The motto “je me souviens,” which appears on Quebec licence plates is not about the Plains of Abraham, the so-called “night of the long knives” or any other such “humiliation” or slight, either real or perceived.
The true origin of the phrase is far more federalist: “Je me souviens que, né sous le lys, je crois sous la rose (“I remember/ That born under the lily/ I grow under the rose)” where the “lys” refers to France and alludes to the French monarchy and the “rose” refers to England and the English crown. The poem itself refers to Quebec’s coming of age under the English banner.
Today’s letters: Quebec licence plates are not anti-British
by Paul Russell
photo taken by Aniri
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/07/18/todays-letters-quebec-licence-plates-are-not-anti-british/
While the phrase has appeared on our licence plates since 1978, it is far more prominently displayed on the coat of arms at The Citadel in Quebec City, home to the Royal 22e Regiment and one of two official residences of his Excellency, the governor-general, hardly bastions of separatism, nationalism or any form of ill will towards Her Majesty. It has been on the coat of arms of Quebec and has appeared over the entrance to the National Assembly since 1883, not exactly a time when “sovereignty-association” held any sway.
While the Queen is the monarch of another country —several in fact — she is also the Queen of Canada, as stated clearly in the oath of allegiance. Any oath of allegiance to our country would be incomplete without a declaration of fealty to our head of state, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, long may she reign, vive la reine!