queen mother visits to canada

QUEEN MOTHER'S KEY VISITS TO CANADA

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1939: A six-week visit by King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth covered Canada from coast to coast. The trip took place shortly before the start of the Second World War and was the royal couple's first to any Commonwealth country. They also visited the United States. 1954: The Queen Mother visited Ottawa for five days. 1962: She visited Montreal for the centenary celebration of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada as its colonel-in-chief. 1965: The Queen Mother came to Canada for a five-day visit to coincide with the jubilee celebration of the Toronto Scottish Regiment. 1967: She toured the Atlantic provinces for 13 days in July, receiving an honorary degree at Dalhousie University in Halifax. She was disappointed, however, that she didn't have time to try out a new fishing creel -- a wicker basket -- she had been given. 1974: She visited Canada for six days in June in connection with the presentation of new colours for the Toronto Scottish Regiment in Toronto and the Black Watch in Montreal. 1979: She helped commemorate the 120th anniversary of Woodbine racetrack and, before leaving Toronto's Pearson International Airport, insists on meeting a police officer who was injured after falling off his motorcycle in the escort to the track. 1981: The Queen Mother Spent seven days at the end of June and the beginning of July in Halifax and Toronto. 1987: She was in Montreal for four-day visit in June to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Black Watch. 1989: She took a six-day tour to mark the 50th anniversary of her first visit to Canada. She unexpectedly asked for a tour of the new SkyDome in Toronto and expressed her regret at not being able to attend a concert or baseball game in the stadium. "That would have been fun." CP

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Her Majesty and Canada

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some notable comments:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Queen Mother

Article by Patricia Treble , Barry Came

Published Online March 17, 2003

Last Edited December 5, 2013

This article was originally published in Maclean's Magazine on July 24, 2000

Neither age nor infirmity have managed to dull her sharp wit, especially if someone tampers with the Queen Mum's drink. The Archbishop of Canterbury discovered that recently, to his momentary dismay. It happened late last month, during a lavish luncheon at London's 15th-century Guildhall, where 500 guests had gathered to commemorate the Queen Mother's upcoming 100th birthday on Aug. 4. As the assembled throng rose for a toast, the royal matriarch searched in vain for her own glass of 1988 Château Léoville-Barton, only to find it clutched securely in the archiepiscopal grasp of Dr. George Carey, head of the Church of England. "That's mine," she brusquely declared, delivering a look of stern rebuke. Suffused with a flush as purple as his robes, the archbishop stammered an apology and, amidst rippling laughter from the guests, hastily returned the inadvertently purloined wine.

For much of the past century, Elizabeth, mother of the reigning Queen who bears her name, has been performing similar feats. Blue eyes aglint with just a hint of mischief, the tiny figure in the big hat has charmed her way into British affections, and those of much of the rest of the world, with a winning smile, a well-developed sense of humour and near-perfect timing. Of all the members of Britain's ruling House of Windsor, she is by far the most popular. More than 50 years before Diana, the late Princess of Wales, was dubbed "Queen of Hearts," the woman who is now the Queen Mother wore the very same label. Fond of a tipple and a flutter - a bet - on the horses, she can strike a chord among common folk, even if her roots are anything but ordinary. To many, she actually is the Royal Family, embodying all that is best about the country's monarchy: the sense of dignity and duty, the doughty determination to persevere in the face of adversity, whether it be the trials of war or the tribulations of family scandal. "The British love her," says veteran royal watcher Harold Brooks-Baker, publishing director of Burke's Peerage , the guide to royal and noble pedigree, "because they see in her everything they like most about themselves."

The fact that much of the Queen Mother's popular image is myth, largely of her own making, does not really matter. There might not be a British monarchy today if she had not been around to nurse it through moments of great crisis, when the very existence of the ancient institution was called into question. Almost single-handedly, she turned her husband, the man who became George VI, from an awkward, stuttering, neurosis-ridden aristocrat into a king, rescuing his crown for him when his brother, Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936. Not for nothing did Adolf Hitler once describe her as "the most dangerous woman in Europe."

