queen elizabeth visit canada

'Home away from home': A look back through Queen Elizabeth II's official visits to Canada

Of all the countries in the Commonwealth, Canada was the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite destination, judging by how many times she graced our shores.

Over the course of her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II officially visited Canada more than 20 times, ranging from sweeping royal tours to visits for anniversaries and special events.

Canada’s relationship with the monarch has always been significant. The Queen was head of state for 16 countries in the Commonwealth, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica, among others, but of these 16 countries, the Queen has visited Canada the most.

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“My mother once said that this country felt like a home away from home for the Queen of Canada,” the Queen said during her last visit to Canada, in 2010.

“I’m delighted to report that it still does, and I’m delighted to be back amongst you all.”

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, she is the “most travelled monarch in history.”

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The first time that the Queen set foot on Canadian soil was when she was only 25 years old and still a princess — in 1951, she took her ailing father’s place to visit Canada with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Prince Philip, who died on April 9, 2021, was particularly fond of Canada, and travelled to the country 46 times in total, including his many visits by the Queen’s side.

Two years after her first visit, in 1953, she was crowned Queen. She made a brief appearance in Gander, N.L. that year during a stopover on the way to tour other parts of the Commonwealth, but wouldn’t return for an official visit of Canada until 1957.

John Diefenbaker, the prime minister at the time, was eager to strengthen ties to Britain and cement the Queen’s role in Canada, and even had the Queen preside over a cabinet meeting during her brief visit.

During that trip, the Queen also opened Canada’s new Parliament, an event that she was proud to mention in her Christmas speech later that year, the very first televised Christmas speech from a British royal ever.

“Last October, I opened the new Canadian Parliament,” she said in the speech. “This was the first time that any sovereign had done so in Ottawa. Once again, I was overwhelmed by the loyalty and enthusiasm of my Canadian people.”

But her longest trip to Canada — and arguably the most important — occurred in 1959, when she toured all of the provinces, as well as both current territories, with Prince Philip for 45 days. This is still the longest tour any reigning monarch has made of Canada, and although the Queen visited Canada many times after, she never did so on this scale again.

Buckingham Palace instructed the visit to be referred to as a “royal tour” to emphasize the importance, and to position the Queen as comfortable in her role as Queen of Canada.

Although the Queen was greeted with crowds wherever she went, travelled more than 24,000 kilometres on this trip, shook nearly 5,000 hands and attended sixty-one formal functions, according to the book “Canada and the End of Empire,” the tour was not without controversy. Indigenous people were present at many events on her tour, often meeting with the Queen to perform dances or demonstrate cultural knowledge — but any issues such as treaties or land rights were not permitted to be brought up.

In the years to come, the Queen would make around 20 more official visits to Canada. Including brief stopovers, the Queen has been in Canada more than 30 times.

Most trips have involved ceremonial duties, tours of the country or charity work, but she has also come to Canada to act in an official capacity, such as when she opened Parliament in 1957, and when she delivered a Speech from the Throne again in 1977.

The speech to outline the federal government’s plans for the coming session of Parliament is usually read by the Governor General as the Queen’s representative. The Queen’s second time reading the speech herself in 1977 was part of her Silver Jubilee tour, the 25th anniversary of her ascending to the throne of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

Another notable visit was when the Queen came to Canada in 1982 to sign the landmark Proclamation of the Constitution Act, the passing of which gave Canada full independence.

During her visits, the Queen often honoured Canada through her wardrobe. In 1957, on her first trip to Canada post-coronation, she wore a striking cream gown covered in sparkling green maple leaves to the state banquet at Rideau Hall, dubbed the “Maple Leaf of Canada Dress.”

During her tour of Canada in 1959, she wore a blue and pink evening gown designed by Sir Hardy Amies to a dinner at the Government House in Nova Scotia, which was embroidered with blooms representing mayflowers, the provincial flower of Nova Scotia.

In her later years, she was frequently seen wearing an iconic diamond brooch in the shape of a maple leaf, called the “Canadian Maple Leaf Royal Brooch.” It had been a favourite of her mother, and after it was passed down to the Queen, she wore it to Canada numerous times, as well as loaning it to family members such as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, when they visited Canada.

Over the years, the Queen developed strong relationships with Canada’s prime ministers, having met with many of them in person.

The Queen appointed Jean Chretien, Canada’s 20th Prime Minister to the Order of Merit in 2009, a distinction that is restricted to only 24 living people within the Commonwealth. It is given to “persons who have rendered exceptionally meritorious service to the Crown, in armed services or towards the advancement of arts, literature and science.”

Two other Canadian Prime Ministers had received the award before: William Lyon Mackenzie King in 1947, before the Queen took the throne, and Lester B. Pearson in 1971.

The very last time the Queen visited Canada was in 2010, for a nine day visit through five different cities, a trip that saw her celebrating Canada Day in Ottawa on Parliament Hill. Continuing her tradition of honouring Canada through her garments, she even had a favourite dress adjusted to add Canadian maple leaves in Swarovski crystals down the right shoulder and sleeve to wear to a state dinner at the Royal York Hotel.

“My pride in this country remains undimmed.” the Queen said the first day of the trip, speaking to a crowd in Halifax.

The Queen never publicly declared which city or region of Canada was her favourite to visit, but outside of her numerous trips to Ottawa, she visited Victoria, B.C., five times, and visited Winnipeg, Vancouver, Regina and Toronto four times as well, not counting her 1959 tour of the entire country or brief stopovers.

Despite a lack of consensus in Canada over whether we should maintain our ties to the monarchy, a debate that has simmered for decades, the Queen’s visits always brought out numerous Canadians eager to catch a glimpse of the monarch.

And her regard for Canada was evident across her reign, from start to end.

“Throughout the years, particularly since your Centennial year, I have watched Canada develop into a remarkable nation,” the Queen said in 2017, on the 150th anniversary of Confederation. “You have earned a reputation as a welcoming, respectful and compassionate country.

"On this eve of national celebrations, my family and I are with you in spirit.”

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Queen Elizabeth's Royal Visits to Canada

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Queen Elizabeth, Canada's head of state , always draws crowds when she visits Canada. Since her accession to the Throne in 1952, Queen Elizabeth has made 22 official Royal visits to Canada, usually accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh , and sometimes by her children Prince Charles , Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. Queen Elizabeth has visited every province and territory in Canada.

2010 Royal Visit

Date: June 28 to July 6, 2010 Accompanied by Prince Philip The 2010 Royal Visit included celebrations in Halifax, Nova Scotia to mark the centennial of the founding of the Royal Canadian Navy, Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and a dedication of the cornerstone for the Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

2005 Royal Visit

Date: May 17 to 25, 2005 Accompanied by Prince Philip Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attended events in Saskatchewan and Alberta to celebrate the centennial of the entry of Saskatchewan and Alberta into Confederation.

