queen elizabeth ii visit to 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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In visits to Canada, Queen Elizabeth left her mark as British history’s most travelled monarch

Expo 67 and constitutional patriation in 1982 were just some of the highlights of the Queen’s Canadian travels over the decades

This article was published more than 1 year ago. Some information may no longer be current.

The Queen inspects guards at the Parliament Hill on Canada Day, 2010, part of her last visit to Canada. John Stillwell/Getty Images

From coast to coast to coast, the Queen came to know Canada well during her 70 years as the country’s head of state.

The Queen was the most travelled monarch in British history, visiting Canada in her official capacity 22 times between 1957 and her last visit in 2010 (not including nine unofficial refuelling stops). She toured all 10 provinces and three territories, speaking admirably of the country’s diversity, traditions, culture and natural beauty.

Former Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson, who represented the Queen in Ottawa from 2000 to 2005, said the Queen understood that Canada is the “senior dominion” in the British Commonwealth and always respected that. During official tours, political discussions were off limits, so conversations often revolved around lighter topics such as the Queen’s grandchildren, her beloved dogs and her passion for horse racing.

“She never ever mentioned anything politically about Canada, she never asked and she never would because she knows her role,” Ms. Clarkson told The Globe and Mail in November, 2021. “She doesn’t say, ‘And how is your Prime Minister’ or ‘What do you think about your cabinet?’ or anything like that.”

From the launching of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 to the opening of the 1976 Olympics in Montreal to the proclamation of the Constitution Act in 1982, The Globe took a look at some of the Queen’s most memorable visits to Canada.

Watch some of the highlights from Elizabeth II's Canadian visits, including her last one in 2010 where she said in a speech, 'It is very good to be home.'

The Globe and Mail

The early years

Princess Elizabeth – not yet queen – first visited Canada in 1951 in place of her father, King George VI, who was ill. She was accompanied by her husband, Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. The royal couple travelled by air, train, ship and car from Oct. 8 to Nov. 12, making several stops between St. John’s and Victoria. She visited legislatures, city halls and official residences and made industry stops at paper mills, grain elevators and oil refineries.

The Queen succeeded to the throne on Feb. 6, 1952, at the age of 25, after her father died in his sleep. She was crowned on June 2, 1953. She made her first visit to Canada as head of state in 1957, arriving Oct. 12 and staying in the National Capital Region for a four-day visit. The Globe reported that the Queen and her husband – who had just been made prince earlier that year – walked in the park near Rideau Hall, where they were staying, and picked up a few of the fallen maple leaves to press and take home. She also had $1,000 in $10 bills delivered to her to pay for gifts for Rideau Hall staff.

In a speech broadcast on TV and radio the following day, she emphasized her role as Queen of Canada and spoke highly of Canada’s “character” as a nation. “Race, language, religion, culture and tradition all have some contribution to make, and when I think of the diversity of these factors in Canada today and the achievements that have grown from their union, I feel proud and happy to be Queen of such a nation,” she said.

The Queen then opened the 23rd Parliament, marking the first time a reigning monarch commenced a parliamentary session in Canada. She wore her white satin coronation gown. She later attended a state dinner alongside more than 100 noteworthy Canadians, including then-Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, nine lieutenant-governors and seven premiers. Quebec duckling and New Brunswick lobster were served. The Queen wore a dress featuring green velvet maple leaves, adorned with crystals and emeralds. Her fashion was closely observed by the press. The Globe described her wardrobe during her public appearances that weekend as “evidently put together to fit the background of Ottawa’s gold and red autumn hues.”

The Queen formally inaugurated work on Ottawa’s “Queensway super-highway,” now known as Highway 417, by setting off a dynamite explosion. To the surprise of many, she barely flinched when triggering the explosion.

The Queen and Prince Philip visit Stephenville, N.L., in 1959.

A group of Brownies jumping in the air to keep warm during a royal visit to Stephenville, N.L., in 1959. Erik Christensen/The Globe and Mail

The Queen and Philip returned to Canada less than two years later for a 45-day tour of the country – their longest Canadian visit ever. The Queen attended the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway at the U.S.-Canada border on June 26, 1959, where she was joined by Mr. Diefenbaker and U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower. After addressing the crowd, the Queen and Mr. Eisenhower boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia and entered the lift locks, officially opening the seaway for business.

The royal couple sailed into the sweltering Toronto Harbour aboard the Britannia. Massive crowds greeted them during their stops across the city, with several people fainting from the heat.

Their first evening in Toronto featured a state dinner, hosted by then lieutenant-governor John Keiller MacKay, at the historic Royal York hotel, which removed its revolving door so the Queen could enter the building in her ball gown. Speaking at the dinner, the Queen noted her warm welcome: “Although we do not live in Canada all the time, my husband and I always feel very much at home in this lovely country. Each time I come here I am fascinated by your way of life, your homes, your work and your games and recreations.”

The couple also attended the 100th running of the Queen’s Plate, the country’s oldest thoroughbred horse race, in Toronto. The Queen presented her traditional 50 guineas in the winner’s circle, talking with the jockeys and patting the horses.

During a visit to the Calgary Stampede, the royal couple enjoyed an evening of chuckwagon racing. An exhausted-looking Queen needed some social backup from her husband during a tour of the Stampede barbecues, so Philip approached a group of men cooking beans in a massive tureen. The beans had been marinating for months, turning into what Globe columnist Scott Young described as “a state as unbeanlike as possible” and letting off a scent that even caused the mosquitoes to turn tail.

Philip peered into the tureen and, through the rising steam, said “straight from the tin, eh?” The Queen, a few metres away, smiled at the laughter that ensued from Philip’s remark. It’s unclear if he ate any of the beans.

“The moment was made. One of those little things which never will make the joke books, but which men remember,” Mr. Young wrote. The page next to his column featured an advertisement for Libby’s deep-browned beans, which read, “Don’t they look good!”

Thirty-eight First Nations welcomed the royal couple in Nanaimo, B.C., and declared the Queen a princess of the Salish Nation. She was offered a serving of Indigenous ice cream from a yellow pail but politely declined.

“Fingers had dipped into the pail earlier for appreciative licks. The Queen beamed back … but did not dip,” read a Globe report from July 17, 1959.

A few days later in the Yukon, the Queen missed a planned visit to Dawson City and Mayo because she was feeling unwell. Philip went in her place. Headlines around the world highlighted how exhausted the Queen looked. Rumours swirled about her condition, with some saying the pace of the tour was too gruelling and others suggesting she ate something that made her ill.

It was later revealed to be morning sickness from her pregnancy with Prince Andrew. The Globe reported that the Queen had quietly told Mr. Diefenbaker she was expecting and he offered to adjust her tour if needed, but she insisted on completing it.

The marathon royal tour covered more than 24,000 kilometres, capturing the attention of Canadians from all walks of life: Newfoundland fisherman, Quebec miners, Prairie farmers and lumbermen of the West.

The Queen addresses Quebec's legislature on Oct. 10, 1964, one of her most infamous Canadian visits due to the hostile reaction by many Quebecers. Booing drowned out applause after her speech, which was delivered in French and English. John McNeill/The Globe and Mail

Outside Quebec City's Citadel, separatists raised V-signs and waved Quebec flags as she inspected a regimental honour guard. Boris Spremo/The Globe and Mail

Separatism greets the Queen in Quebec

The Queen conducted several shorter visits to Canada in the 1960s and 70s. Her 1964 visit was particularly challenging, as the mood in Quebec had changed with the rise of separatism.

The tour featured stops in Charlottetown and Quebec City for the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the meetings of the Fathers of Confederation. The Quebec visit was clouded by threats from separatist demonstrations and concerns about a potential assassination attempt against the Queen. Some British churches held special prayers for her safety before the royal couple headed to Canada. Leading British newspapers sent their correspondents to cover the turmoil in Quebec.

Bernard Cloutier, a Paris-based promoter of the Quebec independence movement, accused the federal government of inviting the Queen to Canada as a political ploy.

“Out of the reports, some alarmist, some highly responsible, emerges a consensus: Though separatism is still a minority movement, it must be taken seriously,” The Globe reported.

Anti-monarchy protesters took to the streets as the royal couple dined at Quebec City’s Château Frontenac for an official dinner with then-premier Jean Lesage and Prime Minister Lester Pearson. The crowds chanted “Elizabeth stay home,” prompting Quebec City’s riot squad to club protesters. The royal couple was not harmed. Globe columnist Bruce West called the protests “an insult to Canada.”

The couple’s last stop in Ottawa was rather uneventful compared with their time in Quebec. They laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and attended a state dinner hosted by Mr. Pearson.

