Use of Royal Portraits and images

Legal limitations apply to the usage and reproduction of Royal Portraits and images. Requests related to the commercial use of royal images should be addressed to utilisationdessymboles-useofsymbols@pch.gc.ca. Please note that a visual draft of the intended use must be included with the request.

On this page

• Commercial use
• Publications and media
• Advertising
• Copyright
• Arms and emblems of members of the Royal Family

Commercial use

Generally speaking, the commercial use of all images, photographs, effigies, and emblems of The King and members of the Royal Family is prohibited.

Publications and media

The use of Royal images may be permitted for editorial purposes by the media, as well as for publications such as books, newspaper, magazine/journal articles, or film/television documentaries about the Royal Family, its members, and the institutions of the Monarchy.

Please note that some restrictions still apply and that permission to reproduce a given image must still be obtained from the image’s copyright holder.

Advertising

Except when advertising a book, newspaper, magazine/journal article or documentary about the Royal Family or any of its members, as described in the section Publications and media above, images of members of the Royal Family may not be used for advertising purposes in any medium.

An organization may not use Royal images of any kind to advertise its products and services, or include photographs of members of the Royal Family implying the Royal persons’ endorsement of or involvement with the organization’s products and services. This includes photographs of members of the Royal Family visiting an organization’s premises or otherwise partaking of their services.

These rules are made to avoid exploitation of the Royal Family by commercial organizations for their own advantage.

Organizations that hold Royal warrants and/or enjoy Royal patronage may use Royal images as per the specific terms of their arrangement.

Copyright

Any question of copyright involved in the reproduction of a royal image must be settled by the prospective user directly with the copyright holder. Nothing in these rules gives any right to the use of a particular image.

Also note that it is not permitted to use any individual’s or organization’s emblems for commercial purposes without their explicit and specific permission to do so.

Arms and emblems of members of the Royal Family

The Royal Arms of Canada are a state symbol whose use for commercial purposes is prohibited in most instances. Inquiries on their use may be directed to utilisationdessymboles-useofsymbols@pch.gc.ca.

The Royal Crown and the Royal Cypher are personal emblems of the Sovereign and may only be used by permission of the Sovereign. Likewise, the coats of arms, emblems, cyphers and monograms of members of the Royal Family are personal to these individuals and cannot be used without their consent.

Requests for use of such emblems should be addressed to the Office of the Secretary of the Governor General by email at royal@gg.ca.

Advice may be sought from the Department of Canadian Heritage before the request is forwarded to Buckingham Palace for final approval.