When Canadians see His Majesty King Charles III on our currency, they should remember that the Crown is not foreign—it is part of the constitutional foundation of Canada
By Rob McConnell
Friday, September 4, 2026
The Bank of Canada has unveiled Canada’s new vertical $20 bank note—the first Canadian bank note to feature His Majesty King Charles III.
It is an historic moment.
More than 70 years have passed since the portrait of a new monarch first appeared on Canadian paper currency. The late Queen Elizabeth II became an enduring presence on our money and, for generations of Canadians, her portrait represented stability, continuity, service and duty.
Now, as the reign of King Charles III is reflected on our currency, Canadians are witnessing another peaceful chapter in the continuing story of the Crown in Canada.
One important clarification should be made: although the new note has now been officially unveiled, the Bank of Canada says it will enter circulation in late February 2027. The existing $20 notes featuring Queen Elizabeth II will remain legal tender and will continue circulating alongside the new design.
He Is the King of Canada
When Canadians see the portrait of King Charles III on the new $20 bill, they should remember that they are not looking merely at the King of the United Kingdom.
They are looking at the King of Canada.
Canada is an independent, sovereign country and a constitutional monarchy. The Canadian Crown is part of our own system of government. Although the same individual is sovereign of several Commonwealth realms, King Charles III’s constitutional role as King of Canada is legally distinct from his role in Britain or anywhere else.
His portrait does not suggest that Canada is governed from London. It represents the Canadian Crown—the institution under which our governments are formed, our laws are enacted and the authority of the Canadian state is exercised.
The King does not govern Canada according to his personal wishes. Canada is governed democratically by Canadians through Parliament and our elected representatives. The Crown stands above party politics, providing continuity while governments, prime ministers and political movements come and go.
That distinction matters.
Politicians represent parties and political interests. The Crown represents the state itself and, symbolically, all Canadians.
A Symbol of Continuity, Not Political Power
In an increasingly divided world, there is something reassuring about an institution that does not change with every election, opinion poll or political controversy.
The Crown provides constitutional continuity. A government may be defeated, Parliament may be dissolved and political leaders may leave office, but the Canadian state continues. The Crown remains the enduring legal foundation through which legitimate government carries on.
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces, cabinet ministers, judges, police officers and new citizens take oaths to the King—not as an expression of personal obedience to one man, but because the King personifies Canada’s constitutional order.
The allegiance is ultimately to Canada, its laws and its democratic institutions.
King Charles III has spent much of his public life advocating environmental responsibility, conservation, service to others and respect among cultures and faiths. The botanical elements surrounding his portrait on the new note reflect his longstanding commitment to the environment.
That makes his image especially appropriate on a bank note designed to represent both Canada’s inheritance and its future.
An Unmistakably Canadian Bank Note
The new $20 bill is not simply a portrait of the King placed upon a green background. Its design tells a much broader Canadian story.
The floral emblems of all 13 provinces and territories appear on the note, joined by stems and leaves inspired by the Books of Remembrance on Parliament Hill.
Four plants of cultural importance to Indigenous Peoples—wild strawberries, western red cedar, braided sweetgrass and Arctic cotton—appear in a transparent window. Recommended by the Bank of Canada’s Indigenous Advisory Circle, they symbolize sustenance, gratitude and healing.
Maple leaves appear throughout the design, while the reverse retains the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France. Poppies honour remembrance and the sacrifices made by Canadians during times of war.
The result is not a British bank note circulating in Canada. It is an unmistakably Canadian bank note—one that brings together the Crown, Indigenous heritage, Confederation, the provinces and territories, the natural environment and the memory of those who served and died for our freedom.
The Crown Belongs to Canada
Some Canadians may question why a monarch should continue to appear on our currency. That discussion is legitimate in a democratic country, and every Canadian has the right to hold and express an opinion about the monarchy.
But the discussion should begin with an accurate understanding of what the Crown means.
The Canadian Crown is not an embarrassing colonial decoration that someone forgot to remove. It has evolved alongside Canada from colony to Dominion and from Dominion to fully independent nation. Today, it exists under Canadian law and serves Canada’s constitutional system.
It also connects us to centuries of parliamentary government, the rule of law and the principle that political leaders are temporary custodians of public authority—not owners of the country.
That principle may be more valuable today than ever.
The King’s presence on our currency reminds every prime minister, minister and parliamentarian that the Canadian state is larger than any one politician, party or administration. No elected leader is the embodiment of Canada. They serve within an established constitutional order and remain accountable to Parliament, the law and the Canadian people.
Remember the Service Behind the Portrait
King Charles III waited longer than any previous heir in British history to assume the throne. During those decades, he undertook thousands of public engagements and supported causes involving young people, veterans, historic preservation, interfaith understanding, sustainable agriculture and the environment.
His reign follows the extraordinary 70-year service of Queen Elizabeth II, whose devotion to duty became respected around the world.
The transition from her portrait to his should therefore be viewed not as an erasure of the Queen’s legacy, but as evidence of the very continuity she represented. Her service belongs permanently to Canadian history. The arrival of the King’s portrait marks the next chapter.
Canada honours the past while continuing forward.
What Canadians Should Remember
When Canadians eventually receive the new $20 bill in change, withdraw it from a bank machine or place it in the hand of a child, they should take a moment to look beyond its monetary value.
They should remember that the King is Canada’s head of state.
They should remember that the Crown represents continuity beyond the lifespan of any government.
They should remember the flowers representing every province and territory, the Indigenous plants representing sustenance, gratitude and healing, and the maple leaves declaring the note’s Canadian identity.
Above all, they should turn the bill over and look at Vimy.
They should remember the Canadians who crossed an ocean, fought under impossible conditions and gave their lives for freedom. Approximately 3,600 Canadians were killed during the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and the names of 11,285 Canadian soldiers who died in France with no known graves are inscribed on the memorial.
The portrait of the King and the image of Vimy belong together. One represents constitutional continuity; the other represents the terrible price Canadians have paid to defend the principles upon which our country stands.
A Portrait of a Living Canada
The new $20 bill is more than a method of payment. It is a small, travelling portrait of Canada.
It recognizes our history without trapping us in it. It acknowledges the Crown while celebrating distinctly Canadian identity. It honours Indigenous traditions, every province and territory, our natural heritage and those who sacrificed their futures so that Canada could have one.
When we see King Charles III on our currency, we should not see a distant foreign monarch.
We should see the Canadian Crown.
We should see duty placed above political ambition, constitutional order placed above individual power and service placed above celebrity.
Most importantly, we should remember that Canada’s monarchy has endured not because our country refuses to change, but because the Crown itself has changed with Canada.
The face is new. The responsibility continues.
God save the King—and God bless Canada.
MY NAME IS ROB McCONNELL, AND I AM CANADIAN.
Email me at publisher@xchronicles.net