As a propagandist, she left even Hitler's notorious image-maker, Josef Göbbels, trailing far behind in the wake of her fluffy, feathered gowns. Before the Second World War began, she was instrumental in cementing alliances with Canada and other Commonwealth countries, not to mention the United States, that would prove critical. When the war started, she formed, along with her husband and Winston Churchill, the bulldog triumvirate that stiffened British resolve during the darkest days of the conflict. She won a lasting place in the affections of wartime Britain when Buckingham Palace was bombed by the Germans and she famously remarked: "I'm glad it happened. Now I can look the residents of the East End in the face." As she later confessed: "It was the war that made us."

The Queen Mother was there throughout the scandal-plagued years of marital disasters that descended upon the House of Windsor in recent times, ever-smiling, rock steady in her pastel frocks and flowing hats, a living symbol of an earlier era when British rule held sway over one-quarter of the globe. Of all the blessings that she bestowed upon the British throne, there is perhaps none as significant as the transformation she wrought in the Royal Family itself. When Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon married the Duke of York, as the future king was known, in 1923, Britain's royals were a stuffy lot, a stiff, imperious clan of Hanoverians, as Teutonic in style and manner as their German forebears. Her father-in-law, King George V, was cold and aloof, responsible, in large part, for fostering the ills that plagued all of his children. His wife, Queen Mary, was even more formidable. "Talking to the Queen," wrote Chips Channon, the ubiquitous courtier and gossipy diarist of the era, "was like having a conversation with St. Paul's Cathedral."

The future Queen brought a breath of fresh air to the clan, as bracing as the Scottish highlands where her roots lay. She has been around for so long that few today can recall what the British royals were like in the early years of the last century. "They never smiled and they never, ever mingled with the common herd," wrote Robert Lacey, one of the Queen Mum's many biographers, in The Queen Mother's Century , published last year. When Elizabeth married the Duke of York at Westminster Abbey, it was decided not to broadcast the ceremonies over the newly created British Broadcasting Co. The Archbishop of Canterbury feared that men in pubs might be sipping beer with their hats on while listening to the nuptials, and might even fail to stand to attention when the national anthem was played.

The Scots lass changed all of that. She literally invented the royal walkabout, long before her granddaughter-in-law, the doomed Diana, perfected the art. An adoring press soon christened her "The Smiling Duchess," and sometimes, in reference to her five-foot, two-inch stature, "The Little Duchess." She was forever diving into crowds, as she would do during her and her husband's month-long, coast-to-coast tour of Canada in 1939, the first of 15 visits she would pay to the country. Journalist Gregory Clark captured the spirit of that prewar, post-Depression royal visit by writing in The Toronto Daily Star : "In a world full of fear, anxiety and misgiving, we decked our streets for them, and a melancholy seemed to lift from us."

There is an irony in all of this, one of the many puzzling aspects about the Queen Mother's enduring appeal. She may well possess an uncanny knack for connecting with the crowd, but there is absolutely nothing ordinary about her own values, background and bloodlines. "The little girl who would one day become Queen started life in the cocoon of extraordinary privilege," noted Ingrid Seward in her 1999 biography The Last Great Edwardian Lady . "Born in the high summer of Imperial Britain, into a family both ancient and grand, hers was a society secure in its certainties, assured of its pre-eminence, set in its castes."

Elizabeth's father was the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, descended from a line of medieval Scots warlords. Her mother could count among her ancestors the 3rd Duke of Portland, prime minister to King George III. There are still Scottish aristocrats today who would argue that the Queen Mother actually married beneath herself when she wed into the House of Windsor. Glamis Castle, the Strathmores' family seat, is the oldest inhabited castle in the Highlands, home, in fable at least, to Shakespeare's Macbeth. There were also three other mansions, including a castle among the coalfields and ironworks of County Durham in northern England, the source of the Strathmores' industrial wealth.

Biographer Seward, who is also editor-in-chief of London's Majesty magazine, makes the cogent argument that the Queen Mother never left the world of rank and privilege into which she was born. In the cost-conscious world of the contemporary House of Windsor, the Queen Mother stands alone. She has a passion for horse-racing and entertainment, and freely indulges in both. And there are rarely fewer than 14 for lunch and dinner, especially when she is in residence at Clarence House, the cream stucco mansion just down the road from Buckingham Palace that is her London home.

