Rinfret was acting Governor General (or Administrator of the Government) in 1952 after the departure of Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis and until Vincent Massey could officially take his vice-regal post; during this time he proclaimed Elizabeth II as Queen of Canada, following the death of King George VI.
Afterwards came the prime minister of Canada Louis Saint-Laurent and the premier of Quebec Maurice Duplessis as presidents, the archbishop of Montreal Mgr Paul-Émile Léger, chief justice of Canada Thibaudeau Rinfret, Université Laval rector Ferdinand Vandry, chief justice of the supreme court of New Brunswick Enoil Michaud, and Henri T. Ledoux, as vice presidents.