (Canada Day, Remembrance Day)
• Promotes Canadian values, art, and community service

The Governor General's powers are mostly exercised on the Prime Minister's advice. But in rare circumstances, the Governor General can refuse — these are called reserve powers. Examples include refusing to call an election if a government has just been formed, or asking another party leader to form government if the PM resigns. These powers exist to protect democracy in unusual situations.

The Governor General is appointed by the King of Canada on the advice of the Prime Minister of Canada. Appointments are usually for 5 years, sometimes extended. The current process involves a non-partisan advisory committee that recommends candidates to the PM.

Mary Simon is Canada's 30th Governor General, sworn in on July 26, 2021. She is the first Indigenous person to hold the role. Born in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik, Quebec, she is fluent in Inuktitut, English, and learning French.

Each province has a Lieutenant Governor — the King's representative at the provincial level — who plays the same role for the provincial legislature that the Governor General plays for the federal Parliament.

Common citizenship-test questions on the Governor General:

• Who represents the King in Canada? *(The Governor General)*
• Who is Canada's current Governor General? *(Mary Simon)*
• What does the Governor General do? *(Represents the King — Royal Assent, opens/closes Parliament, swears in the PM)*
• Who is Canada's head of state? *(The King — Charles III)*
• Who is Canada's head of government? *(The Prime Minister)*

For deeper context, see [How Canadian Parliament Works](/blog/how-canadian-parliament-works) and [What Is Royal Assent in Canada?](/blog/what-is-royal-assent-canada).

Try our [free practice test](/practice-test) — it includes questions on the Governor General, the King, and the difference between head of state and head of government in the same format you will see on test day.