On December 31, 1857, Queen Victoria
was given the unusual task of selecting a common capital city for the United Province of Canada. Not an
everyday part of the Queen’s to-do list, she was left with no choice when Canadian officials cost the
burgeoning country a great deal of expense and disruption by moving the capital’s location between the cities
of Kingston, Montreal, Toronto and Quebec City throughout the 1840s. Her majesty made a surprising choice
when she chose none of the previously elected cities and instead opted for the lumber locale of Bytown — now
known around the world as the city of Ottawa.
Though Queen Victoria’s
selection occurred over 150 years ago, her choice has made Ottawa a compulsory stop for the visits of
following Royal Family members — the latest in which include royal newlyweds and future King and Queen of
England, Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The royals, who have chosen
Canada as the location for their first international tour as a married couple, will visit the nation from
June 30th to July 8th — and will land in Ottawa just in time for the annual Canada Day celebrations at
Parliament Hill, fittingly themed “Canada: A Proud Past and a Bright Future.”
Closely following in the
footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip who visited the Canadian capital for Canada day in 2010,
William and Catherine will celebrate the nation’s 144th birthday by attending the noontime and evening shows,
which will include an address from the royal Duke himself, as well as performances from such homegrown
artists as Quebec’s Sam Roberts Band and Manitoba’s youngest pop star, 10-year-old Maria
Aragon.
Aragon’s performance at the
yearly celebration is appropriate, considering the agenda the royal visitors have set out for their Canadian
visit. According to the detailed itinerary Heritage Minister James Moore and Gov. Gen. David Johnston
released on Tuesday, the couple’s focus will clearly be on the Canadian youth and the
military.
From a youth barbecue and
reception upon their arrival in Ottawa, to a cooking workshop with students studying hotel tourism in Quebec,
and visiting the legislative assembly in Yellowknife for a session of Youth Parliament, Prince William and
Catherine will take the time to enjoy the sights of Canada from a young and fresh perspective. The couple
will also incorporate visits with the Canadian military into the trip, an anticipated choice considering the
prince’s career as a search-and-rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force.
Together, the pair will visit
Dalvay Lake at Summerside, P.E.I., where Prince William will don Canadian military gear to take part in the
dangerous search and rescue manuever ‘water bird,’ in front of his new bride — and 2,400 other invited
guests. The procedure will require Prince William to land the Sea King helicopter craft like a boat, directly
onto the water. While the technique has been a part of the Canadian military’s practices for years, it is not
a standard procedure in Britain — yet. If successful at the manuever, perhaps Prince William will attempt to
bring the move over to the UK.
In addition to the several
military and youth-oriented activities planned over their 9-day tour, the royal couple will also attend the
Calgary Stampede as one of their final tour experiences. Though animal rights groups have urged the couple to
shun the event, William and Catherine are planning to attend the stampede at the BMO Centre, where they will
be welcomed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Prince William will make an address that evening before Harper
bestows the couple with an “official gift” from the Canadian government. After their stint at the stampede,
William and Catherine will wave goodbye to Canada as they jet down south to Los Angeles to continue their
North American tour.
This visit will mark Prince
William’s third trip to Canada. The 29-year-old prince previously travelled with his parents, Prince
Charles and the late Princess Diana, and his younger brother Harry, to Ontario in 1991. His second visit
occurred in 1998, when the prince visited B.C. on a ski trip with his brother and father.
Although the Duchess will not
see B.C. on her first visit to Canada, she will visit Ottawa, Gatineau, Que., Montreal, The City of Quebec,
Charlottetown, Summerside, P.E.I., Yellowknife and Calgary with her husband and attendants. While the exact
number has not been disclosed, St. James Palace has indicated that William and Catherine will take fewer
attendants than the 14 aides that Prince Charles and his wife Camilla routinely do, bringing along only as
many needed to “fit their requirements.” For the Duchess, this means longtime hairdresser and the man
responsible behind her perfectly coiffed wedding hairdo, James Pryce. The 29-year-old newlywed will take care
of her own wardrobe for the tour though, opting not to bring along a stylist. Prince William will take his
standard administrative team, including his private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton; the assistant private
secretary and tour coordinator, Chris Kealy; press secretary Miguel Head; the Prince of Wales’s press
secretary, Patrick Harveson; and Sir David Manning, the Duke’s foreign affairs adviser and former U.S.
ambassador. The pair will also bring royal protection officers for security precautions.
While Canada no longer needs the
kind of monarchical intervention it did in 1857, receiving the young, modern royals on their first
international tour as a married couple will be a highlight for the nation for years to come. Considering that
12 million Canadians spend some part of Friday, April 29, 2011 watching the couple’s fairytale nuptials take
place, the nation is undoubtedly abuzz with excitement as Canadians across the country prepare to show
William and Catherine the majesty of our home and native land. •
Photo Courtesy: Ian Alexander Martin
