Queen Elizabeth’s death delays Canadian citizenship ceremony, officials confused over pledge of allegiance
PETALING JAYA, Sept 9 — A Canadian citizenship ceremony was momentarily delayed due to an unexpected setback — the death of the British monarch.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday (September 8), officials at the virtual ceremony held on the same day were uncertain as to whom aspiring citizens should pledge their allegiance to.
The incident was live-tweeted by journalist Roberto Rocha, who was at the event via Zoom along with 141 other attendees..
I am sitting with my friend who is at his Canadian citizenship ceremony via Zoom. There is a long delay. He was supposed to swear his allegiance to the Queen. I'm guessing they're trying to sort out what to do now.
— Roberto Rocha (@robroc) September 8, 2022
“He was supposed to swear his allegiance to the Queen,” said Rocha, referring to a friend applying to be a Canadian citizen.
“I'm guessing they're trying to sort out what to do now.”
Canada is a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II being its first sovereign to be proclaimed separately as the Queen of Canada.
While the role is largely ceremonial, CTV News reported that the queen's death meant the Canadian government will now have to make wording changes to oaths, titles, and even currency.
Although Elizabeth's son, Prince Charles, was expected to be the next monarch, it was unclear at first as to what his official title would be.
According to the BBC, he could have taken on any of his four names; Charles Philip Arthur George.
The citizenship ceremony finally got moving once the presiding officials announced the updated pledge.
In his tweets, Rocha said new citizens swore allegiance to “His Majesty King Charles III, King of Canada.”
“And they ended with ‘The Queen is dead, long live the King’! That’s wild,” added Rocha.
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest serving monarch, died at her home in Scotland at the age of 96.