2002 Royal Visit

Date: October 4 to 15, 2002 Accompanied by Prince Philip The 2002 Royal Visit to Canada was in celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The Royal couple visited Iqaluit, Nunavut; Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Toronto, Oakville, Hamilton and Ottawa, Ontario; Fredericton, Sussex, and Moncton, New Brunswick.

1997 Royal Visit

Date: June 23 to July 2, 1997 Accompanied by Prince Philip The 1997 Royal Visit marked the 500th anniversary of John Cabot's arrival in what is now Canada. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited St. John's and Bonavista, Newfoundland; NorthWest River, Shetshatshiu, Happy Valley and Goose Bay, Labrador, They also visited London, Ontario and viewed the floods in Manitoba.

1994 Royal Visit

Date: August 13 to 22, 1994 Accompanied by Prince Philip Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip toured Halifax, Sydney, the Fortress of Louisbourg, and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; attended the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia; and visited Yellowknife , Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit (then part of the Northwest Territories).

1992 Royal Visit

Date: June 30 to July 2, 1992 Queen Elizabeth visited Ottawa, Canada's capital, marking the 125th anniversary of Canadian Confederation and the 40th anniversary of her accession to the Throne.

1990 Royal Visit

Date: June 27 to July 1, 1990 Queen Elizabeth visited Calgary and Red Deer, Alberta, and then joined the celebrations for Canada Day in Ottawa, Canada's capital.

1987 Royal Visit

Date: October 9 to 24, 1987 Accompanied by Prince Philip On the 1987 Royal Visit, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip toured Vancouver, Victoria and Esquimalt, British Columbia; Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton, Canora, Veregin, Kamsack and Kindersley, Saskatchewan; and Sillery, Cap Tourmente, Rivière-du-Loup and La Pocatière, Quebec.

1984 Royal Visit

Date: September 24 to October 7, 1984 Accompanied by Prince Philip for all parts of the visit except Manitoba Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip toured New Brunswick and Ontario to participate in events marking the bicentennials of those two provinces. Queen Elizabeth also visited Manitoba.

1983 Royal Visit

Date: March 8 to 11, 1983 Accompanied by Prince Philip At the end of a tour of the U.S. West Coast, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited Victoria, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Vernon, Kamloops and New Westminster, British Columbia.

1982 Royal Visit

Date: April 15 to 19, 1982 Accompanied by Prince Philip This Royal Visit was to Ottawa, Canada's capital, for the Proclamation of the Constitution Act, 1982.

1978 Royal Visit

Date: July 26 to August 6, 1978 Accompanied by Prince Philip, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward Toured Newfoundland, Saskatchewan and Alberta, attending the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta.

1977 Royal Visit

Date: October 14 to 19, 1977 Accompanied by Prince Philip This Royal Visit was to Ottawa, Canada's capital, in celebration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee Year.

1976 Royal Visit

Date: June 28 to July 6, 1976 Accompanied by Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward The Royal family visited Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and then Montreal, Quebec for the 1976 Olympics. Princess Anne was a member of the British equestrian team competing in the Olympics in Montreal.

1973 Royal Visit (2)

Date: July 31 to August 4, 1973 Accompanied by Prince Philip Queen Elizabeth was in Ottawa, Canada's capital, for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Prince Philip had his own program of events.

1973 Royal Visit (1)

Date: June 25 to July 5, 1973 Accompanied by Prince Philip Queen Elizabeth's first visit to Canada in 1973 included an extended tour of Ontario, including events to mark the 300th anniversary of Kingston. The Royal couple spent time in Prince Edward Island marking the centennial of PEI's entry into Canadian Confederation, and they went on to Regina, Saskatchewan, and Calgary, Alberta to participate in events marking the RCMP centennial.

1971 Royal Visit

Date: May 3 to May 12, 1971 Accompanied by Princess Anne Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne marked the centennial of British Columbia's entry into Canadian Confederation by visiting Victoria, Vancouver, Tofino, Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, William Lake and Comox, B.C.

1970 Royal Visit

Date: July 5 to 15, 1970 Accompanied by Prince Charles and Princess Anne The 1970 Royal Visit to Canada included a tour of Manitoba to celebrate the centennial of Manitoba's entry into Canadian Confederation. The Royal Family also visited the Northwest Territories to mark its centennial.

1967 Royal Visit

Date: June 29 to July 5, 1967 Accompanied by Prince Philip Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were in Ottawa, Canada's capital, to celebrate Canada's centennial. They also went to Montreal, Quebec to attend Expo '67.

1964 Royal Visit

Date: October 5 to 13, 1964 Accompanied by Prince Philip Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip Visited Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Quebec City, Quebec and Ottawa, Ontario to attend the commemoration of the three major conferences that led up to Canadian Confederation in 1867.

1959 Royal Visit

Date: June 18 to August 1, 1959 Accompanied by Prince Philip This was Queen Elizabeth's first major tour of Canada. She officially opened the St. Lawrence Seaway and visited all Canadian provinces and territories over the span of six weeks.

1957 Royal Visit

Date: October 12 to 16, 1957 Accompanied by Prince Philip On her first official visit to Canada as Queen, Queen Elizabeth spent four days in Ottawa, Canada's capital, and officially opened the first session of the 23rd Parliament of Canada.

• Who's Who in the Royal Family
• How Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip Are Related
• Germanic Trivia: The Houses of Windsor and Hanover
• Provinces of Canada
• What Was Canadian Confederation?
• Canadian Provinces and Territories
• 1952: Princess Elizabeth Becomes Queen at 25
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• Biography of Diana, Princess of Wales
• Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee
• Facts About Canada's Geography, History, and Politics
• Capital Cities of Canada
• Balsam Fir, Common Tree in North America
• The Relationship Between Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria
• The Longest Reigning British Monarch
• Biography of Queen Elizabeth I, Virgin Queen of England

Here are the all the times Queen Elizabeth II has visited Ottawa

Queen Elizabeth II has visited Canada 22 times in the 70 years she has been on the throne, usually accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Twelve of those visits included a stop in Ottawa.

Her last visit to Ottawa was for Canada Day in 2010 with The Duke of Edinburgh, when they attended the Canada Day noon show on Parliament Hill.

Here are all the times the Queen has made an official visit to Ottawa (she also made stopovers to refuel in 1970 and 1974—these do not count as official visits). She also visited in 1951, when she was still Princess Elizabeth.

