Quebec removes British crown from coat of arms

The provincial government of Quebec has announced that it is removing the British crown from its coat of arms. On January 23, Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette and French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge said the province’s decision reaffirms the autonomy of the Quebec nation. “The vast majority of Quebecers have no attachment to the British monarchy and reject it,” Jolin-Barrette said in a news release. “By removing the British crown from our official coat of arms, we are ensuring that Quebec’s national institutions and symbols respect the Quebec population, that they are modernized, and above all, that they better reflect Quebec’s identity.”