Most of her guests leave well-lubricated. Though she is understood to have curbed her alcohol intake of late, more than one guest has privately remarked that she enjoyed "leg-buckling" cocktails of gin mixed with Dubonnet before lunch, as well as "a vodka martini or three" before dinner, until well into her 90s. In Scotland, the Queen Mother divides her time between Birkhall, a mansion in the southeast corner of the 20,000-hectare royal estate at Balmoral, and the lonely Castle of Mey, further north on Scotland's Pentland Firth. Mey, which annually costs $1 million to maintain, is used for just six weeks every year. A staff of close to 50 is required to run the three residences, as well as the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park where she often spends weekends. "Even her dogs - never fewer than two - live well," writes Seward. "At night they sleep in her dressing room in their own metal-framed foldaway beds with slipcovers for easy washing."

Last year, as usual, the Queen Mother spent the entire $1.5 million annually allotted to her by the British taxpayers - the so-called Civil List, used to pay for staffing and other official royal expenditures. Only two other royals are on the list, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. Neither came close to spending their annual allotments last year. (The rest of the Royal Family's expenses, with the exception of Prince Charles, are paid from the Queen's private resources; Charles draws his income - estimated at $10 million this year - from the profits of the Duchy of Cornwall Land Holdings and Investments.) To further fund her lifestyle, the Queen Mother has, according to persistent reports, run up an overdraft of $10 million with Coutts, bankers to the British establishment. It will, in all probability, never be paid. Not that the managers at Coutts are worried, given other persistent rumours that the Queen herself constantly makes up for shortfalls in "Mummy's" income.

If the Queen Mother is anything but thrifty, she is also not quite the sugar-sweet old lady often portrayed in public. "I am not really very nice," she once admitted in a rare moment of candour. She waged a lifelong vendetta with Wallis Simpson, for whom Edward VIII gave up the throne. In the Queen Mum's view, Simpson was responsible for bringing the British monarchy to the brink of extinction. A half-century later, Diana confronted the same hostility when she, too, threatened to bring harm to the House of Windsor. Not even Diana's tragic death nearly three years ago mellowed the Queen Mother. Even when public emotion turned against the Royal Family, the Queen Mother was moved to acidly remark that Diana was proving to be "as tedious in death as she had been in life."

The sentiment may have been harsh. But it is not all that difficult to grasp the Queen Mother's likely motivation. Both Simpson and Diana threatened the institution to which she has devoted her long life. The British monarchy today is, in many respects, the result of the nurturing it has received in her capable hands. The crowds expected to attend the 100th birthday pageant on July 19 at Horse Guards Parade in London, not to mention the actual birthday celebrations on Aug. 4, may not be fully aware of her role. But the diminutive figure in the large hat who will be standing in the royal box, reviewing the troops and bands assembled in her honour, knows exactly what she accomplished. She rescued the House of Windsor from an uncertain fate, then re-created it in her own image. And woe to any who would tear it down.

A Royal Snapshot

1895 : Prince Albert, second son of the future King George V and Queen Mary in line to the British throne, born at Sandringham in Norfolk

1900 : Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon born in London

1916-1919 : Elizabeth helps administer Red Cross hospital in Glamis Castle (childhood home), Scotland, for the wounded of the First World War

1923 : Elizabeth and Albert, now the Duke of York, married at Westminster Abbey

1926 : Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of York, the future Queen, born in London

1930 : Princess Margaret Rose of York born at Glamis Castle

1936 : Edward VIII abdicates for the "woman he loves," Wallis Simpson, and the Yorks become George VI and Queen Elizabeth

1939 : Visit to Canada (the first by a reigning monarch) and the United States

1947 : Princess Elizabeth and Lieut. Philip Mountbatten marry in Westminster Abbey

1952 : George VI dies at Sandringham; Queen Elizabeth II's coronation takes place the following year

1960 : Princess Margaret marries Antony Armstrong-Jones

1989 : The Queen Mother's last visit to Canada, on the 50th anniversary of her first trip

1995 : Right hip replaced; second hip replaced three years later

1999 : The Queen Mother carries out 114 engagements

Maclean's July 24, 2000

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History Through Our Eyes: June 11, 1962, a visit from the Queen Mum

Known for her charm, pluck and quick wit, she was in her day almost certainly the most popular member of the royal family.

