mackaycartoons

Graeme MacKay's Editorial Cartoon Archive

  • Who?
  • Archives
  • Sharing
  • Boutique
  • Kings & Queens
  • Prime Ministers
  • Presidents
  • Special Features
  • Young Doug Ford

King Charles III

Wednesday November 15, 2023

November 15, 2023 by Graeme MacKay

The Royal Canadian Mint is set to replace the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II with King Charles III's face on Canadian coins, with the winning design by Canadian portrait artist Steven Rosati awaiting approval from Buckingham Palace.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday November 15, 2023

Regal Evolution: From Elizabeth to Charles on Canadian Coins

May 6, 2023

The Royal Canadian Mint is about to embark on a new chapter, with Canadian coins soon featuring the face of King Charles. This shift in design, replacing the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II, marks a significant moment for the mint based in Winnipeg.

The chosen design, crafted by Canadian portrait artist Steven Rosati out of 350 entries, has been forwarded to Buckingham Palace for royal approval. Notably, the King’s effigy is poised to grace the iconic loonie for the first time, with a limited release of 2023-dated coins expected to circulate in early December.

News: The Royal Canadian Mint unveils the first coins bearing the face of King Charles III  

April 4, 2008

Reflecting on the history of Canadian coinage adds depth to this narrative. Dating back to 1857, when the dollar became Canada’s official monetary unit post-independence, the country’s coinage has undergone notable transformations. The introduction of decimal coins in 1858 and subsequent denominations in 1870 marked key milestones.

Over the years, the composition of Canadian coins, originally boasting a .925 silver content, has evolved, transitioning to .800 in 1920 and eventually abandoning silver in favour of pure nickel coins by 1968. Interestingly, Canada’s coinage journey also included large cents from 1858-1920, diverging from the smaller-sized US cent.

April 4, 2008

The need to differentiate Canadian and US currencies led to the issuance of a distinctive 25 cent coin around 1870. Despite initial delays, the silver dollar made its debut in 1935, featuring a portrait of George V.

Analysis: How does putting King Charles on Canadian money make people feel? It’s a coin toss  

Coins issued in Canada have historical ties to mints beyond its borders, with some struck in London’s Royal Mint or the Heaton Mint in England. Grading standards for Canadian coins align with those of the United States, emphasizing wear on the obverse, particularly in areas like crowns, laurel sprays, and hairlines.

August 7, 2003

In the present day, Canada boasts seven main denominations, including the iconic 1 C$ (Loonie), 2 C$ (Toonie), 50 Cent (Half Dollar), 25 Cent (Quarter), 10 Cents (Dime), and 5 Cent (Nickel). Yet, as we witness the introduction of King Charles on Canadian coins, it prompts reflection on the broader societal changes, like the diminishing role of physical coins in an era dominated by digital transactions. The cartoonish scenario of a grandmother introducing King Charles on a coin to her grandkids, met with confusion about both the monarch and the concept of coins, encapsulates this evolving landscape where tradition meets the modern age. (AI)

 

Posted in: Canada Tagged: 2023-19, Canada, coin, generation, grandma, kids, King Charles III, Monarchy, tradition

Saturday May 6, 2023

May 6, 2023 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday May 6, 2023

King Charles III the Dragon Slayer? 

September 30, 2022

Today’s coronation of King Charles III has led to a debate about the relevance of monarchy in the modern world. While some call for the abolishment of the monarchy, evidence suggests that the institution has adapted well to the 21st century and has contributed to the prosperity, equality, and democracy of many countries. In fact, many monarchies dominate the lists of the best countries to live in. However, to remain relevant, the monarchy must adapt to modern realities. One way to do this is to ensure that newcomers to Canada swear allegiance first and foremost to their adopted country, instead of the monarchy. Another way is to change the $20 bill to not feature King Charles III’s image, but rather a more representative image of Canada. These changes can help the monarchy continue to be a fundamental part of Canada’s system of government and laws, while adapting to the realities of the 21st century.

Opinion: Can a monarchy sit easy in modern Britain? 

September 9, 2022

King Charles III slaying dragons is not entirely appropriate, as the challenges he faces are far more complex than mere dragons. His reign comes at a time of significant global challenges, such as climate change, colonialism, inclusivity, and… to a lesser extent, bad architecture, his well known pet peeve. These are issues that his predecessors, including his mother, mostly stayed clear of due to the times in which they lived. However, if King Charles III is to use his reign to speak on these issues, he must first adapt the monarchy to modern realities.

Many critics of the monarchy argue that it is undemocratic, colonialist, and racist. While there is some truth to these criticisms, they are not the whole story. The fact is that, as a general rule, monarchies in today’s world are more prosperous, more equal, and even more democratic than the alternatives. Countries like Sweden and Denmark are prosperous, stable, and fair not because they are monarchies, but because they have figured out how to combine tradition with change, how to adapt what they have to the demands of modernity. Constitutional monarchy, as Mauro Guillén, a professor at the Wharton School of Business, explains, “works as a mechanism preserving what deserves to remain while incorporating what the circumstances call for.” It is a beautiful solution to a wide array of governance problems.

BBC: Your complete guide to the King’s coronation  

2023 Coronation Design

To ensure that the monarchy continues to be relevant, we must adapt it to modern realities. One way to do this is to ensure that newcomers to Canada swear allegiance first and foremost to their adopted country, instead of the monarchy. Another way is to change the $20 bill to not feature King Charles III’s image, but rather a more representative image of Canada. These changes can help the monarchy continue to be a fundamental part of Canada’s system of government and laws, while adapting to the realities of the 21st century.

