How exactly does one design a Great Seal?
Throne, out; crown, in — the intricacies of creating a modern Canadian symbol
King Charles III crammed a lot into his 24-hour visit to Ottawa in late May. In addition to public events and private meetings, we now know that he also signed off on the design for Canada’s Great Seal.
“I like it!” says David Torrance, a constitutional expert who lives in London. “The Crown is attractive, I think.”
What is a Great Seal?
Like most seals, it’s used to authenticate a document. “Since the earliest days of our nation, Canada’s most important documents have been made official through the seal’s imprint. It symbolizes the power and authority of the Crown within our parliamentary system. It is placed on formal documents such as proclamations and commissions appointing lieutenant governors, Cabinet ministers, senators and judges,” explained Rideau Hall in its press release.
One such document is the Constitution of 1982, which is imprinted with the Great Seal of Canada for Elizabeth II.
Why does this matter?
To be honest, most Canadians have probably never heard of a Great Seal.
Regardless, it’s an important symbol of our country. In addition, the design of this new seal marks yet another step in the evolution of the distinctly Canadian flavour of the Crown of Canada.
How the Great Seal is composed
The design was developed by Dr. Samy Khalid, chief herald of Canada, and by
Cathy Bursey-Sabourin, former principal artist of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
“I’m excited to see it happen,” Dr. Khalid says, in a video interview. “It’s been a long time in the making.” Appointed chief herald in 2020, he has experience creating such devices, but had to learn how to create a Great Seal.
This Great Seal was deliberately designed in a standardized manner for use by future monarchs. “It was done on purpose with the approval of His Majesty,” notes Khalid. “The King had authorized the use of the Canadian Royal Crown to symbolize his reign. It seemed like a logical continuation to incorporate it into the seal for this reign.” (That standardization decision can also be seen in the Sovereign’s Flag for Canada, which the King approved in 2023.)
The Great Seal’s two separate elements
Just as the toonie is made in two parts — a centre disc for images, including the monarch’s effigy, and an outer ring with writing — the new Great Seal of Canada is composed of two parts: a permanent central disc and a outer ring able to be swapped out, as needed.
A) A CENTRAL DISC features the Canadian Royal Crown within a ring of curved triangles, which allude to the fan-shaped ceiling of the rotunda in Confederation Hall at the heart of Parliament in Ottawa. This disc is intended to be permanent.
The Canadian Royal Crown was designed by the Canadian Heraldic Authority and approved by the King in April 2023. The symbolic design (there’s no actual crown) is replete with Canadian symbols, including maple leaves, snowflakes, and even its waterways.
The inclusion of the secondary imagery of the rotunda architecture came about because of the design challenge of putting an oval crown into a round seal. Khalid says the design team “wanted to fill the [empty / negative] space and add a little bit of decoration to allude to past traditions.” It also links to the powers of the Crown given to Parliament.
B) AN OUTER RING, which reads CHARLES III • KING OF CANADA • ROI DU CANADA. That part of the Great Seal will be changed after future monarchs inherit the throne.
The technical drawing of the Great Seal of Canada has to be turned into a physical entity by the Royal Mint of Canada. Once the new seal is ready later this year, Khalid hopes that another tradition will be upheld: the “defacing of the seal,” by which the Great Seal of the late Elizabeth II is damaged so it can no longer be used. There have been two high-profile seal defacings in 2025: King Charles used a hammer to symbolically strike his mother’s Great Seal in Britain, and the Vatican’s cardinal camerlengo destroyed the Fisherman’s Ring of Pope Francis after his death.
Why is it being unveiled now, nearly three years after the accession of King Charles III?
“It’s a long process to design a new Canadian symbol or any symbol,” says Khalid. He explains that like all new designs, it to go through a detailed creation and approval process in Canada before getting the approval of the sovereign. The Great Seal of Elizabeth II took several years to be designed, as well, he notes.
In fact, Canada is just the third realm to unveil a new Great Seal design. In 2024, Australia opted for an even more generic version than Canada’s for the Australian Crown; it contains no references to the current monarch. In contrast, the United Kingdom’s version features Charles III on his coronation throne.
“As for different styles, like the monarch's titles it's up to each realm. I guess you could argue they reflect the relative strength of the institution in each one: strongest in U.K. (effigy), slightly less so in Canada (crown, no effigy) and weakest in Oz (no crown, effigy or title),” says David Torrance.
The U.K. version for Charles is similar to previous Canadian versions, including those of Victoria and Elizabeth II, which feature the monarch on a throne. But that coronation imagery no longer carries the same weight outside the United Kingdom, Torrance thinks: “I guess that might not resonate as much in the other realms.”
The increased standardization in the Canadian and Australian versions has an added benefit that the unique British one lacks, Torrance points out. “I guess this makes practical sense given the likely change in the not too distant future. Only the U.K. seal will have to change following the next succession.”
My latest Royal Roundup on Global TV’s The Morning Show
ICYMI (one last time…)
May was an intense month packed with multiple rolling deadlines, as I worked on advance pieces for the royal visit, then worked for two news organizations during the visit, then did more analysis after the visit.
