The Royal Tour of 1939

Seventy- five years ago, in 1939, Canadians were excited that for the first time ever, their reigning monarchs would be coming for a royal tour. As war loomed overseas, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth toured the country by train to meet their subjects and bolster the bonds of Empire. From small-town whistle stops to bustling cities, eager crowds cheered, sang and waited for hours, eager for a glimpse of the couple. CBC Radio went all out to cover the event. Rewind presents some of the sounds of the tour.

Monday, May 19 is Victoria Day, a day to welcome summer, to kick back and relax, maybe to barbeque or to garden. But for Canadians 75 years ago, this particular Victoria Day was special. For the first time ever, the reigning sovereign of the Dominion- King George the Sixth and Queen Elizabeth would be visiting Canada. PHOTO: 'On The Royal Train' 1939 (Library & Archives Canada)

CBC Radio was just over two years old and was excited to cover the tour. The service committed 100 staff to cover the visit with two English and two French teams. They purchased a wealth of new equipment including remote amplifiers and custom made microphones.

It was recorded on the latest technology- heavy sixteen-inch steel master disks. Each disk could store fifteen minutes per side. However, the disks deteriorated rapidly and they could only be played a few times before they had to be destroyed.  

Both Prime Minister Mackenzie King and High Commissioner Vincent Massey took credit for suggesting the idea of a visit to Canada by the King and Queen. The Prime Minister had first mentioned it at George VI's 1937 coronation in London. But Massey claimed he had already been discussing the topic for months with royal staff. In any case, by the time that May 17th rolled around, the wait was over. The King and Queen had arrived for a month long visit to Canada.

Cheering Crowds
All along the St. Lawrence, cheering crowds lined the banks for a glimpse of the King and Queen as they waved from the ship's deck.

This was not the first time King George VI had visited Canada, although it was his first as King.

In 1913, as a midshipman with the Royal Navy, the then Prince Albert visited Niagara Falls, Montreal, Halifax and Prince Edward Island. 

PHOTO: 'Arriving at Biggar, Saskatchewan' 1939 (National Film Board of Canada / Library & Archives Canada)

But on May 6, 1939, the King and Queen had set sail for Canada after saying an on-board farewell to their daughters Elizabeth and Margaret Rose.

A Secret Cargo
The Empress of Australia crossed the ocean in a convoy with the Royal Navy warships, HMS Glasgow and HMS Southampton. The two warships were not only there to safeguard their Majesties. They also  carried a secret cargo: more than 3,500 gold bars worth more than  30 million pounds in 1939. The gold was to be used to pay for the looming world war. When the Royal couple landed in Quebec City,  beyond the eyes of the excited crowds, teams of dockworkers unloaded the gold from the two ships and spirited it away to safety.

As host to the royal couple, it was Prime Minister Mackenzie King's honour to extend an official welcome to Canada. His speech was captured by CBC at a luncheon in Quebec City.

The Prime Minister accompanied the King and Queen everywhere as they criss-crossed Canada, and also when they travelled to the United States.  

Montreal
In Montreal, Mayor Camilien Houde greeted the royal couple and stood with them on a balcony at City Hall that  overlooked thousands of cheering Montrealers. Houde turned to the King and said, "You know, Your Majesty, some of these cheers are for you also."

Ottawa
When they got to Ottawa the excitement continued. For listeners at home, it was almost like being there after the King and Queen unveiled the National War Memorial in Ottawa. A nearby CBC commentator surveyed the reaction and captured the sounds as the royal couple plunged into a throng of Great War veterans, shaking hands and chatting with the thrilled old soldiers.

Security staff was nervous about the King and Queen walking about freely with the public. But the veterans said they were determined to keep them safe. "If any chap had even muttered a word off-colour, we'd have torn him to bits," one vet said later.

Lord Tweedsmuir, the governor general, later recalled the impact the walkabout had on the vets. "One old fellow said to me, 'Aye, man if Hitler could just see this.'

Tweedsmuir's remark reflected one of the primary reasons for the timing of the Royal Tour. Britain wanted to shore up support among Canadians- and also Americans- for the world war that seemed imminent.  PHOTO: 'At Banff Spring Hotel' 1939 (National Film Board of Canada / Library & Archives)

After Ottawa, the royal train made its way across the country stopping not only in the major centres- but in smaller ones as well. There were huge crowds everywhere. Wherever the royal tour went, a public holiday was declared.

Sioux Lookout
According to the Globe and Mail, 8,000 people turned out at Sioux Lookout for the 17-minute stop.