October 1957

Queen Elizabeth’s first visit to Canada as monarch is to Ottawa and Hull in October 1957. She opens the first session of Canada’s 23 rd Parliament, and she and Prince Philip are welcomed by 15,000 schoolchildren at Lansdowne Park.

Summer 1959

The Queen and Prince Philip conduct a 45-day tour of Canada from June 18 to Aug. 1, stopping in all provinces and both territories. They are in Ottawa for Dominion Day and also open the St. Lawrence Seaway during their visit.

October 1964

The Queen and Prince Philip visit Charlottetown, Quebec City and Ottawa for an eight-day tour. Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson invites them to mark the centennial of the 1864 pre-Confederation conferences in Charlottetown in Quebec City, which helped lead to Canada’s founding.

Protesters demonstrating in support of Quebec sovereignty greet them in Quebec City. But things are more low-key in Ottawa, where they spent Thanksgiving.

June-July 1967

The Queen and Prince Philip attend celebrations of Canada’s centennial in Ottawa, then visit Expo ’67 in Montreal.

June-July 1973

The Queen and Prince Philip visit Ottawa for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting. He has a program of his own while she receives heads of government in audience at Rideau Hall.

October 1977

The Queen and Prince Philip visit Ottawa to mark the Silver Jubilee. She opens the third session of Canada’s 30 th Parliament by delivering the Speech from the Throne.

The Queen visits Ottawa for the proclamation of the Canadian Constitution.

September-October 1984

The Queen and Prince Philip visit to mark the bicentennial of New Brunswick and Ontario. The Ontario portion includes stops in Ottawa, Morrisburg, Cornwall, Prescott, Kingston and Amherstview.

June-July 1990

The Queen visits Ottawa alone for Canada Day celebrations, after stops in Calgary and Red Deer, Alta.

June-July 1992

The Queen visits Ottawa alone for the 125 th anniversary of Confederation and the 40 th anniversary of the accession, and also visits Hull for a reception hosted by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

June-July 1997

The Queen’s royal visit marks the 500 th anniversary of John Cabot’s arrival in what is now Canada. It concludes with a stop in Ottawa to celebrate Canada’s 130 th birthday on Canada Day.

June-July 2010

The Queen and Prince Philip visit Ottawa for three days, including Canada Day. It is her seventh time in Canada for the big national celebration. The tour also included visits to Halifax, Winnipeg, Toronto and Waterloo.

During her visit to the capital, she unveils a plaque dedicating the Queen’s Lantern a the Canadian Museum of Nature, and also unveils a life-size statue of jazz great Oscar Peterson outside the National Arts Centre.

And she praised Canada in front of 100,000 people on Parliament Hill during Canada Day festivities.

“This nation has dedicated itself to being a caring home for its own, a sanctuary for others and an example to the world,” she said.

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From royal tours to charitable work: What Queen Elizabeth did for Canada

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The death of Queen Elizabeth II marks an end to the world’s longest reign by a monarch, dating back to 1952.

As the head of the Commonwealth , Elizabeth was not just the queen of the United Kingdom but her monarchy also extended to 15 other Commonwealth nations, including Canada. And her relationship with Canada will be remembered as “very close and positive,” historians say.

“Canada is the country outside the United Kingdom that the queen has spent the most time in,” said Carolyn Harris, historian and author of Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting .

“Even after the queen cut back on her overseas travel, she … continued to take a very strong interest in Canada and the Canadian people.”

As tributes and condolences pour in from across the world, we take a trip down memory lane of the monarch’s long relationship with Canada.

Royal tours

Over a span of 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II made 22 official trips to Canada. She also made many private visits and stopovers.

Harris said the queen was present for some “very significant moments” in Canadian history.

Her first trip to the country was, in fact, as Princess Elizabeth in 1951 with her husband, Prince Philip , the Duke of Edinburgh, when Louis St. Laurent was prime minister.

Her first official tour as queen was in 1957 when she visited Ottawa and Hull.

During her visits, Elizabeth attended several important ceremonial events in Canada’s history.

These include the opening of the first session of the 23rd Parliament in 1957, the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, Canada’s Centennial Anniversary in 1967, the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal, the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton and the Proclamation of the Constitution Act in 1982.

The queen also participated in the centenary anniversaries of several provinces into Confederation.

Her last official trip to Canada was in 2010, when she toured Halifax, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Toronto.

The queen’s many visits to the country drew large, enthusiastic crowds.

Sarika Bose, royal expert and lecturer of Victorian literature at the University of British Columbia, said she has gone to see the queen a few times herself, including during Expo 86 in Vancouver and her walkabout at the UBC campus in 2002.

“The students were literally jumping up and down with excitement when they saw her coming.”

In 2010, Elizabeth celebrated Canada Day on Parliament Hill before a crowd of 100,000 people.

However, when she visited Quebec in 1964, the queen faced French-Canadian protesters who objected to the royal tour.

Harris said the queen’s tours in the 1980s and 1990s were sometimes overshadowed by royal visits by younger members of her family, like Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

Over time, the structure and duration of the royal tours changed from longer to shorter, more targeted ones, focusing on a particular theme or region of the country, Harris said.

“When we reached the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, we see it’s the Canadian government having its own goals for these royal tours and wanting the queen to very much be front and centre as queen of Canada and to showcase Canadian initiatives,” she added.

Some Canadian tours that were attached to her American tours were also significant in terms of showcasing relations between Canada and the United States, Harris said.

Throughout her reign, Elizabeth saw 12 Canadian prime ministers rise and fall.

Through all of them, she upheld her role and remained “strictly neutral,” as the traditions of constitutional monarchy require.

The queen met most of the prime ministers on more than one occasion, either at Buckingham Palace, at various summits or during official visits to Canada.

She enjoyed a warm, personal rapport with several Canadian prime ministers.

During the 1959 Canadian royal tour, then-prime minister John Diefenbaker was one of the first people to know that the queen was expecting her third child, Harris said.

“Probably one of the most unusual meetings have been with the Trudeaus,” Bose said.

“There’s a famous picture of Pierre Trudeau doing a little dance behind the queen, and on that occasion, Justin Trudeau was introduced to her.”

During a visit to the Buckingham Palace in May 1977, Pierre Trudeau was walking behind the queen en route to dinner when he executed a pirouette, apparently an expression of disdain for the pomp and circumstance of the monarchy.

Justin Trudeau met with Elizabeth after his own election in November 2015 and they had a light moment of remembering that first meeting as a kid.

“I will say, you were much taller than me the last time we met,” Trudeau joked.

