Pomp, Precision and Protocol

On the surface, Royal Visits appear to run seamlessly and with great decorum. Achieving this has always been a challenge, and the whole operation is very much like a complicated dance. All the participants must know their parts! Numerous pamphlets in the Archives library and records from the Department of the Provincial Secretary show how highly choreographed each event must be.

For the visit of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1951, Premier Byron Johnson was issued a 13-page pamphlet (NW 971.V831e) printed by the Provincial Committee of Arrangements that outlined every moment of the three-day visit to Vancouver and Victoria which would require his participation.

Departmental copy of personal letter from Paschal de Noe Walker, Deputy Provincial Secretary to A.L. Crease about the availability of viewing space in the Legislative Buildings, May 12, 1939 GR-0155, Reel B08469

Even "spontaneous" opportunities for chats and applause from the crowds were built in to the minute-by-minute schedule. Only the Royal Visitors had the freedom to alter it, although as the pamphlet notes, they were often shepherded so tightly that they were required to leave events "irrespective of whether [the] programme [had] ended or not".

The Royal "walkabouts" first seen during the visit of George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Canada were highly unusual as they truly were spontaneous. Now part of the tradition of Royal Visits, they still cause consternation amongst those responsible for the split-second timing of the event, and their security advisors.

Motion Picture: Royal Visit to Victoria
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Walkabout by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth during their departure from Victoria in May 12, 1939
Excerpt from V1987:53/2 REF (silent)

Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, laying the cornerstone of the new Museum and Archives complex in Victoria, March 19, 1966 F-08213

Even very short "unofficial" visits required a vast amount of preparation and co-ordination, and jet refuelling and rest stops in British Columbia for members of the Royal Family were tightly scheduled. When Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother visited in 1966 on her way to Australia she spent just over 24 hours in British Columbia, but during that time she flew from Vancouver to Victoria, had dinner with the Lieutenant Governor, spent the night at Government House and then laid the cornerstone of the new Provincial Museum and Archives complex before heading back to Vancouver in order to depart for Australia at precisely 11:59 p.m.

Motion Picture: Princess Margaret at Reception
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Princess Margaret at the Lieutenant-Governor's Ball held in H.M.C.S. Discovery, Vancouver, July 25, 1958. The Princess was escorted by the Lieutenant-Governor, Frank Mackenzie Ross, and R.W. Bonner, Q.C., the Attorney-General
Excerpt from V2002:05/1.2 REF (silent)

The whirlwind of events usually includes a number of formal receptions, dinners and dances.

A formidable number of staff must accompany the royals to assist with transportation, protocol, security, clothing, jewelry, and grooming. The list of staff accompanying the Queen Mother for her 1966 visit included a Clerk Accountant, two Lady Secretaries, a Detective, a Steward, a Page, two Dressers, two Ladies in Waiting, a Captain of the Queen’s Flight, an Equerry, a Footman, a Hairdresser, and two maids for the Ladies in Waiting. For longer visits, the Royal Party may double in size, and often includes a surgeon.

Motion Picture: Royal Visit to Victoria
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Royal Suite at Government House in Victoria, as it appeared during the 1939 Royal Visit
Excerpt from V1987:53/2 REF (silent)

Accommodation and transportation for each member of the staff is provided by the host government, in addition to luxurious suites for the royals.

May 9, 1939 letter from Georgina Murray (later known as the famous Lillooet newspaper editor "Ma Murray") to Paschal de Noe Walker, Deputy Provincial Secretary. In it she describes her plans to wear a "nice blue dress", which she had knitted herself, to a luncheon for the King and Queen GR-0155, Reel B08468

The protocol which must be observed during a Royal Visit can be quite nerve-wracking for the uninitiated. To prevent a faux-pas, anyone who is expected to have contact with the royal party is well-briefed in advance. Dress codes and etiquette instructions are distributed in advance, and are just as important for the men as the women.

Princess Margaret meeting local officials in Kelowna, July 19, 1958. Premier W.A.C. Bennett and his wife stand behind the Princess I-61926

As the films and photographs in the Archives document, it is traditional for women to curtsy, and men to bow, upon first meeting a member of the Royal Family. This is not obligatory, but a courtesy which adds to the formality of an occasion.

Motion Picture: Royal Visit to Victoria
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King George VI and Queen Elizabeth being assisted out of their car at Ogden Point, May 31, 1939
Excerpt from V1987:53/2 REF (silent)

The members of the royal party are usually well-versed in their particular role at an event, but staff are always on hand to make sure that they are escorted appropriately and that the correct precedence is always observed. Even the correct sequence of disembarkation from a car is laid out in advance.