So, in case you want to read/watch even more of my prose or analysis…
1. Ahead of the visit
Hello Canada: I wrote a piece about the pieces of jewellery that Queen Camilla for Hello Canada’s preview of the trip. It’s on newsstands. I’ll post a link once the article is online.
Toronto Star: I wrote an opinion piece for the Saturday edition of the Toronto Star evaluating what was at stake during this quick trip. (note: in Canada, the major weekend papers are published on Saturday)
“Time for Charles to prove his loyalty to Canada” (print title in the Saturday opinion section on May 24) or “King Charles’ visit could make or break the Canadian Crown. Here’s why” (online, as of May 26)
“I must be seen to be believed,” was a famous motto of the late Queen Elizabeth II. On May 26 and 27, Charles III fulfills that maxim when he opens Parliament on his first trip to Canada as its monarch.
“This historic honour matches the weight of our times,” is how Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the visit. This visit could be as significant as the first by a monarch when his grandparents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, ventured from coast-to-coast on the eve of the last truly existential threat to this country: the Second World War.
Such is its timing that this visit is shaping up to be a turning point for Canada, its Crown, and its monarch. To be blunt, the reaction to those two days of pomp and protocol could make or break the Canadian Crown.
Globe and Mail: I talked to columnist Shannon Proudfoot for her Saturday, May 24, piece, “King Charles’s visit to Canada: A Commonwealth flex with an audience of one,” including:
“I think it’s a very deliberate way to say to the world — and Canadians as well — who we are and who we aren’t … That we are a constitutional monarchy, we are not a republic. The King of Canada is Charles III.”
The Telegraph: Before she got on the Royal Canadian Air Force plane for the flight to Ottawa, royal editor Hannah Furness talked for people, including me, about the trip for her piece, “King’s Canada visit is major test for the monarchy,” published on May 25.
“This is an existential threat to Canada,” she said of Mr Trump’s attitude to her country. “All Canadians understand the seriousness of this threat and importance of this visit.
“Everything must be done to show the King and Queen are coming to Canada, defending Canada’s sovereignty.
“People are going to be counting every word the King says. This is a turning point for the Crown – this trip really matters.”
Dale Smith (YouTube channel): I was on the parliamentary journalist’s podcast on May 21, for an episode called “The royal visit pre-show.” Dale is one of the leading journalists in Canada on issues related to the Crown so we had a lot to chat about. His book is The Unbroken Machine: Canada's Democracy in Action.
CBC Radio’s The House (radio/podcast): I and others were interviewed for the May 24th episode of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s flagship political show, “Can the King stop Trump’s 51st state threats.” In addition, our comments were turned into an article published on the CBC site.
2. During the visit
In addition to being on Global television each day — for The Morning Show and Global News (videos are at the bottom of this newsletter) — I was writing about the visit for the Globe and Mail, including providing items for its extensive live blogs of the visit.
Tuesday, May 27: “It only takes moments to set the tone of a monarch’s visit” (print headline) or “For a royal visit to be successful, every hour and every minute counts” (online)
The Sovereign’s Flag for Canada hoisted from the cockpit of the Royal Canadian Air Force plane as it taxis to a stop in Ottawa? Check.
King Charles III wearing his Order of Canada pin on the lapel of his suit? Check.
Queen Camilla choosing a historic Canadian brooch? Check.
Monday’s itinerary and its carefully choreographed mix of official duties and relaxed informality were designed to generate the images that Canada and its monarch want to project to the nation and world – that King Charles III knows, understands and supports this country, its people and its issues.
Wednesday, May 28: “Charles and Camilla’s Canadian trip was steeped in symbolism” (Print) or “A royal visit steeped in symbolism” (online)
This visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, which culminated in him opening the 45th Parliament and delivering the government’s Throne Speech, was put together at the last minute, fit into a busy section of the royal calendar, and was over 24 hours after it began.
It may have come as a response to serious political and economic threats from the United States, but the King’s first visit as Canada’s monarch displays notable symmetry with a more long-planned visit 68 years ago, when Queen Elizabeth II’s first visit to Canada as monarch was also a brief stop in Ottawa to open Parliament.
3. After the visit
The Line (podcast/YouTube): Jen Gerson and I recorded an episode of The Line podcast titled, “Will King Charles III”s trip to Canada work to stop Donald Trump?” in which we caught up on all things royal, including the impact of the King’s visit, as well as what we call “Royal Tea” — updates on lighter topics including the latest on Harry and Meghan.
Dale Smith (YouTube channel): We bookended the visit with the pre-show and this analysis, “The Royal Visit Post-Show,” in which we delved into the minutae, including our opinions of the Senate carpet and why reporters were confused by the Queen’s “riffles” brooch.
My royal visit pieces on Global TV’s The Morning Show as well as Global News:
Monday, May 26 (ahead of the visit):
Tuesday, May 26 (A Global News wrap-up as the King and Queen are on the way to the airport at the end of the trip):
Wednesday, May 27 (after the visit):