The separatist protests and security concerns left a dark mark on the 1964 visit, reflected in a Globe report from the Queen’s departure: “When the jet was airborne into the overcast, the shoulders of the RCMP officers relaxed just a little – they had been tense for nine days – and a reporter remarked: ‘The sound you hear is a national sigh of relief.’”

Canada's centennial year, 1967, gave the Queen a busy schedule: hundreds of balloons are released at Parliament Hill after she cut a 30-foot-high birthday cake on Canada Day.

The Queen and her entourage visit Expo 67 in Montreal. John McNeill/The Globe and Mail

Expo 67, the Centennial and the Olympics

The royal couple returned to Canada in 1967 to mark Canada’s Centennial in Ottawa and at Expo 67 in Montreal. Speaking to a crowd of 25,000 people on Parliament Hill, the Queen acknowledged French-Canadians’ contribution to the nation and predicted they would have a growing role in Canadian society. She encouraged Canadians to settle their differences through “tolerance, goodwill and understanding,” as the Fathers of Confederation had done 100 years prior.

However, the security concerns that surrounded the 1964 Quebec visit lingered as the Queen made her way up the St. Lawrence River for Expo 67. A Quebec separatist group warned that “French-Canadian patriots” would intercept the Britannia’s route to Montreal. The yacht trip went smoothly despite the threats.

When the Queen arrived at the Expo, she thrilled crowds as she took an impromptu monorail ride, breaking from the intense security that surrounded her. “The Queen salvaged Quebec’s honour. … A Queen in a minirail is not seen every day. A Queen who escapes from the straitjacket of the RCMP is not to be seen so often either,” read Montréal-Matin, a Conservative-leaning French-language tabloid.

The Queen’s visit to the Expo pavilions was watched closely. Reporters noted how she spent 30 minutes at the Ontario pavilion – longer than at any other province’s spot – and only made one stop at the pavilion dedicated to Indigenous peoples.

Andrew Delisle, chief of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, showed the Queen around this pavilion and did not shy away from describing the harsh truths about the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The Queen fell silent listening to Mr. Delisle. She did not acknowledge signs with slogans reading “The white men fought each other for our lands, and we were embroiled in the white man’s wars” and “Give us the right to manage our own affairs.” Mr. Delisle said he expected a bit more of a reaction from the Queen during the 13-minute tour.

The Queen attends a dinner with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in Montreal in 1976. Erik Christensen/The Globe and Mail

The Queen returned to Montreal in July, 1976, to formally open the Olympics. The Games were a family event, with the Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, competing as a member of the British equestrian team. The Queen was accompanied by Philip and their sons, Charles, Andrew and Edward, as well as Anne’s husband, Mark Phillips.

Anne had a rough go at the Games. Her horse, Goodwill, fell on one of the jumps, taking Anne down with it. The Princess suffered some bruising and a minor concussion. A reporter standing near the Queen said she showed no emotion, simply nodding, when her daughter fell. The British team eventually pulled out of the competition after two of their horses were injured.

The Queen’s time in Montreal went much more smoothly on the security front compared with previous visits. The royal couple even drove through downtown streets in an open car.

The tour included a stop in Nova Scotia, where the royal couple visited a shipyard. They also went to Fredericton, where the Queen warned that bilingualism is “not an easy thing” to preserve. She said the province, which was 40-per-cent French-speaking at the time, served as an example of how people from different cultural backgrounds can co-exist.

The Queen returned to Ottawa in October, 1977, marking her Silver Jubilee. Then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who had introduced an official policy of multiculturalism and a bilingual framework in 1971, hosted a state dinner at Rideau Hall for the Queen, where he announced that the government had set aside $300,000 to help more young Canadians become bilingual.

The Queen delivered the Throne Speech on Oct. 18, highlighting national unity concerns, particularly among Quebeckers, the Atlantic Provinces and the West.

“Given the new economic realities to which Canada must adjust, and the urgency of promoting linguistic and cultural harmony, it is readily apparent that Canada is now entering a new era,” she said. “It can be an era of increasing confrontation, tension and division or an era of enhanced freedom, co-operation and unity of purpose. Fundamentally, the choice must be made by every citizen every day.”

The Queen, watched by Pierre Trudeau and assorted politicians, signs the Constitution Act into law, making Canada's founding document a purely Canadian rather than British law for the first time. Ron Poling/The Canadian Press

Below the Queen's signature is that of Jean Chrétien, then the attorney-general and later the prime minister. Andy Clark / UPC

Royal proclamation of the Constitution Act

One of the Queen’s most notable visits to Canada took place from April 15 to April 19, 1982, to mark the proclamation of the Constitution Act. Pierre Trudeau hosted a luncheon at his official residence, attended by 11 cabinet ministers and premiers William Davis and Richard Hatfield – the only two provincial leaders who supported the prime minister’s constitutional position. Mr. Trudeau’s sons, Justin, Sacha and Michel, greeted the Queen in the hallway before the luncheon.

On April 17, the Queen made her way to Parliament Hill, where some 32,000 people gathered in the rain to watch her and the prime minister sign the proclamation of the Constitution Act, officially severing Canada’s final colonial tie to Britain. Security for the outdoor ceremony carried a price tag of about $250,000 – a quarter of the $1-million budget for the event. Guests were soaked in a downpour and couldn’t hear any of the speeches in the wind, as the words echoed off the Parliament buildings. Some people covered their heads with chairs left empty by guests who chose to leave. The wind nearly blew the Queen’s speech out of her hands at one point.

“Visibly unsettled, she deliberately turned the page and looked toward Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau with a gesture that seemed close to helpless despair. He had settled the Constitution, but he let everyone down on the weather,” read a Globe report.

With a few signatures, Canada achieved full independence and enshrined the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in its Constitution. However, The Globe’s Ottawa bureau reported that the Privy Council Office nearly forgot an important detail for the historic moment: an appropriate pen to sign the constitutional document. The day before, a staffer was sent to Birks, the high-end jewellery and silverware store, to buy a $75 gold pen for the occasion.

Pierre Trudeau raised eyebrows as the Queen departed Ottawa. He performed a pirouette on the tarmac of the Ottawa airport – a gesture he made famous in 1977 when he executed the ballet spin behind the Queen’s back at Buckingham Palace.

The Queen and Prime Minister Stephen Harper wait for 2010's Canada Day festivities to begin in Ottawa. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Spectators wait for the Queen outside the Cathedral Church of St. James in Toronto. Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press

The final visit

The 84-year-old Queen made her 22nd official and final visit to Canada in 2010, deemed “the year Canada grew up” by The Globe and Mail. Vancouver had hosted the Winter Olympics in February, Canada hosted the G8 and G20 summits, and the Queen joined Canadians to celebrate the country’s 143rd birthday on Parliament Hill.

Accompanied by Philip, the nine-day tour started in Halifax to mark the navy’s 100th anniversary, where then-Prime minister Stephen Harper greeted the Queen before they ventured to Ottawa for Canada Day celebrations.

“We could imagine no better gift on our national birthday than to share it with our Queen,” Mr. Harper said.

The Queen wore a Maple Leaf pin and a white hat with a large red flower as she celebrated Canada Day alongside 100,000 people on Parliament Hill. While in Ottawa, she also met with then-Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, who said she has a “magnificent sense of humour and sense of the absurd.”

The Queen departed for Winnipeg, where she dedicated a cornerstone for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The cubic foot of granite came from the Runnymede meadows on the upper reaches of England’s Thames River, where the Queen’s ancestor, King John, signed the Magna Carta on June 15, 1215. The stone would eventually be set in interior masonry beside the museum entrance doors used by students.

The Queen then made her way to Toronto to attend the 151st running of the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine Racetrack, marking her fourth attendance at the event.

A trip to nearby Waterloo, Ont., featured a stop at the Research in Motion facility. The Queen was presented with a white BlackBerry Bold 9700 – all the rage at the time – but an RIM executive assured reporters she was already an avid user of the device.

Back in Toronto on the evening of July 5, the Queen attended a dinner at the Royal York – the same hotel she graced during her 1959 tour of Canada. However, the event got off to a rough start when a power outage left parts of the city in the dark during a blistering heat wave. After a few minutes of darkness, the hotel’s backup generator lit up some chandeliers and the 380-person dinner went ahead. A Royal York spokesperson said the Queen was comfortable, and other guests reported that the air conditioning was still working.

Mr. Harper addressed the Queen and invited her to unveil a new Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit commemorating Canada’s gold-medal victories in hockey at the Vancouver Olympics earlier that year.

“As Queen of Canada, you share in the recent triumph of our Canadian Olympic hockey champions,” Mr. Harper said. “And so we say that you are not only victorious, happy and glorious, you are also Canada’s most valuable player.”

With reports from Rick Cash and Janice Dickson

The Decibel

Vicky Mochama, a Globe contributor who writes about the Royal Family, looks back at the Queen’s achievements and what the monarchy’s future might be without her. Subscribe for more episodes.