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Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was the widow of King George VI and the mother of Queen Elizabeth II. Known for her charm, pluck and quick wit, she was in her day almost certainly the most popular member of the royal family. Her 1962 visit to Montreal brought out the crowds, at least in the western half of the city, and we gave it extensive coverage.

Upon her arrival at Dorval airport on June 7, the Queen Mum, as she was more familiarly known, had been greeted by Governor General Georges Vanier and his wife; Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and his wife; as well as a crowd of about 2,000 people, we reported.

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During her almost four-day visit, Elizabeth presented new colours to the Black Watch in front of 22,000 spectators at Molson Stadium, visited the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and dedicated a stained glass window at the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, among other events. On June 11, a Monday, we provided more than two full pages of coverage, summing up the weekend’s activities.

This photo, published in that edition, shows the Queen Mother with Mayor Jean Drapeau and his wife at a formal dinner in her honour June 9 at the city-owned Hélène de Champlain Restaurant on Île-Ste-Hélène.

“She told Mayor Jean Drapeau the last time she was in Montreal she sang Alouette with Mayor Houde. Drapeau and the Queen Mother promptly broke into a duet and other guests joined in,” we wrote. Her previous visit to the city had been in 1939. She visited again in 1974 and 1987.

The Queen Mother died in 2002, at age 101.

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Graduating McGill student makes spitting motion at officials at convocation ceremony

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Queen Mother Visits Canada

What Canada meant to the Queen

Monarch made 22 official visits to the country, spoke of it as ‘home’.

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When Queen Elizabeth began her last visit to Canada, she talked of coming "home."

"Canadians have, by their own endeavours, built a country and society which is widely admired across the world. I am fortunate to have been a witness to many of the developments and accomplishments of modern Canada," she said after she arrived in Halifax in 2010.

"As Queen of Canada for nearly six decades, my pride in this country remains undimmed. Thank you again for your welcome. It is very good to be home."

That remark 12 years ago was hardly the only time Elizabeth offered such a view of Canada.

• Are you planning on watching Queen Elizabeth's funeral on Sept. 19? Tell us where you'll be watching from and how in an email to  [email protected] .

And it echoed frequently after her death on Thursday, when former Canadian prime ministers and the current Governor General offered their thoughts and condolences.

"Her Majesty cared about people, about our well-being. This was clear every time we spoke. She cared about Canada, and all the unique stories that make up our beautiful country," Gov. Gen. Mary Simon said. "She learned our stories as she visited every corner of Canada during her many royal tours. She called Canada her 'second home.'"

WATCH | Gov. Gen. Mary Simon reflects on the Queen:

Queen taught us 'to lead with understanding and respect': Governor General

Several hallmarks of Elizabeth's 70-year reign — her devotion to duty and her role — are well-known, but what she really thought when it came to matters of state and politics was not.

Yet from her earliest visit to Canada — in 1951, as Princess Elizabeth, before she became Queen — she offered comments on the impressions she had of the country.

• The Queen in Canada: 22 visits during her reign
• From the Queen's death to her funeral, here's the sequence of royal events to watch

"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," she said after returning to the United Kingdom, following the trip she had made on behalf of her ailing father, King George VI.

She also 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."

Turns out she was drawn to Canadian shores for 22 official visits, making it the country she visited most in the Commonwealth. 

'Canada was the country she visited the most'

Canada was the "senior dominion," said John Fraser, author of The Secret of the Crown: Canada's Affair with Royalty , something he thinks "actually resonated with her."

"We were the lynchpin, one of the key flying buttresses of her Commonwealth mystique," he added.

"Canada was the country she visited the most and clearly because it's the one she could resonate most clearly her commitment to the Commonwealth."

WATCH | Former prime minister Brian Mulroney remembers the Queen:

Brian Mulroney on his relationship with Queen Elizabeth

Thinking about all this prompted Fraser, founding president and a fellow of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada, to recall a moment when a reference to the Queen popped up in a conversation he had with Mark Carney, just before the former head of the Bank of Canada took up his post as head of the Bank of England in 2013. 

