On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne, the Centre of Canadian Studies of the University of Edinburgh hosted its annual conference on the theme "Majesty in Canada". The essays that were presented at that conference reflect the wide-ranging recognitions of the different roles that monarchs and their representatives have played in Canada.

The essays examine how Canadians have understood their ties to royalty and how the regal principle formed an important part of the national identity. Royal tours, vice-regal initiatives, representations of the sovereign's power, and Canadian appeals to monarchical sentiments comprise the themes of these engaging essays, providing an up-to-date look at the historical and current personal influence of the Crown in Canada.