“Well, this is extraordinary to think of, isn’t it,” the Queen Elizabeth answered with a laugh.

In 2010, then-prime minister Stephen Harper gave a hockey-themed speech in honour of the queen at Toronto’s Royal York Hotel, pronouncing the queen Canada’s most valuable player.

But as Canada’s monarch, Elizabeth, like all other queens before her, did not have any political influence, Bose said.

The queen’s role is to formally appoint the governor-general of Canada, who serves as her representative. At the provincial level, she is represented by the lieutenant governors.

Elizabeth appointed 13 different governors general, with the last appointment of Mary May Simon in July 2021.

Charities and foundations

Elizabeth was patron to several Canadian charities and foundations , some of which she inherited from previous monarchs.

She served as the patron of the Royal Canadian Air Force Association, Royal Canadian Naval Association, Navy League, Royal Canadian Air Force Benevolent Fund and the Royal Canadian Naval Benevolent Fund.

Among many medical organizations, Elizabeth was the patron of the Canadian Red Cross Society, Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Medical Association, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Canadian Nurses Association and Save the Children Canada.

The Royal British Columbia Museum and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, among other arts and cultural organizations, came under her patronage as well.

Having a patronage gives legitimacy to an organization, raising awareness and publicity towards it, said Bose.

That allowed Elizabeth to reach organizations that are practically helping Canadians in many walks of life, she said.

Polling suggests that Elizabeth had a largely positive relationship with Canada, lacking any formal threats to the monarchy’s role.

An Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News in March 2021 showed nearly eight in 10 believed the queen has done a good job in her role.

In that polling, however, 66 per cent of Canadians said the royals should have no formal role in Canada, with six in 10 saying the relationship between the monarchy and Canada should end when Elizabeth dies – highlighting a stark lack of support for Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

Even though Elizabeth was widely admired and popular among Canadians, she also faced opposition.

In 1959, CBC journalist Joyce Davidson drew controversy commenting on NBC’s Today show, “Like most Canadians, I am indifferent to the visit of the queen.”

This angered then-Toronto mayor Nathan Phillips, who demanded an apology, saying Davidson “doesn’t represent Canadians or the people of Toronto.”

During her visit to Quebec in 1964, Queen Elizabeth faced riots from separatists, angered at the reminder of British colonialism, in the French majority province.

However, over the course of her lifetime, there was a “fairly steady approval” of her personally because of her strong work ethic and lack of personal scandals, said Bose.

–with files from Global News’ Amanda Connolly 

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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1959 Royal Tour of Canada

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The Queen visited Canada more than any other country during her long reign

It wouldn't be a stretch to suggest the Queen held a special place in her heart for Canada.

As an ardent world traveller, she visited this country more than any other during her reign, and she was in the habit of referring to it as home.

If you include overnight visits and aircraft refuelling stops, the Queen visited Canada no less than 31 times since her coronation in June 1952, according to the Canadian Heritage Department.

In second place is Australia with 18 visits, including stopovers, according to the The Royal Family's official website.

"I think she really developed a warm affection for us," says Barry MacKenzie, a spokesman for the Monarchist League of Canada. "She's done a marvellous job of taking advantage of all of those opportunities to meet Canadians and to develop a taste for life here."

Here are some highlighfts from her visits:

1. Fall 1951

Royal watchers say the Queen's close relationship with Canada started even before she acceded to the throne.

On Oct. 8, 1951, Princess Elizabeth arrived at Montréal–Dorval International Airport, where she was met by 15,000 people on the tarmac.

Over the next 33 days, the princess and her husband, Prince Philip, travelled across the country and back again, visiting a total of 60 communities and every province.

She took in hockey games in Montreal and Toronto, made a side trip to Washington, D.C., to visit U.S. President Harry Truman, and square danced at Rideau Hall.

The quiet, 25-year-old princess and the gregarious prince were met by large crowds wherever they went, with some reports suggesting that one million people turned out to see them in Toronto and even more showed up in Montreal.

"It was an incredible feat of stamina," says MacKenzie, a history instructor at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S.

"People recognized that this young woman was next in line .... And she also had the added bonus of having a husband who was a war hero. They were young. They were beautiful."

At the end of the tour, in a farewell radio message broadcast from St. John's, N.L., Princess Elizabeth referred to Canada as her "second home."

"Wherever we have been throughout the 10 provinces ... we have been welcomed with a warmth of heart that has made us feel how truly we belong to Canada."

2. Fall 1957

The Queen's first official visit to Canada was a high-profile, four-day tour that included her first ever televised speech, broadcast live from Rideau Hall on Oct. 13, 1957.

The next day, she officially opened a new session of Parliament by reading the speech from the throne in the Senate chamber, with Prince Philip at her side.

It was the first time a reigning monarch opened the Canadian Parliament. The speech was also carried live on television.

3. Summer 1959

The longest royal tour in Canadian history was a gruelling, 45-day marathon that started on June 18, 1959 in eastern Newfoundland.

The highlight of the visit was the official opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway on June 26, when the Queen was joined by U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia at the lift-lock near St. Lambert, Ont.

Five days later, on Canada Day, the Queen delivered a televised address from a sunny veranda at Rideau Hall.

"If I have helped you feel proud of being Canadian, I shall feel well satisfied, because I believe with all conviction that this country can look to a glorious future," she said.

The Queen and Philip travelled to every province and both territories, logging 24,000 kilometres.

"This is the first time since she became Queen that everyone in Canada had the opportunity to see her," says MacKenzie. "And it's the last time that we see one of these huge undertakings."

The official itinerary included a trip to the Calgary Stampede, where Philip donned a cowboy hat, and numerous stops along the Great Lakes, including a trip to the World's Fair in Chicago.

On the last leg of their tour, the young couple made an unscheduled stop in eastern New Brunswick to meet the families of fishermen who died on the night of June 20-21 when a hurricane roared over the Northumberland Strait. The brutal storm capsized more than two dozen fishing boats, killing 35 men and boys — most of them from the village of Escuminac.

At Pointe-du-Chêne, N.B., the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh met with 16 grieving widows and their families on July 29.

Among them was a "tiny grey-haired woman in black, surrounded by 12 of her 18 surviving children," The Canadian Press reported at the time.

"(She) sat on a Northumberland Strait wharf .... and blinked back the tears as she received a sympathetic smile and kind word from Queen Elizabeth."

4. Summer 1967

The Queen and Prince Philip spent six days in Ottawa and Montreal to celebrate Canada's centennial.

Under bright sunshine on Parliament Hill, 50,000 people watched as the Queen cut into a gigantic birthday cake decorated with the coat of arms of each province and territory.

