Introduction
What could be more fitting in this Jubilee Year marking sixty years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada than to celebrate our relationship, and yes, our fascination… Read More
The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II is celebrated between June 2 and June 5, 2012 although the actual 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne was February 6, 2012. Her… Read More
Photo album: Royal Spectators
The people who gather to watch the processions and parades of Royal Visits can be as equally interesting as the photographs of the poised, smiling and waving Royalty. These spectators provide a glimpse… Read More
Souvenirs of Time Past
The British royalty has been commemorated on pottery, glass and paper since the days of Charles II in the seventeenth century. In Queen’s Victoria’s reign commemorative souvenirs increased in popularity and were available… Read More
Princess Alexandra: By Jim Ryan
Ryan, Jim, 1920-1998 Jim Ryan was born in Regina, Saskatchewan on December 25, 1920. At the age of fourteen, he left school and took a job as delivery boy for Chicago Photo Supply… Read More
Queen Mother & Princess Anne: By Jim Ryan
Photos from the Jim Ryan Fonds held in the BC Archives. Jim Ryan, a popular and prolific Vancouver Island photographer documented many of the visits by Royalty throughout his career. Read more about “Big Jim Ryan” *… Read More
Royal Visitors at the Royal British Columbia Museum
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, laying the cornerstone for the new British Columbia Provincial Museum and Archives. Photo: Jim Ryan BC Archives F-08213 While there have been many Royal visitors to the museum,… Read More
Princess Margaret: By Jim Ryan
Photos from the Jim Ryan Fonds held in the BC archives. Jim Ryan, a popular and prolific photographer documented many of the visits by Royalty throughout hie career. Read more about “Big Jim Ryan” * *Source: Biographical sketch… Read More
Video: Princess Margaret at Reception
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… Read More
Video: Princess Margaret tours BC
Princess Margaret’s tour of the province in 1958 to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Colony of British Columbia took her to Fort St. John by plane, Quesnel and Prince… Read More
Princess Margaret and the BC Centennial
The visit of Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth’s sister, was a highlight of 1958 British Columbia Centennial celebrations. Princess Margaret had the charisma of a Hollywood star. During this time the public followed her… Read More
HRH Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and the “Miracle Mile”
In 1954 HRH Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (he became a Prince in 1957), came to Victoria as part of his trip to Vancouver to open the forerunner of the Commonwealth Games, the British… Read More
Elizabeth II: The Coronation (r. 1952 – PRESENT)
On February 6, 1952 Princess Elizabeth and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh were in Kenya, staying at Treetops, a wildlife-viewing lodge when the news came that her father had died. Life for… Read More
Elizabeth II: The Young Princess
The image of the Royal Family had been heavily damaged by the abdication of Edward VIII for a divorced woman. The family of George VI and Queen Elizabeth offered a more reassuring traditional… Read More
Photo album: Elizabeth II
A collection of photographs from the BC Archives documenting various visits by Queen Elizabethh II to the Province of British Columbia.
Video: Elizabeth II Speaks in Vancouver
Leaving her home for an extended period of time in 1951 was difficult for the then Princess Elizabeth as her father, George VI, had recently been seriously ill. She makes reference to this… Read More
Video: 1951 Visit to Vancouver
Convertibles combined practicality with visibility and were often used during the tours – during the sometimes rainy October 1951 visit of Princess Elizabeth and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh a convertible with a clear… Read More
Video: 1939 McLaughlin-Buick Limousines
In 1939 the first visit of a reigning monarch to Canada brought King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to British Columbia. While much of the cross-country tour was done by train, travel within… Read More
The King and Queen’s Chairs
These Royal chairs were created for the use of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, who presided at the opening of the BC Legislature, 30 May 1939. The King’s Chair was used by… Read More
Video: The first “Walkabout”
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… Read More
The 1939 Royal Tour: Visiting BC
The Politics of the 1939 Royal Tour George VI understood that with war approaching the support of both Canada and the United States of America would be crucial. It was with this in… Read More
Royal Arches
People from a wide range of national and cultural backgrounds enthusiastically embraced their chance to celebrate and welcome royals. Elaborate arches bearing banners proclaimed slogans such as “God Save the Queen”, “Loyal Hearts,… Read More
The Viscountess Attends a Coronation
Kathleen Beaven, daughter of Robert Beaven, Mayor of Victoria and Premier of British Columbia, married Lord Churchill, in 1916. She became the Viscountess Churchill in 1934 and attended the 1937 coronation of George… Read More
George VI: The Reluctant King (r. 1936-1952)
The abdication of Edward VII brought unexpected responsibility upon the shy, reserved man who led Britain through World War II. “Bertie” as his family called him, married Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923. Their two… Read More
Edward VIII: The Future King (r. 1936)
The relaxed charm and grace of the Prince of Wales, son of George V, made him a favourite in Canada, Australia and Britain. He was to be the perfect King, one with a… Read More
George V: A New Direction (r. 1910-1936)
George V and Queen Mary understood the global nature of the British Empire and helped the transition from an Empire to a Commonwealth of Nations. George V made 450 visits to the frontline… Read More
The Legacy of Queen Victoria
Rudyard Kipling said that she had created an empire upon which the sun would never set. Set on the ideals of her Empire, its systems of laws and rights, and the duty of… Read More
Edward VII: King in Waiting (r. 1901-1910)
The eldest of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s children, Edward VII was born in November 9,1841. As Prince of Wales he made an early Royal Tour of Upper and Lower Canada in 1860,… Read More
The Diamond Jubilee 1897
Jubilees are milestones of rule: Silver (25 years), Golden (50 years), and Diamond (60 years). Queen Victoria had no Silver Jubilee in 1862. She deemed it inappropriate, given the death of Prince Albert… Read More
The Government House Landau
In 1890 the Duke and Duchess of Connaught arrived by landau to open the Royal Jubilee Hospital. The hospital was Victoria’s project undertaken to honour the Duke’s mother, Queen Victoria, on Her Majesty’s… Read More
Early Royal Visitors to British Columbia
Many of the early Governor Generals of Canada were members of the Royal Family. The early 1882 visit of the Marquis of Lorne was greeted by welcoming arches in the streets of British… Read More
Servants of the Crown
By land and by sea, explorers and traders brought the British Crown and the Pacific Northwest together. Maps carried Royal names such as Queen Charlotte’s Islands, Fort Rupert and… Read More
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
In 1840 the young queen married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. There is no doubt about their love for each other. Prince Albert was a good father, an accomplished musician, an astute diplomat and… Read More
Queen Victoria: The Young Queen (r. 1837-1901)
Born in Kensington Palace on 24 May 1819, Queen Victoria was the only daughter of the fourth son of George III. She was remarkably right for her times when she came to the… Read More
Chronology of Early Royal Visits
Early Royal Visits to the province began in the 1880’s with visits by Princess Louise and Prince Leopold, both children of Queen Victoria. Louise was also married to the Marquess of Lorne, the… Read More
