Ottawa's past in pictures: Royal visits over the years happy and glorious events
As the capital of Canada, Ottawa has been a natural and frequent stop for many royal visits. We look back at some of the regal visits that have graced the capital over these past 150 years.
A pageant of Queens, Kings and other regal visitors highlight Ottawa's history
Large, delighted crowds greeted the royal couple as they made their first visit to the capital.
8 years ago
Duration 1:00
Prince Charles and Princess Diana visit Ottawa June 21, 1983. Their first visit to Canada as a couple.
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As the capital of Canada, Ottawa has been a natural and frequent stop for many royal visits.
Residents have lined streets, filled grandstands and crowded onto Parliament Hill to witness and cheer a succession of monarchs and other royals.
In this the second installment of our look back at Ottawa's visual history, we recall some of the regal visits that have graced the capital over these past 150 years.
The Royal Tour of 1939
The 1939 visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth was a monumental event drawing huge crowds in Ottawa, as seen here, and across the country. The month-long tour was historic in that it was the first time a reigning British monarch had visited Canada. It also had the important political purpose of strengthening ties between Great Britain and Canada on the eve of the Second World War. (Library and Archives Canada/PA-063461)
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth arrive in Ottawa and unveil the National War Memorial
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth attend the unveiling of the National War Memorial in Ottawa on May 21, 1939. The memorial at that time was dedicated solely to those who fought in the First World War, or the Great War as it was then known. A massive crowd estimated at 100,000 people, including thousands of veterans, attended the ceremony. (Library and Archives Canada/C-002179)
A 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth square dances at the Governor General's residence in Ottawa in October 1951. The month-long visit to Canada was the future Queen's first to this country. She had delayed the trip by a week because of her father King George VI's failing health. Less than four months, Elizabeth would be Queen. (Library and Archives Canada)
Queen Elizabeth 1957
Queen Elizabeth, flanked by Prince Philip on the right and Ottawa Mayor George Nelms, visits Lansdowne Park on Oct.16,1957. It was the Queen's first visit to Canada since assuming the throne five years earlier. Her four-day stay in the country included opening the 23rd Parliament, the first time Parliament had been opened by a British monarch. (Library and Archives Canada/Rosemary Gilliat Eaton)
Queen Elizabeth visits Ottawa 1957
8 years ago
Duration 2:15
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip welcomed at Lansdowne Park during 1957 Ottawa visit.
Princess Juliana 1940-45
Princess Juliana of the Netherlands holds an infant Princess Margriet at Stornoway (later to become the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition) in Rockcliffe, their home during the Second World War. Juliana and her three girls found refuge in Ottawa after the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands. The Canadian government declared Juliana's maternity room at the Ottawa Civic Hospital international territory to ensure Margriet would bear only Dutch citizenship. After the war, an appreciative Royal family sent Ottawa 100,000 tulips, spawning the long-standing tulip festival the capital continues to enjoy every spring. (Library and Archives Canada/Yousuf Karsh/PA-192854)
The future King and Queen 1901
The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York visit Parliament Hill Sept. 20, 1901 accompanied by Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier. The soon-to-be King George V and Queen Mary travelled the country from coast to coast by rail as part of a months-long tour of the Empire. The Duchess is seen in the centre of the front row with Laurier on the left. The Duke is behind her on the right. (Library and Archives Canada/PA-011809)
Queen Elizabeth cuts the first slice of a 10-metre-tall cake worthy of a country's 100th birthday on July 1, 1967 during Centennial celebrations on Parliament Hill. The Queen was the star of the show on what was then called Dominion Day. The Queen has made 22 official visits to Canada half of which included time in Ottawa. (Library and Archives Canada/C-024559)
Edward, Prince of Wales 1919
Edward, Prince of Wales, lays the cornerstone of the Peace Tower Sept. 1, 1919 during a visit to Ottawa. The future King Edward VIII would eventual shock the world by abdicating in 1936, after less than a year on the throne, in order to marry twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson. (Library and Archives Canada/PA-057515)