And in Montreal, the Queen rode the automated monorail that was part of the Expo 67 international exhibition.

That brief visit was marked by tight security as organizers wanted to avoid what happened in 1964 when the Queen's visit to Quebec City was marred by waves of police using truncheons to round up separatist protesters who were shouting slogans and singing irreverent songs.

5. Spring 1982

A four-day tour of Ottawa culminated in a ceremony on a sleet-soaked Parliament Hill, where the Queen joined Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to sign the proclamation of the Constitution Act

The act gives the Canadian Parliament the right to amend the constitution without the approval of the British Parliament.

The Act's passage, marked by royal assent from the Queen on April 17, 1982, signalled the last stage of Canada's political evolution from colony to fully independent state.

But it did not signal the end of the monarchy in Canada. Far from it. The Queen remained Canada's head of state and she retained her title as Queen of Canada.

"She wasn't signing a document and giving us our freedom," says MacKenzie. "This was the Queen of Canada signing an act that had been passed in her name in the Canadian Parliament .... It was not a declaration of independence."

6. Summer 2010

On the Queen's final visit to Canada, she told a crowd in Halifax exactly how she felt about this vast part of her realm.

"It is very good to be home," she said on June 28 as she started a nine-day tour that would also take her to Ottawa, Winnipeg, Waterloo, Ont., and Toronto.

"My mother once said that this country felt like a home away from home for the Queen of Canada .... I am pleased to report that it still does."

In Ottawa, she celebrated Canada Day with a crowd of 70,000 on Parliament Hill, where she took a more wistful tone in her speech.

"During my lifetime, I have been witness to this country for more than half its history since Confederation," she said. "I have watched with enormous admiration how Canada has grown and matured while remaining true to its history, its distinctive character and its values."

In her book, "A Royal Couple in Canada," author Allison Lawlor says that on each of the Queen's many visits to Canada, she "succeeded in gracefully lifting Canadians out of their everyday lives for a few moments."

"Not only has she witnessed the growth of Canada, but generations of Canadians have watched the progression in her life as she moved from being their beautiful princess on her first visit in 1951, to a young mother raising four children, to a dignified Queen, and ... as an elder, worldly stateswoman."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2022. 

Queen Elizabeth II reads the Throne Speech in the Senate Chambers Oct. 18, 1977, officially opening the session of Parliament. Prime Minister Trudeau sits to the right of the Queen. (CP PHOTO)

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Here are all the times Queen Elizabeth II visited southwestern Ontario

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died Thursday at the age of 96 after 70 years on the throne.

The Queen visited Canada numerous times over her seven-decade reign, often accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

During her trips to southwestern Ontario, she stopped by everything from historical sites to centres for the arts.

Here’s a timeline:

The Queen’s first visit to southwestern Ontario took place in 1951. At the time, she was a princess standing in for her father who was ill.

During a coast-to-coast tour of Canada, Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh visited a Ford plant in Windsor. Newspaper coverage of the visit details how the couple’s children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, were gifted remote control cars emblazoned with the crest of the City of Windsor.

She also made a stop at Niagara Falls.

The Queen’s first official visit to southwestern Ontario took place in 1959 when visited a number of cities in the area during a 45-day tour of Canada. Stops included Waterloo, Guelph, Stratford, London, Windsor and Sarnia.

The Queen visited Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, London, St. Catherines and Niagara-on-the-Lake during in the summer of 1973 as part of an extended tour of Ontario.

While in Cambridge, she presented Mayor Claudette Millar with a pin at Riverside Park.

An estimated 4,000 cheering people greeted the Queen when she visited Brantford in September 1984.

Standing next to Six Nations Chief Wellington Staats, the queen unveiled a plaque at Mohawk Chapel, recognizing it as a national historic site.

The monarch also visited Windsor during her 1984 visit.

In 1997, the Queen arrived in Stratford via helicopter where she watched actors perform a scene from ‘The Taming of the Shrew.’

The Queen then headed to Bell Homestead in Brantford, where she greeted crowds and visited the study where it’s believed Alexander Graham Bell dreamed up the idea of the telephone.

In July 2010, the Queen toured what was then known as Research in Motion – now BlackBerry – in Waterloo.

Waterloo Mayor Dave Jaworsky worked for the company at the time.

“The plan was to have the Queen come through the manufacturing lab of Research in Motion and my job was to make sure they got the right smocks. There was one labelled Her Majesty, one labelled His Majesty,” Jaworksy said. “She came in and her team put on the gown and that was my few moments with the Queen.”

She helped test a new BlackBerry and left with her own device.

“She was very interested in what she was going to do and would always do the slight nod,” Jaworksy said.

While her visit to Waterloo that day was brief – less than an hour and a half – Jaworksy remembers how she took the time to speak to those who were there.

“She was just a wonderful person. Well-dressed and well-spoken and [had] time for everyone,” he said.

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A timeline of every B.C. visit made by the Queen (photos)

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Over her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II paid numerous visits to Canada and its westernmost province British Columbia.

But it was a young princess that Elizabeth — then Duchess of Edinburgh — embarked on her first coast-to-coast tour of the country.

On Oct. 8, 1951, Elizabeth’s train pulled into Vancouver with Prince Philip. The couple would later visit Victoria and Nanaimo, before enjoying a private retreat in Qualicum Beach. 

She departed on Nov. 12, only three months before she acceded the throne upon the death of her father George VI.

As news echoed across the world of Queen Elizabeth II’s death Thursday, we look back at her seven visits to this corner of the Commonwealth.

Princess Elizabeth signs the visitors book in the Mayor's office. Vancouver Archives

1959 - June 18 to Aug. 1

Queen Elizabeth II visits the University of British Columbia in her first trip to Canada as monarch. Vancouver Archives

In her first visit to Canada as queen, Elizabeth II toured the entire country with Prince Philip aboard the royal train. In B.C., the royal couple made a number of stops, including Golden, Revelstoke, Kamloops and Spences Bridge. They would also visit New Westminster, Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo.

1971 - May 3 to 12 

The Queen and Prince Phillip wave farewell to the crowd from the deck of HMS Britannia in 1971.

Along with The Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Ann, Queen Elizabeth II visited B.C. on the Royal Yacht Britannia. The visit would mark the centenary of B.C.’s entry into Confederation. Stops included Greater Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Comox, Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, Prince Rupert and Williams Lake.

1983 - March 8 to March 11

Queen Elizabeth II visits Parliament Hill in Ottawa on a tour that would eventually land her in B.C. Canadian Heritage/Flickr

In another visit aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, first pulled into Victoria. The royal couple also visited Vancouver, Nanaimo, Vernon and New Westminster during their West Coast tour.

