Canada with its own Prince

Suppose Canada doesn't just get its own parliament but crown, kind of like Charles is the Prince of Wales, each generation a member of the royal family is titled Prince of can and that countries figure head.
 
Suppose Canada doesn't just get its own parliament but crown, kind of like Charles is the Prince of Wales, each generation a member of the royal family is titled Prince of can and that countries figure head.

The Governor-General is the person to represent the monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in Canada, so really all you would have to do is change the Canadian Constitution, during the British North America Act, 1867, to say Prince rather the Governor-General, and have it as a hereditary succession rather then appointed.

There are two possible candidates for this position in my eyes:
1) Queen Victoria's second son, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.

2) Queen Victoria's third son, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
 
1) Queen Victoria's second son, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.

2) Queen Victoria's third son, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
The first eventually puts Canada in personal union with Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. This is mildly amusing.

The second, neglecting butterflies, takes a mildly convoluted route before Canadian personal union with Sweden. This is highly amusing, and more likely - I suspect that Prince Alfred would be passed over on the grounds of the inevitable personal union with Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Given that precedent, I suspect that Australia would also be made a principality. The next most senior male royal not in direct line of succession available in 1901 is the six year old Albert Frederick Arthur George, the future King George VI. Rather young, so we'll look elsewhere.

The Duke of Fife looks good, slightly awkward in a few years when he is succeeded by his daughter Princess Alexandra, married to the heir apparent of Prince Arthur of Canada - also named Arthur. Personal union of Canada and Australia is precisely what we were trying to avoid. Fortunately, or otherwise, both "Arthur of Australia" and his issue, Alastair - by then heir apparent to both Australia and Canada - predecease Princess Alexanda. She is then succeeded by her nephew, Prince James of Australia, who rules until 2015. At that date, given Australian dislike of the institution of hereditary monarchy, Australia becomes a Republic.

In Canada, Prince Arthur is succeeded in 1942 by Prince Alastair, then still heir apparent to Australia, who drinks his way out of a window in 1943. Next in line is Prince Gustaf, also incidentally Crown Prince of Sweden. This is massively controversial, given his suspected pro-German leanings - we assume here that Princess Margaret's marriage goes as OTL and none of this dynastic manoeuvring averts the rise of Hitler. Big assumptions, I know.

He is of course kept on a short leash, and on no account is his distant relative the former King Edward VIII despatched to Canada lest the two monarchs plot between them. The Duke of Windsor probably gets sent to Hawaii or Tristan da Cunha instead of Bermuda. Upon the death of Prince Gustaf in 1947 - the second Prince of Canada to die in unusual circumstances - he is succeeded by his infant son, Carl, who succeeded to the throne of Sweden in 1973.

Today, Prince Carl of Canada remains on the throne. As King of Sweden, Prince Carl's responsibilities are primarily ceremonial, whilst the Prince of Canada retains a role in the governance of the realm. Accordingly, he spends much of his time in Canada, though frequently visiting Sweden. Canada not having passed the same primogeniture reforms as Sweden, his heir remains the Crown Prince Carl.

The principalities of New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa et al are left as an exercise for the reader.
 
Would the Princeship be hereditary?
I could see the Prince being appointed out of the available Royals when the last Prince Governor dies (or perhaps is removed by King/Queen).

This could help Imperial Commonwealth/Federation ideas
 
Has it to be formalized that the Dominions are Principalities?

There also might arise the unwritten convention that the Governor-General or, more explicit, the Viceroy/Vicereine has to be a royal Duke/Duchess. (With the highly probable exception of Ireland some time later.)
 
When drafting the British North America Act wasn't there a lot of concern about the attitudes of the United States?

I seem to recall that the Fathers of Confederation deliberately avoided calling the new nation the Kingdom of Canada to avoid offending the US. So they chose Dominion. (At least I think I recall that correctly.)

How would the US have reacted to Canada having a hereditary monarch even one still subservient to the UK monarch? Probably not even noticed?
 
Would the Princeship be hereditary?
I could see the Prince being appointed out of the available Royals when the last Prince Governor dies (or perhaps is removed by King/Queen).

This could help Imperial Commonwealth/Federation ideas

That's what I was thinking. I like the idea better than a governor general.
 
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