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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.

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Here are all of the times Queen Elizabeth II visited Toronto

Hannah Alberga , CTVNewsToronto.ca Journalist

@HannahAlberga

Queen Elizabeth II died at 96 years old on Thursday after reigning the monarch for the longest spanning period in Britain’s history.

At just 25 years old, she stepped into her royal role following the death of her father King George VI on Feb. 6, 1952.

Here is a timeline of the Queen’s seven visits to Toronto over the course of her lifetime, according to footage from the CTV News Toronto and City of Toronto archives.

The Queen’s first visit to Toronto took place in 1951. At the time, she was a princess standing in place for her father who was ill. A royal motorcade took the princess down Queen Street West to Old City Hall.

Photos capture Elizabeth at other notable city sites, including the Royal York Hotel, where she would later return on future visits. She also made an appearance at Sunnybrook Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children.

Her first visit to the city in official capacity as The Queen took place nearly a decade later as part of a 1959 tour of Canada. During the 45-day tour, which encompassed 10 provinces and two territories, she waved from a car cascading down Bay Street.

Alongside Prince Philip, Elizabeth sailed into the Toronto Harbour aboard the Britannia. There, she was welcomed in Etobicoke at the 100th Queen’s Plate at the Woodbine racetrack.

The Queen’s following visit to Toronto took place just a few years later in June 1973. As part of an extensive tour of the province, she opened Scarborough’s new Civic Centre, and visited Queen’s Park and Ontario Place. At High Park, she attended a Black Creek Pioneer Village exhibit and was gifted a hand-made corn broom.

A year later, the Queen returned to Toronto to celebrate the city’s 150th anniversary. At the festivities she made appearances at Toronto’s festival of international culture and formally dedicated the Peace Garden on Nathan Phillips Square.

A crowd applauded her arrival at a gala dinner with Ontario Premier William Davis where a tiara crowned her head.

She also visited the Royal Ontario Museum and was greeted by thousands of members of the Italian community on St. Clair Avenue West.

On June 29, 1997, the Queen visited the Royal York Hotel where she joined Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien along with 900 others at a state dinner.

On Oct. 9, 2002, the Queen arrived in Toronto with Prince Philip to celebrate her Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years since she ascended the throne. Her visit to the city was part of a 12 day journey across the country to celebrate the occasion.

From June 29 to July 6, 2010, the Queen visited Halifax, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Waterloo and Toronto. This marked her twenty-second tour of the country.

Again, she made an appearance at Woodbine Racetrack for the Queen’s Plate, a race meeting she first attended in 1959.

This was the Queen’s last visit to Toronto. 

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A smiling Queen Elizabeth II waves to a happy crowd of on-lookers at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds in Toronto, Ont., June 26, 1973. While at the C.N.E. The Queen and Prince Philip were entertained by various dance troupes and choirs. (CP PHOTO)

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A historical look at Queen Elizabeth's seven trips to Toronto over 71 years

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Before and during her reign as Canada's head of state, Queen Elizabeth II visited Canada 22 times, and Toronto seven times.

Her first visit to Toronto took place in 1951 just months before she was crowned Queen, while she was still known as Princess Elizabeth. 

According to the City of Toronto, Princess Elizabeth visited City Hall and the Royal York Hotel in October of 1951 on a two-day tour.

City of Toronto archival photo of Princess Elizabeth arriving at City Hall.  

It wasn't until February 1952 while on tour in Kenya that Princess Elizabeth was informed her father King George VI had died, making her Queen at just 25 years old.

When Elizabeth returned to Toronto in 1959 she had been Queen for seven years and was on a Royal Tour of the entire country.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on Bay Street in 1959. City of Toronto Archives.

Her third trip occurred over 10 years later in 1973 while she was touring Ontario, reports the city's archives.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visting a Black Creek Pioneer Village display at High Park in 1973. City of Toronto Archives.

CTV News states the Queen also visited the Canadian National Exhibition's ground that year. 

Eleven years later, Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh travelled to Toronto again in 1984.

Queen Elizabeth at Nathan Phillips Square. City of Toronto Archives.  

Archives state she visited the Metro International Caravan, the Royal Ontario Museum and St. Clair Avenue West.

She also dedicated the Peace Garden on Nathan Phillips Square during this trip.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited Toronto again in 1997 and in 2002 for the Golden Jubilee (marking 50 years on the throne) and one final time in 2010.

Queen Elizabeth II and her visits to Toronto ❤️ #Toronto #QueenElizabeth pic.twitter.com/ayqBE1SUAB — blogTO (@blogTO) September 8, 2022

CTV News reports that in 1997 she met with Prime Minister Jean Chretien for a state dinner at the Royal York Hotel.

For her final visit in 2010 Queen Elizabeth attended at morning church service at Cathedral Church of St. James and attended the Queen's Plate at Woodbine again.

I went to Queen’s Park to meet the Queen in Toronto on her last visit to Canada. I took the first three photos. That’s me on the upper far right in the last photo. Hoping for best but I am glad she is comfortable and hope her family finds peace. #QueenElizabeth pic.twitter.com/j5HhAvpLRR — Jeffrey Luscombe (@JeffreyLuscombe) September 8, 2022

On her final day in Toronto, the Queen toured Pinewood Toronto Studios, a film and television complex on Commissioners Street.

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Queen Elizabeth II

Article by Carolyn Harris

Published Online April 25, 2014

Last Edited September 19, 2022

Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, the United Kingdom and 13 other Commonwealth realms (born 21 April 1926 in London, United Kingdom; died 8 September 2022 at Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland). The Queen reigned since 1952 and was the Head of State of Canada, the United Kingdom and 13 other Commonwealth realms. Elizabeth II was the first monarch to be crowned Queen of Canada. She was the longest reigning monarch in British and Commonwealth history and celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, in 2022.

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street, the London home of her maternal grandparents, Claude and Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore. Her parents were Prince Albert, Duke of York (the future George VI) , second son of the reigning King George V and Queen Mary, and the Duchess of York, the former Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon .

At the time of her birth, she was third in line to the throne, but it seemed unlikely that she would ever become Queen. Her uncle, the future Edward VIII , was unmarried at the time but the public assumed that he would eventually marry and have children of his own. The succession laws of the period dictated that any sons born to the Duke and Duchess of York would precede Elizabeth in the line of succession. Nevertheless, there was public interest in the birth of King George V`s first granddaughter. Elizabeth was christened in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace on 29 May 1926. Her godparents included a former Governor General of Canada , her great-grand-uncle Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught .

When Elizabeth was only eight months old her parents embarked on a six-month world tour, visiting Australia and New Zealand. Although the Duchess of York wrote in her diary that she was "very miserable at leaving the baby," the young Elizabeth remained in the United Kingdom in the care of her grandparents as was customary for royal tours at the time. Despite these periodic absences for royal duties, Elizabeth, her parents, and her younger sister, Princess Margaret Rose (1930–2002), were a close family who enjoyed spending time together. Although George V had a reputation for severity toward his children, he doted on his granddaughter, and she enjoyed a close relationship with all her grandparents.

Abdication Crisis

On 20 January 1936, George V died and Elizabeth’s uncle succeeded to throne as King Edward VIII . He reigned for only 11 months before abdicating on 10 December to marry a twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson. The abdication changed 10-year-old Elizabeth’s life. With the accession of her father as King George VI , she became the heiress presumptive, and the family moved into Buckingham Palace. The young princesses were not happy with the changes that their father’s ascension brought to their lives, which included less privacy and less time with their parents.

Elizabeth and Margaret were educated at home by a governess, Marion Crawford, who taught history, geography , grammar, literature, and composition. They also had additional governesses who taught French, music and dancing . The Queen was fluently bilingual in French and English. Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mary, took a strong interest in the education of her granddaughters and took them to museums and historic sites to increase their knowledge of the history and politics of the British Isles. As she grew older, Elizabeth received additional training to prepare her for her future position, including history and political science lessons with the vice provost of Eton College, Sir Henry Marten, and extensive time spent with her father, learning the duties of a constitutional monarch first-hand.

Second World War

Elizabeth and Margaret resided at Windsor Castle, outside London, throughout the Second World War . During this time, Elizabeth continued her education and began to assume official duties. At the age of 14, she made her first radio broadcast, addressing the children of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth as part of the BBC Children’s Hour . Elizabeth carried out her first solo engagement in 1942, inspecting the Grenadier Guards in her capacity as Honorary Colonel-in-Chief on her 16th birthday. She began accompanying her parents on royal engagements throughout the United Kingdom in 1944 and became a Counsellor of State. In 1945, Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service as a subaltern and rose to the rank of junior commander by the end of the war. 

