Governor General
State Visit to AfricaInformation
BloGG
Speeches of the Governor General in Africa
Additional Information > Canadian International Development Agency
Additional Information > Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Algeria
Mali
Ghana
South Africa
Morocco
Additional Information > Governor General
State Visits
As the representative of the Crown in Canada, the Governor General performs all the functions of the Head of State. In this capacity, the Governor General hosts numerous foreign Heads of State on State visits to Canada every year. As a regular practice of international relations, the Governor General receives reciprocal invitations to make State visits to many countries on behalf of all Canadians. By accepting such invitations, the Governor General builds on existing international relationships and strengthens ties across a broad range of sectors of Canadian life. A multifaceted delegation from across the country accompanies the Governor General on State visits to convey a sense of Canada to the host countries. Governors general began to travel internationally and be received as Heads of State in 1927 when Lord Willingdon was invited to visit the United States by President Calvin Coolidge. The first full State visit occurred 10 years later in 1937 when John Buchan, the Lord Tweedsmuir, was received at the White House by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, where he addressed the United States Senate. In 1948, Viscount Alexander made the first Canadian State visit to Latin America when he visited Brazil. After visiting a number of Caribbean countries in 1969, Roland Michener further expanded the range of State visits by Canadian governors general by travelling outside the Americas. He was the first to be received on State visits in Europe, visiting the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg in 1971. State visits to European countries followed in 1978 by Jules Léger to Spain, and between 1981 and 1983 by Edward Schreyer to Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Romania, Greece and the Federal Republic of Germany. State visits by governors general over the past two decades include:
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For
most of the past century and increasingly over the past decades, governors general have played an important role in the
regular conduct of Canada's relations with other countries by travelling abroad on State visits.