“We are not amused” - Buckingham Palace sends cease and desist letter to Central Frontenac

Jeff Green | Mar 29, 2012

Photo: Mayor Janet Gutowski, dressed in royal garb.

Central Frontenac has come to the attention of Buckingham Palace, and not in a good way.

Last year Mayor Janet Gutowski donned a royal costume and with a British accent welcomed participants for the first annual Frontenac Heritage Festival Polar Bear Plunge as the “Queen of Central Frontenac.” This year she did the same at the festival's kick off breakfast.

It seems that the British royal family has a number of employees who are charged with trolling the Internet looking for threats to their brand, because last week Central Frontenac Township received a letter from a Ms. Benton from the London law firm Fitch, Boskins, Harbell, Ali and Yang (Fitch et al) expressing displeasure at the actions of the municipality, and asking that “any member of your municipal council who has been involved in said behaviour hereby cease and desist from impersonating Her Royal Majesty in any manner.”

The letter (See PDF version here) goes on to say that the royal family realizes that it holds no sway over what the general public does to make light of the Queen of England and the Commonwealth, but that as the head of state of the Dominion of Canada the Queen rightly “expects all federally incorporated institutions, including duly constituted municipal bodies, to refrain from any activities that might bring disrepute on themselves or any other level of government.”

“There is only one Queen of Canada,” the letter concludes, “and particularly as she celebrates her Jubilee year, we would expect that all commonwealth institutions carry out their responsibilities in a dignified manner.”

When contacted, Mayor Gutowski, who is also serving as Warden of Frontenac County this year, said that she has consulted Tim Wilkins, legal council for Central Frontenac, who advised her not to comment on any of the details contained in the letter from Fitch et al.

“I will say, however, that it was never my intention to mock the Queen of England with my actions. I was only trying to have some fun during the Heritage Festival and to help promote it. I never intended to cause any distress to the royal family,” Mayor Gutowski said.

The British embassy in Ottawa did not respond to our enquiries, and a staff member for MP Scott Reid, who serves as Deputy House Leader in the Parliament of Canada, said that given his role in Her Majesty's loyal government, it would be “inappropriate of Mr. Reid to comment on this sort of unfortunate incident.”

The Queen is celebrating 60 years on the throne in 2012, but a visit to Canada is not included in her busy Jubilee schedule. Her son, Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla, will be visiting Canada in her stead in May. They will be visiting New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Ontario.

A visit to Central Frontenac is not expected to be on their itinerary.