How is the Governor General appointed?

The Governor General of Canada is appointed by the Sovereign (currently King Charles III) on the advice of the Canadian Prime Minister. The appointment is constitutionally the King's, but by convention dating from the 1930s the King follows the Canadian Prime Minister's advice without alteration. The Governor General is appointed by Letters Patent issued by the King and serves at His Majesty's pleasure, normally for a term of about five years (with extensions possible).

The current Governor General is Mary Simon, appointed July 26, 2021 by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Simon is Canada's first Indigenous Governor General (Inuk from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, Quebec) and the 30th person to hold the office since 1867. She was preceded by Julie Payette (October 2017 to January 2021, resigned), David Johnston (October 2010 to October 2017), Michaëlle Jean (September 2005 to October 2010, the third Black Governor General), Adrienne Clarkson (October 1999 to September 2005, the first racialised Governor General), and Roméo LeBlanc (February 1995 to October 1999).

The selection process has evolved over Canadian history. Until 1952, all Governors General were British (typically members of the British peerage). Vincent Massey was the first Canadian-born Governor General (February 1952 to September 1959), appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of Prime Minister Louis St-Laurent. Since Massey, all Governors General have been Canadian. In 2012 Prime Minister Stephen Harper established the Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments to provide non-partisan recommendations for Governor General and Lieutenant Governor appointments. The Liberal government of Justin Trudeau retained but modified the Committee, with Mary Simon's appointment in 2021 being the first vetted by the current process.

The Governor General must be a Canadian citizen and is expected to be bilingual in English and French (though Mary Simon's appointment in 2021 was controversial because she does not speak French; she committed to learning the language). The role has both constitutional functions (reading the Speech from the Throne, granting Royal Assent, dissolving Parliament, summoning new Parliaments, appointing the Prime Minister) and ceremonial functions (state visits, honours and decorations, charitable patronage). The Governor General receives an annual salary of about $314,000 (2025) plus official residences at Rideau Hall in Ottawa and the Citadelle of Quebec, and ongoing pension and allowances after retirement.