Elizabeth met Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in childhood and first became interested in him when he gave her a tour of the Dartmouth Naval College in 1939. They corresponded throughout the Second World War and Philip spent periods of leave from the Royal Navy at Windsor Castle.

On 9 July 1947, Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of Elizabeth and Philip. In Canada, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King summoned the King’s Canadian Privy Council to approve the union of the future Queen of Canada. Elizabeth and Philip were married at Westminster Abbey in London on 20 November 1947. The ceremony was broadcast over BBC radio to an audience of 200 million people around the world, allowing Canada to share in the celebrations. Mackenzie King sent the royal couple antique silver as a wedding gift (in consultation with a former viceregal consort, the Countess of Athlone, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria ), as well as a mink coat for the Princess.

The royal couple’s first child, Prince Charles , was born at Buckingham Palace on 14 November 1948. A daughter, Princess Anne, was born on 15 August 1950, followed 10 years later by Prince Andrew (19 February 1960) and later Prince Edward (10 March 1964). Elizabeth expressed her intention to be a hands-on mother and nursed Charles until she caught the measles when he was two months old. George VI ’s declining health, however, meant that Elizabeth assumed a demanding schedule of royal engagements while her children were young. As Queen, her extensive Commonwealth tours resulted in her children spending long periods with nannies and with their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother .

First Tour of Canada

Elizabeth visited Canada for the first time in the autumn of 1951, accompanied by Philip . The royal couple were representing George VI , who had just undergone surgery for lung cancer. There was tremendous popular interest in the tour because Elizabeth and Philip, like William and Catherine in 2011, appeared to be a glamorous young royal couple who would modernize the monarchy . They were the first royal couple to visit Canada via transatlantic aircraft rather than ship and they threw themselves into Canadian pastimes, attending a hockey game at Maple Leaf Gardens and a demonstration of the Calgary Stampede , and square dancing at Rideau Hall . They were well-received by Canadians from all walks of life though Elizabeth appeared to be quieter and more reserved than the gregarious Philip. After her return to the United Kingdom, Elizabeth reflected on her time in Canada: "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."

Accession to the Throne

George VI died on 6 February 1952 while Elizabeth and Philip were representing him on a trip to Kenya. The 25-year-old Princess automatically succeeded to throne as Queen Elizabeth II. The new Queen and her husband immediately returned to the United Kingdom and ascended to the throne in a climate of tremendous public goodwill. Both her father and grandfather had been second sons who were not raised to be King, but Elizabeth had been heiress presumptive from a young age and was extremely popular.

Canada was between Governors General at the time so the Chief Justice, Thibaudeau Rinfret, proclaimed “The High and Mighty Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary” Queen and “Supreme Liege Lady in and over Canada.” In December 1952, the new Queen’s formal Canadian titles were decided at the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference in London: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

Elizabeth II was crowned Queen at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 and made history by becoming the first monarch to be crowned Head of the Commonwealth and Queen of Canada. Her dress included symbols from the Commonwealth realms, with embroidered maple leaves representing Canada ( see also Emblems of Canada ).

The Queen’s unprecedented decision to permit television cameras to film the coronation allowed the entire Commonwealth to share in the celebrations. The coronation became the first transatlantic television broadcast as the footage was flown to Canada to be shown on the CBC . Prime Minister Louis St-Laurent attended the coronation in London while Governor General Vincent Massey presided over the celebrations on Parliament Hill , which were attended by 100,000 people. There were additional celebrations across Canada. St. John’s , Newfoundland , held the largest parade in the city’s history and there was a coronation show at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto .

Political Role in Canada

Canada is a constitutional monarchy with a King or Queen as Head of State. The Crown holds the power to govern but this power is entrusted to the government, which is expected to lead on behalf of the people. The Crown serves as a level of government that is above party politics and holds reserve powers such as appointing the Prime Minister , opening Parliament , proroguing Parliament and calling an election. Bills passed by the House of Commons and Senate must receive Royal Assent to become law. In Canada, the Crown is represented by the Governor General at the federal level and Lieutenant-Governors at the provincial level. During her time in Canada, however, the Queen directly exercised her prerogatives as Head of State. In 1957, on her first visit to Canada after her accession, the Queen opened Parliament and delivered the throne speech in person. In 1976, the Queen declared the Olympic Summer Games in Montréal open in her capacity as Canada’s Head of State. In 1977, during her Silver Jubilee tour of Canada, the Queen delivered the Speech from the Throne and opened the third session of the 30th Parliament. In 1982, the Queen signed the Proclamation of the Constitution Act with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. The Queen made 22 official visits to Canada, more than any other Commonwealth realm outside the United Kingdom.

Head of the Commonwealth

From the beginning of her reign, the Queen devoted herself to the role of Head of the Commonwealth . She was the most well-travelled monarch in history and visited all Commonwealth nations except Cameroon and Rwanda. The issue of South African apartheid dominated early Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings and allowed the Queen to exert political influence in her role as Head of the Commonwealth. During the 1980s, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney supported economic sanctions against the apartheid regime, measures which British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher opposed. The Queen supported Mulroney’s stance as well as the release of future South African President Nelson Mandela from prison.

The Quiet Revolution in Quebec

Until the 1960s, the monarchy was popular in Québec because the Crown was viewed as a protector of minority rights. When the Queen’s parents visited Montréal in 1939, they estimated that two million people had greeted them in the city. In 1953, celebrations were held in Québec City in honour of the Queen’s coronation. However, the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s changed attitudes toward the monarchy, presenting the Queen as a symbol of British oppression. In 1964, the Queen addressed the Québec legislative assembly in French, stating, “I am pleased to think that there exists in our Commonwealth a country where I can express myself officially in French.” Despite these sentiments, the Queen faced crowds of protesters who turned their backs on her and chanted, “Elizabeth, go home.” The police crackdown on these protests became known as “Truncheon Sunday.” In 1977, the Queen delivered a televised address to Canadians stating, “The confederation itself was not a French idea or a British idea,” which The New York Times interpreted as supporting Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau ’s efforts to keep Canada united in response to Quebec separatism .

The Monarchy in English Canada

In English Canada, the monarchy inspired growing indifference rather than hostility during the same period. In 1959, CBC journalist Joyce Davidson commented on NBC’s Today show, “Like most Canadians, I am indifferent to the visit of the Queen,” referring to the Queen and Prince Philip ’s six-week tour that year of all Canada’s provinces and territories. The Canadian public responded with outrage and polling data revealed that the majority of Canadians in 1959 were looking forward to the royal visit.

During the 1960s and 1970s, however, more and more prominent Canadians expressed sentiments similar to those of Davidson. In 1967, the UK High Commissioner in Canada, Sir Henry Lintott, wrote that his conversations with Prime Minister Lester Pearson revealed that he “now believes that the days of the monarchy in Canada are numbered, and that Canada should have her own head of state sooner rather than later.” In the 1970s, there were fewer and fewer public references to the Queen’s role as Canada’s Head of State, contributing to a widespread view that the monarchy was in terminal decline.

Yet the future of the Crown in Canada was protected in 1982 by the Constitution ; section 41(a) stipulated that any changes concerning the office of the Queen, Governor General or Lieutenant-Governor of a province required the assent of all provincial legislatures in addition to the Senate and the House of Commons .

The Crown and Indigenous Peoples

The Crown has enjoyed a special relationship with First Nations in Canada since King George III issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763 , which guaranteed First Nations land rights. As in Québec prior to the Quiet Revolution , many First Nations leaders view the Crown as a protector of minority rights. The Queen’s visits to Canada usually include meetings with First Nations leaders and attendance at cultural events. In 1970, the Queen visited remote communities along the Arctic Circle with Philip and her two eldest children, Charles and Anne. This high-profile tour officially marked the 100th anniversary of the Northwest Territories but it also provided the Queen with the opportunity to engage with the Inuit and to affirm Canada’s sovereignty over the Arctic through her presence in the region. Royal tours of Canada throughout the Queen’s reign have included engagement with Indigenous peoples.

Renewed Interest in Canadian Monarchy

The Queen’s visit to Canada in 2010 began a period of renewed popular interest in the Canadian monarchy that continued through the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of 2012. The Queen and Prince Philip celebrated Canada Day on Parliament Hill before a crowd of 70,000 people. In her bilingual address, the Queen stated, “During my lifetime, I have been a witness to this country for more than half its history since Confederation . I have watched with enormous admiration how Canada has grown and matured while remaining true to its history, its distinctive character and its values.”

Reduced Appearances

Since 2010, the Queen reduced her number of public appearances, especially overseas tours; Prince Philip retired from public engagements in 2017 and died in 2021. In their place, younger generations of the royal family assumed a greater public role. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall (Charles and Camilla) and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (William and Catherine) have undertaken Commonwealth tours traditionally assumed by the Queen and Prince Philip. The Queen last visited Canada in 2010 and Australia in 2011.

