<P> Besides the administration of the oaths of office, there is no set formula for the swearing - in of a governor general - designate . Though there may therefore be variations to the following, the appointee will generally travel to Ottawa, there receiving an official welcome and taking up residence at 7 Rideau Gate, and will begin preparations for their upcoming role, meeting with various high level officials to ensure a smooth transition between governors general . The sovereign will also hold an audience with the appointee and will at that time induct both the governor general - designate and his or her spouse into the Order of Canada as Companions, as well as appointing the former as a Commander of both the Order of Military Merit and the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (should either person not have already received either of those honours). </P> <P> The swearing - in ceremony begins with the arrival at 7 Rideau Gate of one of the ministers of the Crown, who then accompanies the governor general - designate to Parliament Hill, where a Canadian Forces Guard of Honour (consisting of the Army Guard, Royal Canadian Air Force Guard, and Flag Party of the Royal Canadian Navy) awaits to give a general salute . From there, the party is led by the Queen's parliamentary messenger--the Usher of the Black Rod--to the Senate chamber, wherein all justices of the Supreme Court, senators, members of parliament, and other guests are assembled . The Queen's commission for the governor general - designate is then read aloud by the Secretary to the Governor General and the required oaths are administered to the appointee by either the chief justice or one of the puisne justices of the Supreme Court; the three oaths are: the Oath of Allegiance, the Oath of Office as Governor General and Commander - in - Chief, and the Oath as Keeper of the Great Seal of Canada . With the affixing of their signature to these three solemn promises, the individual is officially the governor general, and at that moment the Flag of the Governor General of Canada is raised on the Peace Tower, the Viceregal Salute is played by the Central Band of the Canadian Forces, and a 21 - gun salute is conducted by the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery . The governor general is seated on the throne while a prayer is read, and then receives the Great Seal of Canada (which is passed to the registrar general for protection), as well as the chains of both the Chancellor of the Order of Canada and of the Order of Military Merit . The governor general will then give a speech, outlining whichever cause or causes he or she will champion during his or her time as viceroy . </P> <P> The incumbent will generally serve for at least five years, though this is only a developed convention, and the governor general still technically acts at Her Majesty's pleasure (or the Royal Pleasure). The prime minister may therefore recommend to the Queen that the viceroy remain in her service for a longer period of time, sometimes upwards of more than seven years . A governor general may also resign, and two have died in office . In such a circumstance, or if the governor general leaves the country for longer than one month, the Chief Justice of Canada (or, if that position is vacant or unavailable, the senior puisne justice of the Supreme Court) serves as Administrator of the Government and exercises all powers of the governor general . </P> <P> In a speech on the subject of confederation, made in 1866 to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, John A. Macdonald said of the planned governor: "We place no restriction on Her Majesty's prerogative in the selection of her representative...The sovereign has unrestricted freedom of choice...We leave that to Her Majesty in all confidence ." However, between 1867 and 1931, governors general were appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British Cabinet . Thereafter, in accordance with the Statute of Westminster 1931, the appointment was made by the sovereign with the direction of his or her Canadian ministers only . Until 1952, all governors general were also either members of the Peerage or sons of peers, and were born beyond Canada's borders . These viceroys spent a relatively limited time in Canada, but their travel schedules were so extensive that they could "learn more about Canada in five years than many Canadians in a lifetime ." Still, though all Canadian nationals were as equally British subjects as their British counterparts prior to the implementation of the Canadian Citizenship Act in 1947, the idea of Canadian - born persons being appointed governor general was raised as early as 1919, when, at the Paris Peace Conference, Canadian prime minister Robert Borden consulted with Prime Minister of South Africa Louis Botha and the two agreed that the viceregal appointees should be long - term residents of their respective Dominions . Calls for just such an individual to be made viceroy came again in the late 1930s, but it was not until Vincent Massey's appointment by King George VI in 1952 that the position was filled by a Canadian - born individual . Massey stated of this that "a Canadian (as governor general) makes it far easier to look on the Crown as our own and on the Sovereign as Queen of Canada ." This practice continued until 1999, when Queen Elizabeth II commissioned as her representative Adrienne Clarkson, a Hong Kong - born refugee to Canada . Moreover, the practice of alternating between anglophone and francophone Canadians was instituted with the appointment of Georges Vanier, a francophone who succeeded the anglophone Massey . All persons whose names are put forward to the Queen for approval must first undergo background checks by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service . </P>

Who replaces the governor general in their absence