As the train moved through densely populated southern Ontario, there were some of the heaviest crowds of the tour. Prime Minister MacKenzie King recorded in his diary that Guelph, Kitchener, Stratford and Windsor all had "enormous crowds."  

Given the scope of the tour, it was impossible for the King and Queen's train to stop in every city, town and village along the route, which prompted many angry letters to many newspaper editors.

Windsor
In Windsor, thousands of Detroiters crossed the river to see the royal couple. An illuminated sign in Detroit, visible from Windsor, read "Detroit Welcomes Their Majesties." It was a hint of the warm reception that Americans would give the King and Queen.

Calgary
The next clip was from Calgary, where the royal couple was on its way to an Indian village which had been created for the occasion. he tribal camp in Calgary had been organized by "Indian agents," government employees who acted as a liaison with local first nations. PHOTO: 'In Calgary' 1939 (National Film Board of Canada / Library & Archives Canada)

The king and queen and their entourage got to have a bit of a break in the Rockies- a day and a half at the Banff Springs Hotel. Jim Brewster, an experienced guide, showed the King and Queen the mountain scenery, and even took them home to meet his unsuspecting wife.

The story goes that Brewster's wife Dell was sitting in their brick bungalow when the royal couple dropped in. "I may forget a lot of things about the royal visit, but never my wife's face as we walked in the door," he said afterward. "She was so excited she nearly fainted and her face was white as a sheet. However, it didn't take two minutes before the Queen and she were chatting away like old friends."

During their visit to Banff, the royal couple was so impressed by the sight of beavers at work that they collected the animals' discarded wood chips as souvenirs for their daughters.

Victoria
Once the tour reached Victoria, the route was reversed to take the King and Queen east again. More stops, more crowds. It was clear that although the trip was only half over, it was a stunning success.  PHOTO: 'At the Parliament Buildings' 1939 (National Film Board of Canada / Library & Archives)

Washington and New York
Once they got to Niagara Falls, the King and Queen crossed the border for a side trip to the United States. The four-day visit took them to Washington and New York City for receptions, dinners, a stop at the 1939 World's Fair and a brief retreat at the estate of President Franklin Roosevelt.

One of the first events the King and Queen attended in Washington was a garden party at the British Embassy. About 1,300 people, some of the most powerful in the country, attended the event. Rewind aired a clip in which two American commentators describe the party, its guests and their attire.

The reasons behind the royal visit to the United States were much the same as in Canada: to build support for the impending war. Eleanor Roosevelt, the first lady, wrote that "We all might soon be engaged in a life and death struggle... the President hoped the visit would create a bond of friendship between the people of the two countries." In Washington, Gregory Clark of the Toronto Star, reflected on the visit.
 
After two days in Washington, the King and Queen headed for New York. According to the Globe and Mail, three million New Yorkers came out to see the royal couple as their motorcade made its way to the World's Fair.
There was much speculation in the press over whether the royal couple would be served hot dogs, an American food unknown in England. On June 12, the Globe and Mail confirmed that they had indeed eaten them at a picnic hosted by the President, with a headline that read: "Roosevelts' Red-Hots Relished by Royalty."

Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth's image had appeared countless times in newspapers and newsreels, but her voice was a different matter. It was usually the King who was called upon to speak. But as the royal couple bade farewell at a luncheon in Halifax, it was the Queen's turn.   

People who met Queen Elizabeth on the tour often remarked later that she was even more beautiful than in photos. Early in the tour, a fashion reporter said: "Ladies, she's gorgeous! You have no idea." PHOTO: 'Outside the Parliament Buildings' 1939 (National Film Board of Canada. Library and Archives Canada) 

Newfoundland
Before the royal couple headed home, there was one more stop. It was in what was still the British colony of Newfoundland. It would not become a Canadian province for another 10 years. The King and Queen were accompanied by Sir Humphrey Walwyn, the colony's governor. They an hour-long drive from Conception Bay to to St. John's where there were speeches, a garden party, and other official events. As was the case throughout the tour, there were throngs of people waiting to see them.
As the royal ship departed Newfoundland that night, residents built a huge bonfire on Signal Hill as a farewell.

After the Tour
King George VI never again set foot in Canada. He died of lung cancer in 1952, and his daughter, Princess Elizabeth, ascended the throne to become Queen Elizabeth. George VI's wife then became known as the Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother made another nine official visits to Canada between 1954 and 1989. She died in 2002 at the age of 101.

As for the CBC, the corporation's investment in new equipment for the Royal tour proved invaluable in covering the Second World War when it began just months later.

Victoria Day 2014
That was Victoria Day 75 years ago. This Victoria Day will again be marked by a royal visit. Prince Charles and his wife Camilla will be in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Manitoba.