In 2011, William and Catherine travelled across Canada on their first overseas tour as a married couple. The success of the 2011 tour demonstrated that there was a bright future for the monarchy beyond the reign of the present Queen. The Queen remained in the United Kingdom for Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012 but the 60th anniversary of her accession was an opportunity for people throughout the Commonwealth to celebrate her reign and achievements. The Queen's children and grandchildren represented her throughout the Commonwealth for the Diamond Jubilee. Charles and Camilla visited Canada for Victoria Day weekend in 2012 and were well received. They also toured Canada for the 150th anniversary of Canada’s Confederation in 2017. William and Catherine marked the 150th anniversary with a 2016 tour of British Columbia and the Yukon .

The COVID-19 Pandemic

During the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic , the Queen and Prince Philip isolated at Windsor Castle. On 5 April 2020, the Queen delivered an address regarding the pandemic to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, stating, “Across the Commonwealth and around the world, we have seen heartwarming stories of people coming together to help others, be it through delivering food parcels and medicines, checking on neighbours or converting businesses to help the relief effort.” The Queen drew parallels between the pandemic and the Second World War in the speech and recalled her first ever radio broadcast to the children of the Commonwealth 80 years earlier. The Queen continued to hold audiences and make public appearances through videoconferencing. After 73 years of marriage, Prince Philip died on 9 April 2021, just months before his 100th birthday. A photograph of the Queen sitting alone at the funeral became one of the iconic images of the pandemic. The Queen received public admiration for following the social distancing regulations then in place in the United Kingdom, holding a small funeral with only 30 mourners. In February 2022, the Queen tested positive for COVID-19 and reduced her schedule to “light duties” at home, cancelling the annual diplomatic reception planned for March 2022.

Military Patronage

During her reign, as Head of State, the Queen was formally Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces and was also honorary Colonel-in-Chief of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise’s), The Calgary Highlanders, The Canadian Grenadier Guards, The Canadian Forces Military Engineering Branch, The 48th Highlanders of Canada , The Governor General’s Foot Guards, The Governor General’s Horse Guards, The King’s Own Calgary Regiment, Le Régiment de la Chaudière, The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment , The Royal New Brunswick Regiment, The Royal 22e Régiment (The Van Doos) , and the Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Highlanders. The Queen is also Captain General of the Royal Canadian Artillery.

Philanthropy and Interests

The Queen was patron or president of more than 600 charities and other philanthropic and cultural organizations worldwide, including more than 30 based in Canada. The Queen’s Canadian patronages include the Canadian Cancer Society , the Canadian Red Cross Society , the Canadian Nurses Association, the Canadian Medical Association , Save the Children Canada, the Royal Canadian Humane Association, the Queen’s Plate and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair of Toronto . Successive monarchs and their families have extended royal patronage to hospitals since the 18th century. Current royal patronage of animal welfare organizations (see also Animal Issues ) reflects the Queen’s love of dogs, horseback riding and horse racing .

The Platinum Jubilee

On 9 September 2015, the Queen surpassed the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria to become the longest-reigning monarch in British and Commonwealth history. On 6 February 2022, the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, the Queen became the first monarch to observe a Platinum Jubilee. On 5 February, the Queen made a historic announcement that looked to the future of the monarchy in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realms:

"When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife, Camilla , the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service."

There will be Platinum Jubilee celebrations around the world throughout 2022. In the United Kingdom, there will be a four-day holiday weekend from 2 to 5 June that will include a Platinum Jubilee concert, pageant and service of thanksgiving. In Canada, Platinum Jubilee Gardens will be planted across Canada, individual communities will receive funding for local projects celebrating the Platinum Jubilee, and the Northern Lights 2022 sound and light show on Parliament Hill will showcase the Queen’s presence in Canada over the course of her reign.

Death and Legacy

On 8 September 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen’s doctors were concerned for her health and recommended she remain under medical supervision. This announcement came a day after she pulled out of a Privy Council meeting, which was set to be held virtually. Just two days earlier, on 6 September 2022, the Queen appointed the UK’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, at Balmoral Castle. Traditionally, the Queen met with new prime ministers at Buckingham Palace. However, she had been on a summer holiday at Balmoral since July and had also been having difficulties with mobility. Therefore, it was simpler for the prime minister to travel to Balmoral than for the Queen to travel to London.

The Queen died on 8 September 2022 at Balmoral at the age of 96 surrounded by family. After a period of mourning, she was laid to rest at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on 19 September. The heir to the throne is her eldest son, King Charles III.

Over the course of her record-breaking 70-year-reign, the Queen witnessed unprecedented social, cultural and political change. She led a life of public service and, as monarch, was central to the system of parliamentary democracy in Canada. The Queen was a constant and respected figure in this country as well as in Britain and the wider Commonwealth.

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Further Reading

Arthur Bousfield and Garry Toffoli, Fifty Years The Queen: A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on Her Golden Jubilee (2002); Gyles Brandreth, Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Marriage (2004); John Fraser, The Secret of the Crown: Canada’s Affair with Royalty (2012); Robert Hardman, Our Queen (2011); D. Michael Jackson, The Crown and Canadian Federalism (2013), Jackson and Philippe Lagassé, eds., Canada and the Crown: Essays on Constitutional Monarchy (2014), Jackson and Jennifer Smith, eds., The Evolving Canadian Crown (2012); Andrew Marr, The Diamond Queen (2011); Philip Murphy, Monarchy and the End of Empire: The House of Windsor, the British Government and the Postwar Commonwealth (2013); Ben Pimlott, The Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth II (1998); David E. Smith, The Invisible Crown: The First Principle of Canadian Government (2013); Sally Bedell Smith, Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch (2012); Nathan Tidridge, Canada’s Constitutional Monarchy (2011).

External Links

British Monarchy The extensively illustrated website of the British Monarchy.

Royal Tour Canada 1957 Queen Elizabeth II on Royal Tour of Canada & USA. A video from British Pathé.

Queen Elizabeth II marries Prince Philip View a vintage news report about the Royal Wedding in which Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey. From YouTube.

Royal Journey A documentary account of the five-week visit of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh to Canada and the United States in the fall of 1951. From the National Film Board of Canada.

Queen in Canada Queen Elizabeth II visits Expo '67 in Montreal and Ottawa, Canada. A video from British Pathé.

The Queen's role in Canada A brief description of the Queen’s unique relationship with Canada. From the official website of the British Monarchy.

Recommended

Queen victoria, queen mother (hm queen elizabeth the queen mother), catherine (hrh the princess of wales), 10 interesting facts about queen elizabeth ii, queen elizabeth ii’s golden jubilee — 2002, queen elizabeth ii's diamond jubilee – 2012.

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Past Royal Tours

Members of the Royal Family have made several official and personal tours of Canada over the years, further strengthening the bond between the Crown and Canada.

2022 Royal Tour

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited Canada from May 17 to 19, 2022 to mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

Private and official tours since 1953

History buffs will enjoy going back in time for a look at past monarchs who toured Canada from 1786 to 1951 .

Throughout her 70-year reign, The Queen made 22 official tours of Canada, more than any other Commonwealth country. She made her first tour as Princess Elizabeth in 1951 with her husband, The Duke of Edinburgh. She travelled to all regions of the country and was a constant presence in the lives of Canadians, witnessing growth and significant change in Canadian society.

Page details

Princess Elizabeth's 1951 royal visit to Canada

As the queen celebrates her diamond jubilee, another historic event is remembered.

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When Queen Elizabeth made her first live television address from Ottawa in 1957, she spoke about her first visit to Canada six years earlier.

"I have vivid memories of my journey across the country in 1951," she said of the trip that came only a few months before she ascended the throne.

Canada had thoroughly prepared to host the month-long journey of Eliabeth and her husband, Philip.

Three months ahead of the royal couple's 1951 arrival, government officials were already advising Canadians about proper greetings and correct attire. "It's bad taste to gush," warned one official. "A messed-up curtsy or bow is a horrible thing to behold," observed another, before explaining in detail how it's properly performed.

Preparations were going smoothly until early September 1951, when there was "a first-class row" between the CBC and BBC. The Toronto Telegram reported that CBC was "in a high dudgeon" that the BBC was reneging on arrangements for CBC to provide the commentary for British radio listeners.

Toronto newspapers reported that a BBC spokesman had said their listeners "will expect a British commentator to tell them the story in a British voice."

CBC Radio planned "actuality broadcasts" from 23 cities and a daily royal tour diary.

Both the Telegram and the Toronto Star noted that Stewart McPherson, then the BBC's highest-paid news commentator, was from Winnipeg.

Tragedy at Balmoral Castle

About that time, tragedy struck at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. King George VI's health took a visible turn for the worse.

