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Queen Charlotte

The royal portraits in the Senate’s collection honour the Upper Chamber’s ties to the Crown and Canada’s heritage as a constitutional monarchy.

Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz married King George III of Great Britain in 1761. As the king’s consort, she observed many important events that helped shape Canada and its parliamentary institutions, including the signing of the treaty that brought what is now Quebec under British control.

This royal painting is the work of Sir Joshua Reynolds, a celebrated British portraitist and the first president of the Royal Academy of Arts. He was appointed royal portraitist in 1784 — even though king and artist loathed each other. The Senate’s portraits of King George and Queen Charlotte are copies of the original works, credited to Mr. Reynolds’ studio.

Studio records suggest King George bought and gifted the pair of replicas to Sir Guy Carleton, the governor who had saved the colony of Quebec from American troops in 1775.

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