Who proclaimed the Constitution of Canada in 1982?

The proclamation of the Constitution of Canada in 1982 was carried out by Queen Elizabeth II, who serves as Canada's Sovereign and Head of State. As the official study guide explains, Canada is a constitutional monarchy, a parliamentary democracy and a federal state, and the Sovereign personally embodies the country's institutions. When the Queen proclaimed the amended Constitution, she acted in her capacity as Queen of Canada, a distinct Canadian title she holds separately from her role as Queen of the United Kingdom.

The Oath of Citizenship reflects the Sovereign's central role: new citizens swear to bear true allegiance "To Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors," and to faithfully observe "the laws of Canada, including the Constitution." The same oath specifically notes that the Constitution "recognizes and affirms the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples," highlighting the document's importance to all Canadians.

In Canada's tradition, loyalty is professed not to a document, a flag, or a geopolitical entity, but to a person, the Sovereign, who represents all Canadians. As the guide states, "Canada is personified by the Sovereign just as the Sovereign is personified by Canada." This is why the Queen's act of proclaiming the Constitution carried such symbolic weight — it joined the supreme law of the land to the person of the Crown, the unifying figure of Canada's parliamentary government. Copyright in official documents like Discover Canada is even held by "Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada," showing how the Crown formally personifies the Canadian state.

Understanding who proclaimed the Constitution matters because it ties together two fundamental test topics: Canada's constitutional monarchy and its supreme law. New citizens swear allegiance to the Sovereign and her Heirs and Successors precisely because, in Canadian tradition, the Crown personifies the country and its institutions. Knowing that Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed the Constitution in 1982 also helps explain why the Oath specifically obligates citizens to observe the laws of Canada "including the Constitution," and why the Constitution explicitly recognizes the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples — a foundation for Canadian identity, the rule of law, and parliamentary government today.