As he returned to London to see lung specialists, one newspaper was asking in a front-page headline, "What is wrong with the King?"

Plans for his daughter's royal visit to Canada were put on hold. The visit was soon reconfirmed, but instead of arriving by ship, the royal couple would arrive by plane, the first for a royal visit.

Later that month, the King had to have lung surgery. Elizabeth delayed her visit by one week, with all of the planned events on their 33-day trip across Canada also put back a week.

Organizers redoubled their preparations. Toronto was reported to be preparing for the "worst traffic tangle in history" when the princess arrived, according to a headline in the Star.

Two days before Elizabeth's arrival, the Financial Post wrote that the visit would be "the most-covered news event in Canadian history." Echoing that prediction, the Telegram reported that "4,500 personnel have been accredited to cover the activities."

'Crackpots, Communists' a security concern

Security was a big issue, as it always is for royal visits. A story from the Toronto Telegram detailed some of the security arrangements for their visit to Quebec City, their first stop after landing at the airport in Montreal.

Headlined, "Watch Reds, Crackpots: 'Will take care of them' during tour," the story explains that 2,500 uniformed personnel would keep the Quebec City crowds at least 30 feet from the royal couple.

It also mentions a "fat yellow booklet" issued to police forces across Canada that contained the names of "crackpots, Communists and agitators." "At least two Quebecois" listed in the booklet were of particular concern in Quebec City, according to the Telegram.

Finally, the moment arrived. "There was that touch of fairytale atmosphere about her arrival," reported the Globe and Mail.

A nervous 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth stepped out onto the airplane gangway in Montreal on Oct. 8, 1951, a crowd of 15,000 before her on the tarmac. She was about to begin her first major royal visit, during which she would be the centre of attention.

And of course she would be worried about her father's health.

Her two-year-old son Charles and one-year-old daughter Anne stayed home.

A black handbag on her left arm trembled. "Only an iron self-control hid her overwhelming nervousness," wrote the legendary Pierre Berton.

33 days criss-crossing Canada

Over the next 33 days, the princess and prince would travel back and forth across Canada, under intense scrutiny.

In his 1953 book, God Save the Queen , Allan Michie of Life Magazine observed that Elizabeth "was not prepared for either the size or the warmth or the vociferousness of her welcome, or for a newly experienced familiarity in the approach to royalty."

Visit by the numbers

During her 33 days in Canada Princess Elizabeth:

• Shook hands at the rate of 30,00 times per week.
• Heard the national anthem played 150 times.
• Met 53 mayors.
• Inspected 24 guards of honour.
• Accepted official bouquets from 23 little girls.
• Signed 21 golden books.
• And survived it all.

(Source: Pierre Berton, The Royal Family , 1954)

There were no security crises in Quebec City or elsewhere, not counting an incident at a university football game in Vancouver.

Prince Philip was asked to autograph a football, but before he could, security officers seized the ball. Only after rushing off with the ball, deflating, carefully inspecting and then re-inflating it, did they allow the autographing ceremony to go ahead.

Cities strove to be most enthusiastic

In terms of fervour, Each major city would surpass the ones previously visited — or at least claim to have done so. "Enthusiasm of Toronto's outdoes Quebec, and Ottawa combined" headlined The Toronto Telegram, proclaiming the largest crowd in the city's history had assembled in City Hall Square on Oct. 11.

How many were there? "Nobody knows," the Globe and Mail reported the next day.

The day that story ran, the royal couple did a 48-kilometre driving tour through the Queen City, as Toronto was known in those days. "There looked to have been more than 1,000,000 and there may have been twice that many," George Bain reported in the Globe.

Three weeks later in Montreal, another drive, but this time the route was 120 kilometres and lasted seven hours. An estimated two million people lined the route, according to Trevor Hall in his book Royal Canada .

Next stop was a short visit to the U.S. and a meeting with President Harry Truman at the White House. Canadians were aghast at the way the American media pack went about their work.

In his 1953 book The Royal Family , Berton tells a story about how, once back in Canada, Elizabeth mocked the U.S. photographers while she did some filming of her own. While pointing the camera at her husband, she cried out in a nasally American voice, "Hey! You there! Hey, Dook! Look this way a sec! Dat's it! Thanks a lot!"

After almost five weeks of touring, the nervous princess who had flown into Canada left by ship from Portugal Cove, N.L., "a laughing, relaxed figure," according to Berton.

Three months later, she would begin her reign as Elizabeth II.

Princess Elizabeth had this to say about Canada, once she was back in the U.K.:

"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."

And she engaged in some prognostication:

"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."

Related Stories

• SPECIAL REPORT: The Royal Visit
• Queen Elizabeth's visits to Canada
• Profile Queen Elizabeth II
• VIDEO: Royal Wedding documentaries
• AUDIO: The Royal Family are given gifts in Calgary, Oct. 18, 1951
• AUDIO: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip at a mini-Stampede in Calgary, Oct. 18, 1951
• AUDIO: Princess Elizabeth visits Nanaimo (Oct. 26, 1951)
• AUDIO: Caribou slippers for Prince Charles (Oct. 26, 1951)

External Links

• Maple leaf brooch (worn by Princess Elizabeth, 1951, and Duchess of Cambridge, 2011)

Woman&Home

Queen Elizabeth II's 31 best royal tour moments

Posted: April 27, 2024 | Last updated: April 27, 2024

The late Queen went on countless tours in her lifetime; we look back on some of the most significant ones

The late Queen Elizabeth II arguably broke the mould when it came to royal tours abroad. Though such visits are commonplace among the royal family nowadays, the late monarch was the first Queen to ever travel the world so extensively in an official capacity, thanks to the serious advancements in travel during her reign.

This means that Elizabeth travelled to more countries abroad in an official capacity than any other royal Queen (or King) before her – in fact, it’s reported that the Queen undertook more than 200 royal visits abroad during her 70-year reign, visiting almost all of the countries in the Commonwealth at least once, and many of them numerous times.

To celebrate her many royal visits, we take a look at Queen Elizabeth's best tour moments ever. These are some of the Queen’s best royal tour moments from across the decades.

Her first Commonwealth tour with Philip

One of the Queen's best royal tour moments was undoubtedly her biggest tour ever, which took place just a year after becoming monarch.

After her coronation in 1952, the Queen and Prince Philip embarked on a mammoth tour of all of the Commonwealth nations at that time, which took place across six months between November 1953 to May 1954. In that time, the monarch and her husband visited countless different places within the West Indies, Australasia, Asia and Africa, and covered an enormous 44,000 miles travelling.

Her tour to Kenya as a Princess - when she became Queen

The biggest moment of any of the Queen’s international tours occurred when she and Prince Philip were in the midst of a royal tour of Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The couple made the trip in place of Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, who was considered to be too unwell to travel.

The royal couple were enjoying a brief respite from their duties when they stopped for a few days holiday at a quiet lodge (now known as the Treetops Hotel), around 100 miles from Nairobi.

However, it was here that the then-Princess Elizabeth learnt of father’s passing on 2nd February, meaning that she would be taking the throne at the age of just 25. Due to how remote the location was, the news of King George's passing took some time to reach Elizabeth and Philip, and it's reported that the young Princess was one of the last people within the hotel to find out about his death.

Her first royal tour to the US as monarch

In 1957, Elizabeth made her very first trip abroad to the United States as the monarch of the United Kingdom. Though she had been to America before, this was her very first trip as Queen.

During her four-day October visit, she and Prince Philip met the President at the time, Dwight D Eisenhower, at the White House, before making various visits to organisations within Washington DC. She and the Duke of Edinburgh also paid a visit to Williamsburg, Virginia, and New York City, where there was a large parade for the royals on the streets.

This wasn’t the President and Elizabeth’s first meeting, however. President Eisenhower had actually met Elizabeth as a young girl – back when she was Princess Elizabeth – during a meeting with her father King George.

The Queen’s trip to Russia in 1994

In 1994, Queen Elizabeth II made a historic visit to Russia, marking the very first time that a UK monarch had ever visited the country. Making the trip following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Queen was hosted by Russia’s President at the time, Boris Yeltsin, who governed the country from 1991 to 1999.

During a State dinner, both Elizabeth and the President acknowledged Russia’s troubled past, with Yeltsin explaining in his speech, "For Russia, this visit is the utmost recognition that our country is on the road to democracy."

The Queen concurred, making this statement in her own speech: "You and I have spent most of our lives believing that this evening could never happen. I hope that you are as delighted as I am to be proved wrong."

Queen Elizabeth remains the only UK monarch to have visited Russia during their reign. Charles did visit the country as the Prince of Wales, taking a trip to St. Petersburg in 1994, but has not returned since becoming King.

