Governor General-designate Louise Arbour met with King Charles at Buckingham Palace in London on Wednesday, as a customary step before her upcoming inauguration as the 31st Governor General at the Senate of Canada building next Monday. During the meeting, Arbour was honored as an extraordinary Commander of the Order of Military Merit and Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, as per an official announcement on the Governor General’s social media account.
Prime Minister Mark Carney revealed on May 5 that Arbour, a former Supreme Court justice and renowned international human rights advocate, would assume the role of Governor General following Mary Simon’s tenure. Arbour’s impressive background includes serving as a judge in the Supreme Court of Ontario and the Court of Appeal for Ontario, along with her role as the chief prosecutor for the international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda in the 1990s. She is also a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Grande officière de l’Ordre national du Québec.
In her upcoming address to the nation after taking the oath of allegiance on Monday, Arbour will officially begin her duties as Governor General, representing the King as Canada’s formal head of state in a ceremonial and non-partisan capacity. The Governor General’s actions are guided by the advice of the prime minister and the federal cabinet.
Meanwhile, in Ottawa, Prime Minister Mark Carney participated in a farewell reception for outgoing Governor General Mary Simon on the same day.