King Charles III has a unique opportunity to speak to the pressing issues of our time. However, to do so, he must first adapt the monarchy to modern realities. The monarchy has survived for centuries precisely because it has been adaptable, and if we have learned anything, it is to build on that success rather than breaking the system that allowed it to flourish. (AI)

 

Posted in: Canada, International Tagged: 2023-08, architecture, Canada, Charles III, coronation, dragon, inclusion, King Charles III, Monarchy, sustainability, throne, United Kingdom, Westminster Abbey

Tuesday September 20, 2022

September 20, 2022 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday September 20, 2022

The monarchy, Canada and the future

September 9, 2022

The world said goodbye to the Queen — and an era — Monday.

A funeral service at Westminster Abbey with heads of government, other dignitaries and family honoured Queen Elizabeth’s remarkable life of service with seven decades on the throne.

The throne has passed to King Charles III, who, at 73, comes into the role after a literal lifetime of watching and learning. He has pledged to carry on the role in his mother’s tradition, following her example of “selfless duty” and promise of “lifelong service.”

And yet he is not his mother.

The Queen’s death almost certainly marks the start of a diminished monarchy. Support for the monarchy was based, for some at least, on personal affection and respect for the Queen rather than full-throated support for the institution itself. That certainly seems to be the case here. Public opinion research by the Angus Reid Institute in April found that 55 per cent of Canadians supported remaining a constitutional monarchy as long as the Queen reigns. That dropped to 34 per cent if Charles was on the throne.

June 23, 2022

Even before her passing, change was underway. King Charles III takes over a realm much diminished from when his mother assumed the throne in 1952. In nations across the Commonwealth, debates have played out about continued ties to the monarchy.

In a week when most of the tributes to the Queen were glowing and uncritical, these debates are an important reminder of history. For all the attributes the Queen brought to her role, at the end of the day she represented an empire that in its history ruled over and exploited countries around the globe. That exploitation came in the form of violence, racism, slavery, raiding natural resources and robbing local economies, a legacy that is remembered by the citizens of those countries.

Across Africa, India and Caribbean nations among others, the monarchy is viewed with attitudes that range from indifference to anger to passionate demands for reparations and apologies for colonial acts such as enslavement.

Last year, Barbados severed its connections to the Crown and shifted from constitutional monarchy to a republic. Antigua and Barbuda expects to hold a referendum on whether it too should become a republic.

June 10, 2022

What about Canada? The country’s Indigenous peoples have their own painful history with the Crown, one marked by colonialism and genocide. Black people were enslaved in the colonies of British North America.

Is it worth rethinking therefore whether Canada should have its own head-of-state rather than one who resides an ocean away? We’ve already taken steps over the years to disentangle ourselves from London. In 1965, the maple leaf flag was proclaimed as the national flag, replacing the widely used Canadian Red Ensign. The Constitution was repatriated in 1982.

As a mature nation, we can surely have the discussions that are unfolding in other Commonwealth countries about ties to the Crown.

But know that the hurdles are daunting, perhaps insurmountable to ending Canada’s time as a constitutional monarchy. Such a fundamental change would dictate a national referendum. It would require provincial agreement and constitutional changes.

“Given just the sheer complexity of actually achieving the total unanimity of the provinces plus the federal Parliament, which includes the Senate, just on that technical basis it is impossible,” said University of Ottawa law Prof. Errol Mendes.

September 27, 2016

There’s also been a reluctance over the last few decades for federal governments to deal with “fundamental constitutional change,” said Andrew McDougall, professor of Canadian politics and public law at the University of Toronto.

Polls suggest Canadians are indifferent to the monarchy, viewing it as not relevant and outdated. But there are no groundswell demands for change. When more pressing issues loom, such as squeezed household budgets and climate change, it’s hard to make the case that ditching the monarchy should be the focus of our collective time and effort.

The better course would be to hold the monarchy accountable for the past and ensure it remains relevant for the present, priorities that now fall to the new King. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial) 

 

Posted in: Canada, International Tagged: 2022-30, Canada, King Charles III, leadership, Monarchy, Printed in the Toronto Star, Queen Elizabeth II, United Kingdom

Please note…

This website contains satirical commentaries of current events going back several decades. Some readers may not share this sense of humour nor the opinions expressed by the artist. To understand editorial cartoons it is important to understand their effectiveness as a counterweight to power. It is presumed readers approach satire with a broad minded foundation and healthy knowledge of objective facts of the subjects depicted.

  • The Hamilton Spectator
  • The Toronto Star
  • The Globe & Mail
  • The National Post

Social Media Connections

Link to our Facebook Page
Link to our Flickr Page
Link to our Pinterest Page
Link to our Twitter Page
Link to our Website Page
  • HOME
  • Sharing
  • The Boutique
  • The Hamilton Spectator
  • Artizans Syndicate
  • Association of Canadian Cartoonists
  • Wes Tyrell
  • Martin Rowson
  • Guy Bado’s Blog
  • You Might be From Hamilton if…
  • MacKay’s Most Viral Cartoon
  • Intellectual Property Thief Donkeys
  • National Newswatch
  • Young Doug Ford

Your one-stop-MacKay-shop…

T-shirts, hoodies, clocks, duvet covers, mugs, stickers, notebooks, smart phone cases and scarfs

2023 Coronation Design

Brand New Designs!

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets
Follow Graeme's board My Own Cartoon Favourites on Pinterest.

MacKay’s Virtual Gallery

Archives

Copyright © 2016 mackaycartoons.net

Powered by Wordpess and Alpha.

 

Loading Comments...