Her final return to Malta with Philip

In 2015, Elizabeth embarked on her final royal tour abroad, returning to Malta with Prince Philip – an island they had both spent lots of time in during their marriage. While this photo looks fairly unremarkable, it's one of our favourite pictures of the late monarchs because of its back story.

At the age of 89, the Queen and 91-year-old Philip spent three days on the island during their final visit, attending the 24th CHOGM meeting – where the Queen delivered a speech praising Malta – and meeting people they had known during their time living there.

The Queen and Prince Philip spent a couple of happy years living in Malta as young newlyweds; Philip was stationed there between 1949 and 1951 as a naval officer, and it’s said to be the place where Elizabeth spent some of the most ‘normal’ years of her life, living simply as husband and wife without the pressure of their royal duties back home in the UK. So it seems very fitting that their final trip abroad together was to the place where they spent so many happy years.

Her meeting with Ronald Reagan in 1983

The Queen had a very close friendship with former President of the United States Ronald Reagan, and further bolstered their relationship during a visit to his and his wife Nancy Reagan’s California ranch in 1983, after first hosting them at Windsor Castle in 1982.

It was a visit that mixed both personal and professional, as the Queen and Prince Philip stayed in their ranch in the mountains of Santa Barbara, enjoying a few horseback riding ventures around the estate during their few days there.

During her trip to California, the Queen also toured a Los Angeles film studio, attended an official dinner in San Francisco hosted by Ronald and Nancy Reagan (where she delivered a speech), toured the Bay area in the Royal Yacht Britannia toured Yosemite, and visited Stanford University.

Her historic visit to India in 1961

Queen Elizabeth’s 1961 visit to India was a highly significant one, as it was the very first visit from a UK monarch following the end of the rule of the British Empire in the country.

The country gained independence in 1947, but prior to this, Elizabeth’s parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother were considered Emperor and Empress of India – titles which ceased to be used following the end of the Empire in India.

As such, Queen Elizabeth’s visit to India in the early 60s was significant, as it was the first time a monarch had visited without being considered as 'head' of the country. During her trip, alongside Prince Philip, she paid a visit to the Taj Mahal and to New Delhi, and attended the annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. She also met with Mother Theresa, whom she presented with an honorary Order of Merit.

Her meeting with Nelson Mandela

In 1995, Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by Prince Philip, made her first official visit to South Africa as monarch – though she had visited previously in 1947, before she became Queen. The Queen was unable to take any visits to the country before the 90s, due to the ongoing apartheid there.

However, in 1995, Queen Elizabeth and Philip were invited by President Nelson Mandela to visit once again. Though the pair had met in Zimbabwe five years prior, this trip was the first time that Mandela had officially hosted the monarch. The visit was just a year after Mandela had been elected as President, so it was certainly a significant moment to see the meeting of two highly revered public figures.

Her trip to the races in 1970 in Sydney

Queen Elizabeth II indulged in one of the greatest passions in her life during a trip to Sydney, Australia, when she visited the Randwick Racecourse in April 1970 alongside Princess Anne.

She first visited the racecourse during her 1954 visit to the country, during which they named a race after her, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

During her second visit in the 70s, the horse Panvale won with 100/1 odds, and the apprentice jockey riding him, Peter Cook, won his first race as a jockey. To celebrate, the Queen presented Peter with his winning trophy, and appeared delighted at his early success in a sport she loved so much.

Riding an elephant in 1961 in India

During her 1961 trip to India following the breakdown of the British Empire, Queen Elizabeth II showed off her adventurous streak, opting to ride on top of an elephant in Jaipur.

She rode the elegantly decorated elephant within the courtyard of the royal palace, alongside Sir Man Singh, the Maharajah (Prince) of Jaipur at the time. To ensure she was dressed appropriately, the Queen is seen in the picture were a regal gold outfit. What a picture!

Her tour with Princess Anne and Prince Charles in Australia

In 1970, the Queen, Prince Philip, the then-Prince Charles and Princess Anne undertook a hugely popular tour of Australia, which coincided with the centenary of Captain James Cook’s sailing of the Australian coat in 1770.

The royal foursome drew huge crowds during the weeks-long tour, and toured around both Brisbane and Queensland whilst there, visiting the James Cook University, Green Island, the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Mount Isa and many more. While they carried out many engagements as a family, they also spent some time visiting organisations on their own; the Queen and Prince Philip, for example, visited the town of Longreach without their two eldest children.

A banquet on the floor in Tuvalu

In 1982, the Queen and her husband paid a visit to the island country of Tuvalu, in the South Pacific – the country formerly known as the Ellice Islands.

The couple spent two days in Tuvalu, during which they enjoyed a feast of traditional local dishes at a banquet which saw them seated on the floor and wearing floral headpieces; a rather unusual sight for the usually very formal Queen and her husband.

During their trip, the royal couple also ceremonially installed a piece of concrete at a future Parliament building. To mark the visit, a range of commemorative stamps were issued by the Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau. Since that visit, both King Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales have visited Tuvalu too.

Meeting crowds in New Zealand in 1977

The Queen was seen beaming from ear-to-ear on a walkabout during an official visit to New Zealand in 1977, which was made to mark her Silver jubilee and 25 years since her accession to the throne.

The Queen was accompanied by her husband the Duke of Edinburgh for this tour – and interestingly, the schedule they undertook actually mirrored that of the tour they took in 1953-1954, when Elizabeth first came to the throne, as an homage to her 25th year on the throne.

Everywhere the pair went they were greeted with adoring crowds lining the streets, ensuring it was a special moment for the royal couple.

Her significant tour of Sudan

During a time of significant political turmoil and unrest within the country, Queen Elizabeth took the time to pay an important visit to the Republic of the Sudan in February 1965.

It was a significant move due to the unrest there at the time, which many thought might make it dangerous for the UK monarch. However, it appears the Queen gladly spent a few days there and was greeted with a warm welcome, with crowds of onlookers lining the streets to say hello.

She spent part of her time on state duties whilst there, whilst also squeezing in the chance to explore some of her interests during the trip. For example, she spent her first day at the Khartoum racecourse, before then visiting the construction of the Roseires dam. She also visited the Gezira irrigation project in Medani, which had been set up by the British government some decades earlier.

Receiving local crafts in Mexico in 1975

The Queen made two trips to Mexico during her reign, and the first took place in 1975. She toured across Yucatán, Mexico City, Oaxaca, Guanajuato and Veracruz in the space of a week, and took in a whole range of sights and activities during that time.

She and Philip arrived on the royal yacht and headed straight to Mexico City. Whilst there, they had a meeting with former President Luis Echeverría and his wife, María, before heading to Oaxaca city. While there, they spent some time in the local markets being shown creations from locals. It’s even reported that they purchased a few items themselves!

Visiting a newly-unified Germany in 1990

The Queen paid a significant visit to Germany in 1990, shortly after the unification of East and West Germany as a result of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall.

The Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, signalling the end of the Cold War and the Soviet Union, which had occupied Germany for years. East and West Germany were officially unified on October 3, 1990, and the Queen visited towards the end of that month, at the tail-end of the political unrest.

While the Queen was largely welcomed in West Germany and had visited that area on previous tours, she met with a slightly more tense reaction when she visited Dresden in former East Germany, which had experienced more of a difficult relationship with the United Kingdom.

When she poked fun at Justin Trudeau

During her 2015 trip to Malta, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, delivering a speech to everyone gathered there. Before the meeting, the monarch and various heads of the other Commonwealth countries gathered for a State dinner, during which the then newly crowned Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, made a speech introducing Her Majesty.

During his speech, he noted that he was the 12th Canadian Prime Minister the Queen had seen during her reign – a comment which prompted a hilarious response from the lady herself. She opened her speech by saying, "Thank you, Mr Prime Minister of Canada, for making me feel so old!"

Dancing in Ottawa in 1951

It was rare to see Queen Elizabeth being anything less than formal, such was her important royal role as monarch.

However, in 1951, before she was Queen, she let her hair down during a royal tour of Canada with Prince Philip; her very first visit to the country.

During a private dance event at Ottawa’s Government House in between other official duties, the then-Princess Elizabeth was seen square dancing with her husband, wearing relaxed and informal American clothing.

The event was strictly invitation only, and largely included people from the Canadian government and their guests – but the pictures are certainly a brilliant memory of a more informal Elizabeth on a royal tour. Tony Griffin, an attendee at the event, recalls that the royal couple's dancing came quite naturally. He said that they "caught on very quickly, due in part to the pair's knowledge of Highland Dancing."

Kicking off a hockey game in Slovenia

In 2008, the Queen and Prince Philip paid a visit to Central Europe, embarking on a days-long tour of Slovakia and Slovenia in October of that year.

One of the best moments was during the couple’s last day of their visit to Slovakia when they attended an ice hockey game between Guildford Flames and the Aquacity Poprad.

