International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation Volume 6 2023 16
The Social Phenomenon of Romana Didulo: “Queen of Canada”
Christine M Sarteschi, PhD, LCSW
Chatham University
Abstract: Romana Didulo is a conspiracy theorist who claims to be the ruler of Canada, despite all evidence to
the contrary. She has a fairly large following in social media. Her movement, though not easily categorized, can
best be described as a combination of QAnon, sovereign citizen/pseudo-legal, conspirituality, and anti-vaccination
motifs. This overview explores her belief system, her origins, the evolution of her movement, and the behavior of her
followers. This review finds that Didulo poses two main kinds of threats. She: 1) encourages followers to engage in
vigilantism, and 2) has created a pool of desperate people who have had their utilities shut off, and lost their vehicles
and homes. People are suffering as a result of her edicts.
Keywords: Romana Didulo, cult, conspiracy theories, QAnon, sovereign citizen, New Age, anti vaxx,
conspirituality
I. Introduction
Romana Didulo is a Philippine born immigrant, in
her 50s, who contends she is the leader of Canada. She
has adopted the titles of “Queen and Commander-in-
chief, Head of State and Government, President and
National Indigenous Chief of the Kingdom of Canada.”
Didulo and eleven of her closest followers are currently
on their third tour of Canada. They utilize multiple
recreational vehicles (RVs) (see Figure 1) and travel to
meet-and-greet locations where Didulo gives speeches,
sometimes several times a week. Didulo maintains
multiple Telegram channels and has approximately
50,000 followers who cheer her on and fund her travels.
The purpose of this article is to expand the knowledge
base of this social phenomenon using observation
and analysis of Didulo’s social media postings and the
content of her speeches. This article tracks Didulo’s
rise, describes her belief system, and documents the
activities of her and her followers.
Didulo and her followers express beliefs that combine
QAnon, sovereign citizen/pseudo-legal, conspirituality,
and anti-vaccination motifs. QAnon is a conspiracy-
based belief system. Its followers claim that high level
Democratic politicians control the government and
all media, and are harming children (Moskalenko
&McCauley, 2021). QAnon followers are highly
concerned about the “cabal,” powerful individuals who
they believe are working covertly behind the scenes
(Moskalenko &McCauley, 2021). The cabal, they
Figure 1 -One of Romana Didulo’s recreational vehicles. Note the
Manitoba licence plate.
believe, is also seeking to acquire adrenochrome from
the blood of children to extend their personal lifespans
(Garry, Walther, Mohamad, &Mohammed, 2021).
Sovereign citizens are individuals who reject their
respective governments as illegitimate, and do not
believe conventional laws apply to them they instead
are subject to a different, superior law (Kalinowski,
2019 McRoberts, 2019 Netolitzky, 2021 Sarteschi,
2020). Conspirituality is a term coined by Ward and
Voas (2011) that describes individuals who combine a
New Age belief system with conspiracy theories where
secret groups control the political and social order. New
Age beliefs are characterized by four main elements: 1)
“mythical individual transformation ” 2) “awareness
of non-material realities ” 3) “the imposition of
doi.org/10.54208/1000/0006/002

ISSN: 2710-4028 DOI: doi.org/10.54208/1000/0006 17
(a) personal vision onto society ” and 4) “belief in
universally invisible but pervasive forms of energy”
(Ward &Voas, 2011, p. 106). Research has shown that
conspirituality is common among those in the QAnon
movement (Robertson &Amarasingam, 2022 Ward
&Voas, 2011). Much like QAnon, the conspirituality
movement is decentralized and virtual (Ward &Voas,
2011). Finally, individuals who subscribe to anti-vaxx
ideology are those who are “... wholly opposed to
vaccinations” (Burgess, Osborne, Yongabi et al., 2021,
p. 8). Those beliefs, and how they are expressed by
Didulo, are described below.
A. Didulo’s Early Background
Didulo asserts much, but provides no or little evidence.
According to her Canada 1st Party website (https://
www.canada1stpartyofcanada.ca/), her first known self-
created web presence where she attempted to establish
her own political party, Romana Didulo was born into
a privileged life, that she characterizes as the “modern
equivalent of [a] Royal family.” She is the youngest
of two children (Didulo, 2022). Her father’s name is
Romualdo and her mother’s name is Anna. ‘Romana’
is a combination of her parents’ names, a “tradition
upheld and practiced amongst true royal ancient
bloodlines when naming a child” (Didulo, 2022). As a
child, she spoke five different languages that were taught
to her by her grandmother, a grade one school teacher.
That same grandmother mounted a “strategic defense
and offense” and “successfully blocked the Chinese
from invading THEIR REGIONAL STRONGHOLD
during World War II” (Didulo, 2022 [capitalization in
original]). This claim could not possibly be true, since
during World War II Japan, not China, occupied the
Philippines (Sicat, 2015). Didulo’s father was both a
lawyer and an engineer. He died when she was 10 years
old. Her mother died a year later. Soon after the death
of her parents, Didulo moved to Vancouver, Canada
when she was 15 years old, and was cared for by her
grandparents and other relatives.
Little else is known about Didulo prior to her
emergence in the business world in approximately
2006. She was featured in an October 2006 magazine
article as the president and CEO of Global Solutions
Canada. That company is described as a private startup
human resources corporation where Didulo operated
with two other account managers. Global Solutions
Canada “specialize in recruiting and placing engineers
and geologists and providing around-the-clock human
solutions to the oil, sands, gas and mining” industries
(Global Solutions Canada, 2006, p. 4). They also
conduct background checks and assist workers from
across the world who seek professional employment
and are attempting to immigrate to Canada (Global
Solutions Canada, 2006). Didulo also was subsequently
involved in three shell real estate companies under
the name Didulo Holding Inc. These businesses are
seemingly no longer in operation. Didulo also has
two additional open businesses in London and Wales
(WION, 2022). No substantial activity with these
corporations is known. Success in the business world
seems to have eluded Didulo.
Didulo reemerged in 2020 as the founder and leader
of the “Canada 1st Party” with the tagline “draining
the swamp in Ottawa!” The Canada 1st Party is
described on its website as being a “National Political
Party” that sought to remove those currently in
power. The party’s policies are the foundation for
Didulo’s subsequent evolution as Canada’s new
“queen.” Policies include enhancing the economy,
investigating and prosecuting corrupt politicians,
healthcare officials, law enforcement agencies, and
drug dealers, removing weapons, targeting human and
child traffickers, canceling foreign aid funding, and
reducing and eliminating taxes. The end goal of the
Canada 1st Party is “dissolving all national parties ...
and to eliminate globalists and Communists.” Didulo’s
political movement did not attract much attention, and
was never formally registered.
B. Telegram: February 2021
Didulo joined the Telegram social media platform in
February 2021. Telegram is an alternative, decentralized
media platform, popular among conservative users
banned from mainstream sites (Walther &McCoy,
2021). Prior to joining Telegram, Didulo was posting
messages primarily on her Canada 1st Party website.
In her first Telegram postings, without providing
evidence, Didulo claimed to have been officially
appointed head of state and commander-in-chief of the
Republic of Canada. In her role as leader, Didulo said
she took an “Oath of allegiance to the #Flag and the
#men #women #Children of the Republic of Canada.
Not other Nations and other Nations Citizens” (see