1987 - Oct. 9 to 24 

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip outside Science World in 1987. Science World

The royal couple returned to Qualicum Beach for a private retreat before spending time in Vancouver and Greater Victoria, where they attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. During this visit, Queen Elizabeth II unveiled B.C.’s new, updated Coat of Arms.

1994 - Aug. 13 to 22

Queen Elizabeth II greeting people while on a visit to Prince George. City of Prince George

On this visit, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip opened the Commonwealth Games in Victoria and had a private retreat at Twin Island. The Queen visited CFB Comox and Prince George.

2002 - Oct. 4 to 15 

The Queen acknowledges the crowd during her visit here in 2002. Times Colonist File Photo

In her final visit to British Columbia, Queen Elizabeth II visited Canada as part of The Queen’s Golden Jubilee. They would visit Victoria, where she unveiled a stained-glass window in the B.C. Parliament Buildings. 

In Vancouver, she shook hands with throngs of students at the University of British Columbia and dropped the puck at an NHL exhibition game.

Queen Elizabeth dropped the ceremonial puck at the start of an exhibition hockey game at GM Place, Vancouver. Province of B.C.

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Her Majesty and Canada

On this page, the queen and the people of canada, the queen and indigenous peoples in canada, the queen, governors general, prime ministers and viceregal representatives, the queen and the canadian armed forces, the queen and the royal canadian mounted police, canadian charities and patronages, key moments in our history.

Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited Canada for the first time in 1951, as part of a 5-week cross-country tour. Viewed as the couple that would bring a more youthful approach to the monarchy, they immediately piqued the interest of Canadians.

Their coast-to-coast visit was the start of a long, affectionate relationship between Canadians and Her Majesty, who remarked:

I am sure that nowhere under the sun could one find a land more full of hope, of happiness and of fine, loyal, generous-hearted people. […] They have placed in our hearts a love for their country and its people which will never grow cold and which will always draw us to their shores.

This first visit would be followed by 22 official visits by Queen Elizabeth II, making Canada the country most frequently visited by Her Majesty. As part of a conscious effort to see all provinces and territories, the Queen developed an extensive knowledge of Canada and an appreciation for its diverse peoples. She frequently described Canada as her home. In a visit to Halifax in June 2010, she reflected:

Canadians have, by their own endeavours, built a country and society which is widely admired across the world. I am fortunate to have been a witness to many of the developments and accomplishments of modern Canada. As Queen of Canada for nearly six decades, my pride in this country remains undimmed. Thank you again for your welcome. It is very good to be home.

Many Indigenous Peoples have long honoured their relationship with the Crown, for the stability and continuity it provided and for the Royal Proclamation of 1763 , which recognized and protected their rights. The Crown also signed many treaties that established a relationship based on peace, co-operation and respect between settlers and Indigenous communities. This relationship became more complex over time, but Queen Elizabeth II always maintained a warm, personal relationship with Indigenous Peoples. Several Indigenous groups respected her as a leader and welcomed her into their lives.

For example, Chief Joe Mathias from the Squamish Nation attended Her Majesty's coronation in London as a Canadian dignitary. During her first visit to Canada as Queen in 1959, she visited many Indigenous communities across the country, including a visit to the Salish People, who granted her the title “Mother of All People” as a testimony of their strong relationship.

During each Royal Tour, Her Majesty made it a point to meet with Indigenous leaders and attend Indigenous cultural events, thereby acknowledging the foundational place of Indigenous Peoples in the life, culture and government of Canada.

In 2002, the Queen made her first visit to the new territory of Nunavut. She gave a speech at the legislative assembly and dedicated the building. She ended her speech with a few words in Inuktitut, a noted effort that was then perceived as a sign of respect. Her visit also included the naming of a street in her honour, the Queen Elizabeth II Way.

In 2005, during the Saskatchewan centennial celebrations, Her Majesty travelled to the First Nations University of Canada, where a welcoming ceremony awaited her. This ceremony also honoured First Nations veterans, including the 9,000 First Nations veterans who served in the Second World War. She used this opportunity to present the University with a stone plaque and said:

This stone was taken from the grounds of Balmoral Castle in the Highlands of Scotland — a place dear to my great great grandmother, Queen Victoria. It symbolises the foundation of the rights of First Nations Peoples reflected in treaties signed with the Crown during her reign. Bearing the Royal Cypher of Queen Victoria as well as my own, this stone is presented to the First Nations University of Canada in the hope that it will serve as a reminder of the special relationship between the Sovereign and all First Nations Peoples.

From the time of her accession to the Throne in 1952, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has known many Canadian prime ministers and governors general and all have expressed their appreciation for the Sovereign.

Throughout her reign, Her Majesty has maintained cordial relationships with all prime ministers. Some with longer tenures had the time and opportunity to develop a friendly relationship with the Queen. Some were also awarded prestigious honours including the Order of Merit, which she presented to the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson (1971) and the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien (2009).

Governors general and lieutenant governors, Her Majesty's viceregal representatives in Canada, have witnessed the Sovereign's deep knowledge of history, acumen and sense of duty.

Some notable comments:

Elizabeth II has been steadfast in her commitment to this country and has executed her duties as Queen with a dignity, wisdom and dedication that is a model of service to all Canadians. The Right Honourable Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, from 2006 to 2015)

She’s got a massive breadth of history, a huge insight into the world. The Right Honourable Paul Martin (Prime Minister, from 2003 to 2006)

[…] Canadians have been inspired by your abiding grace and dignity, by the dedication to ideals and duty that have so personified your life, and by your never faltering commitment to others. The Right Honourable Jean Chrétien (Prime Minister, from 1993 to 2003), from an address to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on October 4, 2002, in Iqaluit

Her Majesty proved to be among the wisest persons I was destined to encounter in public life. Considering that she began her reign with Sir Winston Churchill as her prime minister, this should surprise no one. I was able to draw upon this experience when I sought her advice in the years that lay ahead, and I remain grateful to this day for the thoughtful counsel she provided. The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney (Prime Minister, from 1984 to 1993)

You never leave a discussion with her without feeling a little bit wiser yourself about the world […] because she’s seen a lot of history, more history, from a kind of first hand encounter than anybody living at the present time. The Right Honourable David Johnston (Governor General, from 2010 to 2017)

The connection between Her Majesty and Canadians is enduring and deeply rooted. Her genuine affection for our country and our people extends beyond her role as Sovereign. Canadians recognize this heartfelt kinship and have reciprocated with great fondness and admiration. The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean (Governor General, from 2005 to 2010)

She exudes intelligence, intensity, and shrewd appraisal, which are dissimulated behind a flashing and often disarming smile. Spending any length of time with her makes one realize that she is the consummate professional who knows exactly what she is doing. The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson (Governor General, from 1999 to 2005)

Throughout the entire world, no one else has stayed at the head of a democracy as long [as she has]. And, like the Queen, the United Kingdom remains a global symbol of courtesy and rule of law. The late Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc (Governor General, from 1995 to 1999), from an address to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales on April 23, 1996

In 1945, Princess Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women’s branch of the British Army, and became the first female member of the Royal Family to actively serve in the military.