Not only did the monarch look chic in a hat and a coat with a faux fur lining, but she also kicked off the game by ceremonially dropping the puck, alongside Slovakia’s Prime Minister.

Visiting Finland in 1976

Queen Elizabeth II looked happy and enthusiastic on a 1976 visit to Finland - her very first visit to the country.

She was joined by Prince Philip for this tour and as ever, it was a busy one. The couple toured the country’s capital of Helsinki and also spent time strolling around a Finnish forest. Elizabeth and her husband were officially hosted by the President at the time, Urho Kekkonen, and enjoyed an official dinner at the Presidential Palace one night, and an evening at his summer residence, too.

Waving from the royal yacht in Kuwait

Prince Philip and the Queen delighted crowds in Kuwait when they visited the country in February 1979.

Though the pair arrived via plane (a Concord no less), they also had the Royal Yacht Britannia on hand as they travelled on their three-week tour of the Gulf.

One of the most iconic images of this royal tour is the pair waving from the deck of the royal yacht at the start of the tour in Kuwait. The royal yacht was also where they hosted the Emir Of Kuwait at the time, Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, for a dinner reception. This moment was historic for another reason too; it was the very first time in history that a British monarch had visited the country.

On a boat in Funafuti, in Tuvalu

On the Queen and Elizabeth’s trip to Tuvalu in October of 1982 – their first royal trip to the island nation – the couple travelled there and back in the Royal Yacht Britannia, which they also used to move around the island.

But the yacht was unable to dock in the shallow water around Tuvalu, so the couple were required to be transported from the yacht to the shore and back, giving us one of the best Queen Elizabeth tour moments ever. The Queen and Philip were transported on a fleet of canoes that had been elaborately decorated by the locals, with the monarch in one and her husband in another. What a great moment!

Drinking from a coconut in Kiribati

Philip and Elizabeth made sure to get stuck into the local culture when they visited Kiribati in the South Pacific in 1982.

It was rare to ever see the Queen (or her husband) eat or drink anything while in view of the public on royal tours, so it was quite the moment to see the royal couple enjoy a sip from a coconut as part of their welcome ceremony in Tarawa, Kiribati. The couple enjoyed their drinks as they watched some traditional dancing from locals.

A visit to the Vatican to meet the Pope

The Queen visited a total of five different popes during various royal tours across her lifetime, but she arguably had a special connection with Pope John Paul II.

One of the most significant royal tour moments of the monarch’s life was when she visited the Vatican in Rome in October 2000. The Pope and the Queen, two of the biggest figureheads of the Catholic religion, shared a private conversation before exchanging gifts in Pope John Paul II's private office in the Vatican City. Before this, she had spent time at the Vatican with Pope John Paul II back in 1980, when she also delivered a speech in front of him and members of the clergy within the room.

Relaxed in Bahrain

A brilliant image of Queen Elizabeth on one of her countless royal tours is when she was captured looking relaxed whilst leaning across a chair to talk to the Emir of Bahrain at the time, Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, whilst the pair were taking in a day of horse racing and camel racing. The picture was taken during Elizabeth and Philip’s tour of the Gulf between February and March of 1979.

The image shows the monarch looking informal and engrossed in her conversation; a somewhat unusual picture of the Queen, as she was often seen in more formal positions, be it sat upright at a state dinner, or stating up for an audience with a Prime Minister.

On tour with King George, Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother

One of the biggest royal tours of Queen Elizabeth II’s life was her 1947 tour alongside her parents, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and her sister Princess Margaret. It was the first time that the immediate royal family had undertaken a royal tour together as adults, and the then-Princess Elizabeth even celebrated her 21st birthday during that tour, making it a very special trip indeed.

The foursome visited an enormous 400 cities during this tour covering over 10,000 miles mostly by train. It was also the first State visit abroad from the royal family since 1939, as a result of the lack of travelling that was possible during the Second World War.

It was also on this tour that Princess Elizabeth made her now iconic speech from the grounds of Government House in Cape Town, South Africa. To mark her 21st birthday, she delivered the now world-famous line: "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service."

Inspecting a guard of honour in Trinidad

On a royal tour of the Caribbean in 1996, the Queen inspected a guard of honour at the Teteron Barracks in Trinidad, a military base that formed part of Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force.

The image is strikingly similar to many taken in the UK. The Queen would often inspect UK military troops during important milestones, such as the annual Trooping the Colour celebrations.

The Queen’s visit to Trinidad & Tobago formed part of a larger, and very busy, Caribbean tour, in which she and the Duke of Edinburgh stopped in Saint Kitts & Nevis, the Bahamas, Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Montserrat, and many more.

Taking a photo in Sri Lanka

Though most of her life was spent in front of the camera, on the rare occasion, Queen Elizabeth II was seen taking photographs of her own during her royal tours. One such occasion was during an October 1981 trip to Sri Lanka.

During this trip, the Queen was photographed taking a snap on her Canon Sure Shot 110 camera, one of her many beloved cameras. It wasn’t clear what she was taking a photo of, but the aim of the trip – the second of three she made during her reign – was to visit the construction of Sri Lanka’s Victoria Dam, Sri Lanka’s largest hydroelectric project, which was constructed by a UK firm.

A serious fashion moment with Anne in Vienna

In 1969, the Queen, Prince Philip, and their only daughter, Princess Anne, undertook a visit to Austria. The family started their tour in Vienna, where they visited the Spanish Riding School, took in a Horse Show, and attended a glamorous Gala Reception held by the Austrian President at the time, Franz Jonas.

But arguably the highlight of the proceedings in Vienna was when Anne, the Queen and Philip hosted a Return Banquet for the Austrian President. For the special evening, both Anne and her mother coordinated brilliantly in some fantastically glamorous outfits and tiaras.

While Anne wore a seriously chic white gown and tiara, the Queen matched her daughter in a stunning green ensemble, and the glittering Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, making for an iconic fashion moment.

Her final visit to Canada in 2010

Queen Elizabeth undertook her final tour of Canada in 2010, and it was an important visit, as Canada was the country the monarch visited the most throughout her 70-year reign.

It’s estimated that she undertook 22 different royal tours of Canada, one of the member states of the Commonwealth, so it was fitting that it was one of her very final visits abroad at the age of 84.

But despite being in her 80s, she and Philip’s trip to Canada was no less busy than usual! They visited between June and July, meaning they were there for Canada Day, a day of annual celebrations. In fact, it was the seventh time the Queen was in the country for Canada Day. In a speech on Parliament Hill that day, she highly praised the country, saying, "This nation has dedicated itself to being a caring home for its own, a sanctuary for others and an example to the world."

Her 1986 visit to China

Queen Elizabeth II was the very first UK monarch to visit China in 1986, and it was considered to be an important visit in bolstering relations between China and the United Kingdom.

During the trip, the Queen and Prince Philip were shown numerous important sites in China, including the Great Wall, as well as the Forbidden City in Beijing. She also visited the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an. This remains the only visit to China from a serving British monarch; Charles and William have both visited the country previously, but not (of course) as the UK monarch.

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The Royal Family Celebrates Queen Elizabeth II’s Birthday With a Few Photographs

By Erin Vanderhoof

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Nearly two years after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her birthday, April 21, is becoming a day when both the royal family—and the rest of the nation—celebrate the legacy of Britain’s longest-serving monarch. This year , King Charles III and Queen Camilla spent the weekend at Balmoral Castle , where the late queen died in September 2022, and on Sunday , which would have been her 98th birthday, the couple were spotted on their way to nearby Crathie Kirk.

According to a former butler for the royals who spoke to Slingo , the family likely continued honoring the queen during the rest of the day. “Privately, I have no doubt they'll raise a toast to her in the evening,” said Grant Harrold, per People . “I'm sure the day will very much be spent reflecting on the late queen.”

On Instagram, Sarah Ferguson remembered her mother-in-law with a photograph taken on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during 2022’s Platinum Jubilee. “Thank you for all that you have taught us, for being a steadfast leader and dear friend,” she wrote . “You are sorely missed.”

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The Royals Collection Trust, which cares for and curates the royal collections, honored the late queen with an image taken during her teenage years. The photograph by Cecil Beaton will be part of a new palace exhibition called Royal Portraits, which will open next month in the King’s Gallery.

According to The Telegraph , a few corgis were on hand during one tribute to the late queen. On Sunday, the first posthumous statue of Queen Elizabeth was unveiled in the town of Oakham, Rutland, in England’s East Midlands, and the bronze sculpture by artist Hywel Pratley features three life-size corgis climbing on the plinth. To celebrate the unveiling, the Welsh Corgi League brought 46 of the queen’s beloved breed to the event, and they could be heard barking during a speech by Sarah Furness, the Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland who commissioned the statue.

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