Official Website of Author and Historian
Canada's Deep Crown
Available from University of Toronto Press late Summer 2021
The Crown in Canada has had a profound influence in shaping a country and a constitution that embraces the promotion of political moderation, societal accommodation, adaptable constitutional structures, and pluralistic governing practices. While none of these features themselves originated through legislative or constitutional action, David E. Smith, Christopher McCreery, and Jonathan Shanks propose that all reflect the presence and actions of the Crown.
Examining how constitutional monarchy functions, Canada’s Deep Crown discusses how the legal and institutional abstraction of the Crown varies depending on the circumstances and the context in which it is found. The Crown presents differently depending on who is observing it, who is representing it, and what role it is performing. With a focus on the changes that have taken place over the last fifty years, this book addresses the role of the Crown in dispersing power throughout Canada’s system of government, the function the Sovereign, governor general, and lieutenant governors play, and how the demise of the Crown and transition to a new Sovereign is likely to unfold.
About the author
Christopher McCreery holds a doctorate in Canadian political history from Queen’s University and is the author of more than a dozen books, including two best-sellers. He has served as private secretary to the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia since 2009 and was responsible for the setting up of Government House following the restoration of the building.
From 2012 to 2018, he served as a member of the board of trustees of the Canadian Museum of History/Canadian War Museum, is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Royal Heraldry Society of Canada, and is one of the Commonwealth’s foremost experts on the vice-regal offices, honours and symbols. In 2010 he was invested as a Member of the Royal Victorian Order by The Queen at Government House, Halifax.
My Books
The Order of Canada
2nd edition
Fifty Years Honouring Canadians
The Canadian Honours System, 2nd edition
Books
The Order of Canada
2nd edition
The Canadian Honours System
2nd edition
Savoir Fair, Savoir Vivre:
The Rideau Club
Commemorative Medals of
The Queen's Reign in Canada
The Order of Military Merit
Canadian Symbols of Authority
Maintiens Le Droit
The Canadian Forces' Decoration
The Authentic Voice of Canada
On Her Majesty's Service
The Maple Leaf and the White Cross
The Beginner's Guide to
Canadian Honours
Selected Chapters & articles
Edited works which include chapters by Christopher McCreery
 Chapter 15 "The Politics of St-Laurent on the Crown, Rituals and Symbols" pp. 314-355. |  J.P.P.L. 13 "Not the Governor Generals Choice: Canadian Honours and the Butler-Pitfield Principles" pp. 67-80. |  Chapter 8 "The Vulnerability of Vice-Regal Offices in Canada" pp. 156-178. |
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 Chapter 9 "Subtle yet significant innovations: The Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments and the Secretary's new powers" pp. 241-262. |  Chapter 10 "The Provincial Crown: The Lieutenant Governor's Expanding Role" pp. 141-169. Chapter 13 "Confidant and Chief of Staff: The Governor's Secretary" pp. 197-218. |  Chapter 3 "Myth and Misunderstanding: The Origins and Meaning of the Letters Patent Constituting the Office of the Governor General, 1947" pp. 31-56. Chapter 9 "The Crown and Honours: Getting it Right" pp. 139-154. |
 Part III-5 "Tribute to Queen Victoria, 1901" pp. 265-274. |
Delivering a paper at the Symposium on Honours and Heraldry, Ottawa May 2018.
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Books
Government House Halifax
Fifty Years Honouring Canadians
Commemorative Medals of
The Queen's Reign in Canada
The Canadian Forces' Decoration
On Her Majesty's Service
The Order of Canada
2nd edition
The Canadian Honours System
2nd edition
Savoir Fair, Savoir Vivre:
The Rideau Club
Canadian Symbols of Authority
The Order of Military Merit
Maintiens Le Droit
La Feuille d'Erable et la Croix Blanche
The Maple Leaf and the White Cross
The Authentic Voice of Canada
The Beginner's Guide to
Canadian Honours