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Princess Elizabeth and Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, embarking on the H.M.C.S. Crusader for Victoria, October 21, 1951 NA-42089 |
Queen Elizabeth began her royal duties more than 50 years ago, at a time when including children on royal tours was not considered practical. She had not accompanied her parents on their tour in 1939, and for her first visit to the province in 1951 it was deemed wiser to leave her small children Prince Charles and Princess Anne behind. This cannot have been easy. The royal couple’s evident warmth towards the children they met on tour can be seen in the photographs and films at the Archives.
| Motion Picture: Royal Visit 1951 | |
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View A Small
MPEG Movie View A Medium MPEG Movie 320 X 240 pixels, 2855 K file size |
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Presentations by children to Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh during their visit to Vancouver, 1951, with audio |
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| Excerpt from V1986:41/1 REF | |
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Presentation of flowers to Princess Margaret, July 1958
NA-40294 |
Tour organizers knew that these moments provided good photo opportunities and many a flower-girl has been presented over the decades to members of the Royal Family
Leaving her home for an extended period of time in 1951 was doubly difficult for the then Princess Elizabeth as her father, George VI, had recently been seriously ill. She makes reference to this in her speech to the welcoming crowds in Vancouver. Sadly, he died just a few months later while she was visiting Kenya.
| Motion Picture: Royal Visit 1951 | |
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View A Small
MPEG Movie View A Medium MPEG Movie 320 X 240 pixels, 4605 K file size |
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Princess Elizabeth's speech of thanks to Vancouver crowds, 1951, with audio |
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| Excerpt from V1986:41/1 REF (F19984:11/38.1-3) | |
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Enthusiastic crowds with signs in Victoria welcoming Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip I-61925 |
As Queen Elizabeth’s children became young adults they were invited to accompany their parents, and all of this generation of the Royal Family has now visited the province. Princess Anne toured with her parents in 1971 as part of the province’s Centennial Celebrations. Prince Edward acted as the Royal Patron for the Commonwealth Games in Victoria in 1994. The Prince of Wales has visited Pearson College in Metchosin on several occasions in his capacity as President of the United World College, and Prince Andrew accompanied Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, for a brief visit to Vancouver in 1978.
Diana, Princess of Wales, broke with tradition by taking her young children with her on official visits occasionally, but neither was brought along for the western portion of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ cross-country tour in 1986 and their visit to Expo ’86. However, the youngest generation of the Royal Family, Princes William and Harry, have since visited British Columbia with their father, turning heads at Whistler in 1998. Once Prince William turns 21 he can be expected to undertake more official duties overseas.
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