"He said, 'You'll be amused to know that when the Queen was informed that a Canadian was going to be the new head of the Bank of England,' she said, 'Good, Canadians are sensible.'"

Beyond her appreciation for Canada "for its own sake" and as the "senior of the realms," Fraser said, Elizabeth found listening to a Canadian prime minister could be useful in her dealings with a British prime minister.

In the summer of 1973, Ottawa was hosting the second Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. But the British prime minister of the day, Edward Heath, wasn't so keen on those meetings.  

"Heath advised [the Queen] not to come to Canada because [Ugandan President] Idi Amin was coming, and Heath of course hated the Commonwealth and was pushing to get England into the European Community," said Fraser.

In the end, according to author Philip Murphy in his book, Monarchy and the End of Empire, the palace accepted an invitation from the Canadian prime minister of the day — Pierre Trudeau — for the Queen to attend, with her accepting as the Queen of Canada.

"The Queen was able to parlay the advice from her Canadian prime minister, who happened to be the host, to counter the advice she got from her British prime minister," Fraser said Thursday.

"There were practical things that her being head of state of Canada allowed her to do to control her other prime ministers."

WATCH | Former prime minister Jean Chrétien recalls Queen Elizabeth:

'She was a fantastic person': Jean Chrétien on Queen Elizabeth

'not just a fair-weather friend'.

As much as the Queen frequently said Canada was "home," there could have been some politics at work in that, too.

She was also "home in Australia, also home in New Zealand," Fraser said. 

Speeches by royal visitors like the Queen and her successor — now King Charles, who visited Canada in May — are written and/or cleared by the Canadian government. One notable speech came at a time when Canada was mired in constitutional problems after the collapse of the Meech Lake Accord.

While visiting Ottawa on Canada Day in 1990, she reminded Canadians that she is "not just a fair-weather friend."

"She said she was glad to be there during a difficult time, that was why she said that she wasn't just there for the happy times — that goes with the business, and I think it was sincere," said Fraser.

Another difficult moment in Quebec in 1964 could also have left its mark on the Queen, when anti-royal and separatist demonstrators chanted "Elizabeth stay at home." 

"I'm sure the famous trip to Quebec [in 1964], when the backs were turned on her … that clearly must have factored in her thinking and part of her evolution of her understanding of her role, that these volatile things can happen even in secure dominions," said Fraser. 

"I'm sure that had some effect on her."

• Queen Elizabeth, Canada's head of state, dead at 96
• Analysis What Queen Elizabeth's lifetime of duty should mean to us now

Last public statement was to Canada

Canada was also on the Queen's mind in her final days.

"I would like to extend my condolences to those who have lost loved ones in the attacks that occurred this past weekend in Saskatchewan," she said in her last public statement , which was issued on Wednesday, the day before her death.

"My thoughts and prayers are with those recovering from injuries, and grieving such horrific losses. I mourn with all Canadians at this tragic time."

The Queen's representative in Saskatchewan, Lt.-Gov. Russ Mistry, said that with her death, "the world has lost a remarkable individual," one who exemplified integrity, humility, inner strength and outward grace.

"As Queen of Canada, she remarked often on the service of our citizens, our commitment to multiculturalism and our potential to influence the world," Mistry said in a statement .

• 'I will miss her so': Trudeau mourns the death of Canada's Queen

"Her Majesty was very fond of Canada and Canadians and thought of our country as her home away from home. She was committed to reconciliation and acknowledged the painful history that Indigenous peoples endured in residential schools in Canada, as well as the work that remains to heal and to continue to build an inclusive society," he said.

"While we mourn her loss, we can also give thanks for her extraordinary contributions to Canada and the world." 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Janet Davison is a CBC senior writer and editor based in Toronto.

With files from CBC News

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Queen mother in toronto.

Canada is celebrating their 150th Anniversary of Confederation on July 1st. The British Royal Family is also the Royal Family of Canada, and the country holds a special significance as the place most visited by the Queen. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will be in attendance at a few events celebrating the event. In the run up to July 1st, we will be covering previous Royal Tours of Canada. For the first in this series, take a look at the Queen Mother visit to Toronto for the 50th anniversary of the Toronto Scottish Regiment on this day in 1965-

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The Queen Mother met with Toronto Mayor Philip Gineus, and received flowers from 4-year-old Cynthia Hourigan in her parents’ garden in Hamilton. The Queen Mother also viewed Northern Dancer; the 1964 Queen’s Plate and Kentucky Derby winner; who had retired to E. P. Taylor’s National Stud Farm north of Oshawa.