Upon becoming the Sovereign, she developed and maintained a meaningful relationship with the military. In Canada, this translated into a privileged relationship with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as their Commander-in-Chief.

Her Majesty consistently worked to highlight the critical role of the CAF by visiting many ships and military bases across the country, presiding over military ceremonies, including inspection of the troops, presentation of colours, laying wreaths at commemorative sites, attending military commemorative ceremonies and meeting with veterans.

She was remarkably dedicated in her role as the Commander-in-Chief of Canada’s military and as Captain General, Colonel-in-Chief and Air Commodore-in-Chief of many Canadian units and branches:

• The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
• Military Engineering Branch
• The Governor General’s Horse Guards
• The King’s Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)
• Royal 22e Régiment
• Governor General’s Foot Guards
• The Canadian Grenadier Guards
• The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
• Le Régiment de la Chaudière
• The Royal New Brunswick Regiment
• The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment
• 48th Highlanders of Canada
• The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada
• The Calgary Highlanders
• Royal Canadian Air Force (Air Reserve)
• The Canadian Forces Legal Branch

In addition to Her Majesty’s honourary appointments, the CAF highlights the Crown’s prominent position by using the designation Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) as a prefix to the names of all Canadian military ships. Furthermore, numerous Canadian units have been bestowed the “Royal” designation in their names. Some rank insignia of the CAF feature the Royal Crown, a strong symbolic link to the Canadian Crown.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is recognized around the world for its mounted officers and Musical Ride. As the Queen was well known for being a horse enthusiast and a skilled breeder and rider, it is no surprise that over time she developed a unique relationship with the  RCMP .

The Queen first encountered the  RCMP  as an 11-year-old princess, during the coronation of her father, King George VI.

In 1953, for the coronation parade of the new Queen, the  RCMP  sent a contingent of 46 riders and horses to London. That same year, Her Majesty was appointed Honorary Commissioner of the  RCMP . These events gave rise to a relationship that continued to grow throughout her life.

In 1969, Police Service Horse Burmese was offered to the Queen. Forever one of her most beloved horses, Burmese accompanied Her Majesty on 18 Trooping the Colour parades, from 1969 to 1986. In 1981, Her Majesty was riding Burmese on her Birthday Parade when gun shots were fired in the crowd. The horse remained calm and was praised by the Royal Family for its behaviour. Over time, other horses were offered to the Queen.

In 2012, to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee , the Queen was appointed Commissioner in Chief of the  RCMP , an appointment that prompted a special request directly from the Queen for Mounties to replace her Queen’s Life Guard at Buckingham Palace for 24 hours. This was a great honour and prestigious task, one that had been carried out by the British military since the 17th century. This was the first time that the Queen was guarded by a non-British, non-military force.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered as a sovereign committed to duty and service. Her continued dedication and support highlighted charities throughout the Commonwealth. As sponsor for over 600 organizations, including 36 in Canada, she was one of the world's top benefactors.

The Queen supported organizations that reflected her own varied interests, such as education, health, professional institutions, children, science, the environment, arts, community work, military services and animal welfare. Receiving Her Majesty’s patronage provided an organization with increased visibility and recognition.

In addition to the 17 Canadian military units and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the following Canadian organizations benefited from the royal patronage of Queen Elizabeth II:

• Canadian Cancer Society
• Canadian Red Cross Society
• St. John Ambulance Canada
• Navy League of Canada
• Royal Canadian Air Force Benevolent Fund
• Royal Canadian Naval Benevolent Fund
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
• Canadian Medical Association
• Canadian National Exhibition Association
• Royal Canadian Humane Association
• Save the Children Canada
• Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire
• Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
• Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada
• Canadian Nurses Association
• Toronto French School
• St. John’s Ravencourt School
• Royal Canadian Naval Association
• Royal Canadian Air Force Association
• Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering

Over the course of a reign that spanned more than 7 decades, Queen Elizabeth II witnessed and participated in Canada’s growth and development. Her presence at key moments in our history clearly demonstrated her dedication and personal commitment as Queen of Canada.

In 1957, Her Majesty became the first Canadian monarch to open Parliament and deliver a Speech from the Throne. She attended the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 as well as the 100th anniversary of the meeting of the Fathers of Confederation in Charlottetown in 1964 and the Canadian Centennial celebrations in Ottawa in 1967. Her Majesty also participated in the patriation ceremony of the Constitution and proclaimed Canada’s new  Constitution Act , which included the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom , in 1982.

Many other visits only deepened the affection of Her Majesty for the people of Canada. These visits included the following:

• Expo 67 in Montréal
• The celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of the admission into Confederation of Manitoba and the Northwest Territories in 1970, British Columbia in 1971, and Prince Edward Island in 1973
• The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Ottawa in 1973
• The opening of the XXI Summer Olympic Games in Montréal in 1976
• The New Brunswick and Ontario bicentennial celebrations in 1984
• The 125th Anniversary of Confederation in 1992
• The Commonwealth Games in Victoria in 1994
• The celebrations in 1997 to mark the 500th anniversary of John Cabot’s arrival in Newfoundland
• The visit to Nunavut in 2002, only a few years after its creation
• The drop of the puck at an  NHL  hockey game in Vancouver in 2002
• The centennial celebrations in Saskatchewan and Alberta in 2005
• The Royal Canadian Navy Centenary in Halifax in 2010

The Queen was active in Canadian affairs, from conferring honours to sending congratulatory letters and messages to thousands of Canadians over the course of her reign. Some of the other more notable moments include:

• Appointing the first French Canadian governor general, Major-General Georges Vanier in 1959
• Proclaiming the National Flag of Canada in 1965
• Establishing the Order of Canada and broader Canadian honours system in 1967
• Creating the Canadian Heraldic Authority in 1988
• Rededicating the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in 2007

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Remembering Queen Elizabeth: Looking back on her 5 visits to Nova Scotia

Tens of thousands of nova scotians flocked to greet the young princess during her first visit in 1951, social sharing.

Queen Elizabeth, Canada's head of state and the longest-reigning British monarch, died Thursday at the age of 96.

