Gov. Gen. Mary Simon reflects on the advice Queen Elizabeth II gave her during their first meeting

LONDON -

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon says Queen Elizabeth II offered her important advice that she still follows to this day when they first met during a Zoom call in July 2021 ahead of Simon's swearing in.

Speaking to CTV National News Chief Anchor and Senior Editor Omar Sachedina at Canada House in London on Sunday, Simon said she could not recall the Queen's exact words, but told her something to the effect of "be gentle to yourself."

Simon said she took the advice to mean she must work hard as the representative of the sovereign in Canada, especially given the Crown's relationship with Indigenous people, but also to take time for herself – something Simon believes is a reflection of the Queen's resilient work ethic to the U.K. and Commonwealth.

Simon also discussed the legacy Queen Elizabeth II leaves behind and what conversations lie ahead between King Charles III and Canada.

Below is a transcript of the interview. It has been edited for grammar and clarity.

Omar Sachedina: Your Excellency, take me back to Sept. 8, the day we learned the Queen passed away. Where were you and what was your initial reaction?

Mary Simon: "I was just arriving back from Ottawa and I was in the office for about two hours, and it was obvious things weren’t going well, but the sudden information that we got that she had passed was very emotional. It was kind of overwhelming that it just seemed so sudden. So I just sat in my office and thought about her and the legacy that she has left and the warmth that she showed when I went to see her and how welcoming she was. So all those thoughts went through my mind and it was a moment in my life."

Omar Sachedina: When you think back of her life, you know her better than most. Can you tell me about a time or story that really captures the essence of who she was?

Mary Simon: "Well, I have always known about the Queen even when I was growing up in the Arctic. And my grandmother, who was an Inuit person, used to talk about the Queen with her friends and colleagues and family members and it was always with such reverence that they spoke about her so I've always followed the Royal Family in my own personal life. But I think for me, the time that I was installed, just a little over a year ago, as Governor General, I had a Zoom call with Her Majesty and we had a really good discussion and during the conversation -- I don't remember her exact words, but she said, 'Be gentle with yourself,' which meant to me that, you work hard but you also take the time to rest and be there for yourself. And that has stayed with me ever since she said that. And then when I came to see her here in London at Windsor Castle in I guess it was May or June … she welcomed myself and my husband to her home. And we had a very, very nice conversation with her and she served us tea and the dogs were there, the corgis, and she fed the corgis with a little bit of food, and it was just such an absolutely interesting and warm experience that I had and my husband and I both said this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for both of us, and it was some really good memories."

Omar Sachedina: People are saying goodbye to the Queen, but they're also welcoming a new King. You've spoken about the need to have difficult conversations to address the cruel legacy of colonialism and the relationship between Indigenous people around as an Inuk woman who represents the Crown, you have such a capacity to be able to be a pivotal mediator in these discussions. What is the right way to have these conversations with the new King, King Charles III?

Mary Simon: "He has started the conversation and in fact he started the conversation when he was still the Prince when he came to Canada a few months ago, and he has carried that through to today. And the few times that I've been able to talk to the King, he has expressed a renewed relationship vision that he has as the new King Charles III. And it speaks to the idea that the Queen did what she could in her own way … I think he's ready to discuss these issues with us to see what he can do as the new Monarch that has replaced his dear mother."

Omar Sachedina: Did the Queen ever talk to you about apologizing to Indigenous Peoples? Did that ever come up in conversation?

Mary Simon: "No, the apology issues really picked up some steam when Prince Charles was in Canada. Before that, I hadn't really heard that much about it."

Omar Sachedina: And has he talked about it while he was a prince?

Mary Simon: "Not when he was in Canada with me, but he has mentioned in a continuing discussions that we've had. But at the same time, what we've talked about is really a way of reconnecting with people and to be able to understand what that might mean."

Omar Sachedina: Are you are you confident that apology will come with the new King?

Mary Simon: "At this point, I do not know. I think there's a call for it from certain Indigenous leaders, but at this point, I don't have that information."

Omar Sachedina: I want to ask you, as best you can, to look into the future. Tomorrow more than 2,000 people will gather inside Westminster Abbey for the state funeral to say goodbye to the Queen and you will be among that group. What will you be thinking about?

Mary Simon: "Well, it's a very emotional time for me as an individual. And I'm here also representing Canada so I have to carry myself in such a way where I'm a representative, but sitting there I will feel the emotions. I will think about the times that I have met Her Majesty, and I'm sure that I will be thinking about the family and how difficult this is for the family, and that we will carry on her memories because they are important."

Omar Sachedina: Your Excellency, final question, what is one thing about the Queen that most people wouldn’t know?

Mary Simon: "When I spoke to her she was very up to date on all the different things that were going on around the world, including the situations in Canada that we've been going through over the past year. And perhaps a lot of people don't know that… A lot of people think that like my position is a figurehead, her position was a figurehead, but it isn't. When you get down to the day-to-day operation of the work that we do, it's hard work. And I think not a lot people know that part of Her Majesty."

Omar Sachedina: Your Excellency, I’m grateful for your time. Thank you so much.

Mary Simon: "My pleasure."