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In the evening, the Queen Mother attended a Banquet the Royal York hotel given for the Toronto Scottish Regiment by the Empire Club of Canada. She was the regiment’s colonel-in-chief.

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For the Banquet, the Queen Mother wore a Norman Hartnell gown with the Greville Tiara , Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace , and the Greville Diamond Pear-drop Earrings .

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are some highlighfts from her visits:

1. Fall 1951

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Fall 1957

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

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

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

3. Summer 1959

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Summer 1967

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

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

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

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

5. Spring 1982

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

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

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

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

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

6. Summer 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Royal visit: A king and queen are coming to Upstate NY

• Updated: Jun. 06, 2024, 8:49 a.m. |
• Published: Jun. 06, 2024, 8:29 a.m.

Queen Maxima of The Netherlands and King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands wave during King’s Day celebrations on April 27, 2024 in Emmen, Netherlands. King Willem-Alexander and his family are celebrating King's Day and his eleventh anniversary as King of the Netherlands in Emmen. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images) Getty Images

• Geoff Herbert | [email protected]

Practice your bows and curtsies: European royalty is coming to Upstate New York this month.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, of the Netherlands, will visit Albany on Wednesday, June 12, as part of a days-long trip to the U.S. highlighting bilateral ties between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United States. The Dutch king and queen will also visit Georgia, the Netherlands’ 10th largest U.S. trade partner, and New York City between June 10-13.

According to the Times-Union , King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima are scheduled to visit Gov. Kathy Hochul at the Governor’s Mansion on Wednesday, meet CEOs of Dutch companies active in the Capital Region, and tour the NY CREATES nanotech hub near the University at Albany. The king will also give remarks at a business seminar about furthering cooperation in semiconductor research, development and production.

The royals are also scheduled for an afternoon trip to the Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site, once the home of Dutch General Philip J. Schuyler and his wife, Catherine Van Rensselaer, for a discussion on climate change with youth. Schuyler was a Revolutionary War general and a U.S. Senator in America’s first Congress; the mansion is where his daughter Elizabeth Schuyler married Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.

King Willem-Alexander is also expected to deliver a short address at a network event at the Governor’s Mansion in the evening.

King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, Queen Máxima of The Netherlands, Princess Amalia of The Netherlands and Princess Alexia of The Netherlands at the balcony of Palace Noordeinde at Prinsjesdag on September 19, 2023 in The Hague, Netherlands. Prinsjesdag is the state opening of the parliament. (Photo by Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images ) Getty Images

“I hope this visit and others like it in the future continue to build upon our mutual respect and appreciation for one another and foster even greater partnership and collaboration for generations to come,” Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said in a statement.

According to WTEN, Albany’s relationship with the Netherlands dates back 400 years, as Dutch colonists settled in the area and built Fort Orange in 1624. Historic sites with Dutch ties include The Old English Pub, also known as the Old Dutch Pub, the second oldest house in Albany; the Van Ostrande-Radliff House, built in 1728, the only surviving Dutch urban timber framed building left in the country; the Ten Broeck Mansion; and Cherry Hill. The city’s annual Tulip Festival also features a traditional Dutch street-scrubbing ceremony.

The Times-Union reports King Willem-Alexander’s mother, Princess Beatrix, previously visited Albany in 1959. Willem-Alexander succeeded his mother as monarch in 2013. He and his wife, Máxima, have three daughters: Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane.

“With more than 5 million Americans tracing their roots to the Netherlands, there are close personal and cultural links between our countries,” the Royal House of the Netherlands said . “The U.S. is the Netherlands’ biggest non-EU partner in regard to economic and security cooperation. These close transatlantic ties are essential in safeguarding the Netherlands’ prosperity. This partnership is based on a shared history that goes back 400 years.”

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - DECEMBER 12: King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands pose for an official picture at the start of the state banquet in the Royal Palace on December 12, 2023 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images) Getty Images

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