The Queen's death was announced around 2:30 p.m. Atlantic time. She had been the country's Queen for nearly half of Canada's existence and made 22 official visits, including five to Nova Scotia.

Her very first visit to Canada came in 1951 at the age of 24, a year before she would become Queen. She toured Nova Scotia with her husband Prince Philip on behalf of her father, King George VI, who was in poor health.

This CBC News report captured the crowds that welcomed her when she arrived in Sydney, N.S., by ship:

When the 'grand lassie and her good-lookin' husband' visited Cape Breton

In this photo below, the then-Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip arrive by train in Halifax on Nov. 7, 1951. More than 50,000 well-wishers turned out to greet them, according to the archives. (Photo: Nova Scotia Archives)

Her next visit came in 1959. Below, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth are pictured after their review of the Royal Canadian Navy. (Photo: Nova Scotia Archives)

In 1976, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth returned to Nova Scotia. Below, they wave goodbye at Shearwater. (Photo: Nova Scotia Archives)

In 1994, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip toured the Fortress of Louisbourg. (Photo: Nova Scotia Archives)

Her final visit was in 2010, when she kicked off a nine-day Canadian tour in Halifax. She received a round of applause as she addressed a rain-soaked crowd near the Halifax Citadel.

"I'm delighted to be back amongst you all," the 84-year-old Queen said. "My pride in this country remains undimmed. Thanks very much for your welcome. It is good to be home."

Do you have memories of Queen Elizabeth in Nova Scotia? Or a connection to the Queen you would like to share? Contact us at [email protected]

When Queen Elizabeth II last visited Halifax in 2010

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About That Rumor The Queen Abducted Indigenous Children in Kamloops, Canada

A discovery of the unmarked graves at kamloops indian residential school brought up a years-old rumor., bethania palma, published june 8, 2021.

Since at least 2013, readers have been asking Snopes about a rumor that to some may have sounded outlandish. Did Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, visit Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, Canada, in 1964 and abduct 10 indigenous children?

The rumor came into focus again in late May 2021 with a horrific discovery made by the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation. Working with a ground penetrating radar specialist, Chief Rosanne Casimir announced the discovery of unmarked burials of 215 children on school grounds.

"We had a knowing in our community that we were able to verify. To our knowledge, these missing children are undocumented deaths," Casimir said in a statement about the discovery.

Kamloops was the largest school in the Canadian government's residential school system for indigenous children. The schools were run by churches and operated between the late 1800s and the 1990s. They were meant to eradicate indigenous cultures in what Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission called cultural genocide . Extreme abuse and neglect of children at the schools was the norm , not the exception.

The Commission previously reported that at least 4,100 children died at 130 such schools across the country, with disease and maltreatment being the most prevalent causes. The number of deaths, however, is likely far higher than that count. Many times, families of the children were not informed of their deaths and the bodies were never returned.

We will explore the rumor, including what we know and don't know.

Where Did the Rumor About the Queen Come From?

In February 2010, a man named William Arnold Combes made a statement about an incident he recalled while a student at Kamloops. Combes identified himself as a spirit dancer and member of the Interior Salish, an indigenous community spanning the U.S. Pacific Northwest and southwest Canada.

Combes' statement is extremely traumatic. He states that while a child resident at Kamloops, he witnessed a Catholic priest who worked at the school kill two children, one thrown off a balcony and the other he saw being buried with the help of a second priest. He also states he was tortured by the clergy running the school, having his bones broken for trying to flee.

Here's what Combes said about the Queen and Prince Philip:

In September 1964 when I was 12 years old, I was an inmate at the Kamloops school and we were visited by the Queen of England and Prince Phillip. I remember it was strange because they came by themselves, no big fanfare or nothing. But I recognized them and the school principal told us it was the Queen and we all got given new clothes and good food for the first time in months the day before she arrived. The day she got to the school, I was part of a group of kids that went on a picnic with the Queen and her husband and school officials, down to a meadow near Dead Man's Creek. After awhile, I saw the Queen leave that picnic with ten children from the school, and those children never returned. We never heard anything more about them and never saw them again even when we were older. They were all from around there but they all vanished. The group that disappeared was seven boys and three girls, in age from six to fourteen years old. I don't remember their names, just an occasional first name like Cecilia and there was an Edward. What happened was also witnessed by my friend George Adolph, who was 11 years old at the time and a student there too. But he's dead now.

At the time, Combes' story was promoted by Kevin D. Annett, a controversial figure and former Christian pastor who was removed from his ministry in 1997 for spreading unfounded claims and conspiracy theories that included issuing "convictions" and "warrants," even though he had no legal authority to do so. Combes passed away in 2011.

Did the Queen Visit the Kamloops School?

We found no evidence Elizabeth II ever visited the school, let alone in the manner stated by Combes. The Queen visited the city of Kamloops twice — once in 1959 and once after the school's 1977 closure , in 1983. But we found no evidence that the royals took Kamloops school children on a picnic from which 10 of the children were abducted.

If Combes was a student at the Kamloops school, he doubtlessly underwent extreme trauma and stress as a child under those circumstances. We reached out to Casimir to inquire about whether she had any knowledge or context about Combes and his statement and will update this story if we receive a response.

Without further information, however, it's difficult to say what Combes experienced. Aside from Casimir, we reached out to the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Sonny McHalsie, a researcher for the Sto:lo First Nations who is investigating the deaths at the schools. We will update this story if we are able to get further information.

What Were the Indian Residential Schools Like?

Children were forcibly removed from their families to be taken to these schools, where illness, psychological, and physical abuse were rampant , and where death was an ever-present threat.

The existence of the children's graves at the school site, of course, speaks volumes about the conditions of the institution. Accounts from survivors are also horrific. Here's how Murray Sinclair, the former chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, described what he heard survivors recall:

One aspect of residential schools that really proved to be quite shocking to me personally, was the stories that we began to gather of the children who died in the schools. Of the children who died, sometimes deliberately, it was at the hands of others who were there, and in such large numbers. Survivors talked about children who suddenly went missing. Some talked about children who went missing into mass burial sites. Some survivors talked about infants who were born to young girls at the residential schools, infants who had been fathered by priests, were taken away from them and deliberately killed - sometimes thrown into furnaces, we were told.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP90HOp08Mc The news of the graves hit Canada hard. Canadians have responded by lowering flags to half-mast and setting up memorials to the children by laying down displays of empty children's shoes.

By Bethania Palma

Bethania Palma is a journalist from the Los Angeles area who started her career as a daily newspaper reporter and has covered everything from crime to government to national politics. She has written for ... read more

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