The Royal Tour of Canada - Day Four and Five

Aside from the Vancouver Olympics, where is the best place to put your Canadian pride on display? In our nation's capital on the 143rd birthday of Canada! To top it all off we had the Queen of Canada to celebrate right along with us!

The Queen arrived in an open, horse-drawn landau, patriotically dressed in a red chiffon dress with a diamond maple leaf brooch, and a white hat with red flower. Ladies from the Royal family have been known to provide a compliment to the host country through their fashions and Her Majesty did not disappoint. As a matter of fact she could easily have blended in with the 100,000 flag-waving, revellers dressed in similar colors. I'll bet she doesn't have to worry about that very often.

To signal her arrival The Queen's Personal Canadian Flag was flown from the Peace Tower at Parliament Hill as she took the salute, inspected a Guard of Honor and watched a 21-gun salute, a fly-past and a march-past.

During her speech, which she made in both English and French she praised Canada's 'warmth and enthusiasm" and made reference to the Vancouver Olympics and the gold-medal win for Canada's hockey team.

On day five of the tour, which was meant to be her day-off, The Queen met privately with Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff at Rideau Hall. Mr Ignatieff had this to say after his meeting with her “I have to be discreet. She’s the Queen. I can’t share what she said other than to say she has a magnificent sense of humour and sense of the absurd,” he said.

Oh, if only to have been a fly on the wall...

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Charles and Camilla's Canadian Royal Tour - Day 10 & 11

On day 10 in Canada Charles and Camilla arrived at the National War Memorial for Remembrance Day in Ottawa. The couple attended the ceremony, along with the Prime Minister and Governor General to take part in a ceremony to 'remember and honour the more than 1,500,000 Canadian men and women who have served, and continue to serve, their country during times of war, conflict and peace.' Afterwards they headed to CFB Petawawa where they visited soldiers and their families.

Later on in the evening they attended a reception and dinner hosted by Their Excellencies at Rideau Hall.

The next day they planted an red oak sapling in the grounds of Rideau Hall as a commemoration of their visit. After an 11 day tour with stops in St. John's, Toronto, Victoria, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa which included partaking in 55 events they departed for England.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Charles and Camilla's Canadian Royal Tour - Day 9

Charles and Camilla arrived back in Ontario, visiting Ottawa - the capital of Canada. They began their day visiting the Queen's representative, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada and His Excellency Jean-Daniel Lafond. They stayed on the grounds of Rideau Hall, the Governor General's residence and the usual place for them to stay when in Ottawa.

Later on the couple met with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife Laureen. As 'Four Canadian Rangers stood guard in their trademark red sweaters' the two couples chatted. The PM handed the Prince two Ranger caps and sweaters for his sons, declaring them honorary members. The Prince chuckled and said 'I hope they fit' to which Mrs Harper replied 'One size fits all.'

Now, is that before or after they're washed? Oh nevermind..

The prince later met Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, who in a 1992 article in the Montreal Gazette had written "Now is the time for the republican tradition in Britain to find its voice again". On this visit he voiced no such sentiment to Prince Charles' face. Maybe he realized that this is one of those inside your head thoughts.

Charles and Camilla then departed for Montréal, Quebec where they met with the Premier of Québec, the Honourable Jean Charest and Mme Michèle Dionne, where they received an Inuit sculpture and a collection of Quebec DVDs.

But were they in Region 2 format? Oh, nevermind...

Afterwards they toured the headquarters of the Cirque du Soleil, watching a brief acrobatic performance and touring the workshops where costumes and props are made.

Charles later received a dramatic welcome when he visited the headquarters of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada - a regiment he inherited as colonel-in-chief after the death of the Queen Mother. The riot squad was busy with 200 egg hurtling demonstrators (or 150 depending on who's counting...) 'brandishing signs with slogans such as Down With the Monarchy'...'Ottawa Leave Quebec, and Cultural Genocide, R.I.P.' and "Majesty Go Home!"

Psst - Maybe it's a bit premature to bring that sign out.

© Marilyn Braun 2009