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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Queen of Canada - Royal Visit 2005Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Queen of Canada - Royal Visit 2005
Royal Visit 2005

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The Queen and
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The Queen and Canada: 53 Years of Growing Together

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“I would like to thank people everywhere for the loyalty, support, and inspiration you have given me over these fifty, unforgettable years. I would like to express my pride in our past and my confidence in our future.”

2002 - Golden Jubilee Visit - Sussex, New Brunswick - Her Majesty takes great interest in local handicrafts.

On April 30, 2002, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II spoke these words that reflect both her unfaltering sense of duty and dedication to service that transcend the years. It is in this very context that the upcoming Royal Visit of The Queen in May 2005 will be seen as an ideal opportunity for all Canadians to reflect upon commitment and service, especially as we also mark the “Year of the Veteran” in this the fifty third year of Her Majesty’s reign as Queen of Canada. With the passage of years, both Canada and the Canadian Crown have evolved and shared in the celebration of key moments and events together. Since Her Majesty’s accession to the Throne, our accomplishments have been as varied and numerous as they are historic - from the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway (1959), to the patriation of the Canadian Constitution (1982), to the creation of Nunavut (1999). These and many other events have helped shape us as a people and a country. The Queen has been with us to celebrate many of these moments - a celebration of who and what we are. As our Head of State throughout these years and on these occasions, she has unfailingly typified continuity, stability and integrity.

1959 Ottawa, ON With Governor General Vincent Massey at her side, The Queen greets hockey legend Maurice Richard.

From the moment she was proclaimed Queen of Canada, Queen Elizabeth II has had an impact on every facet of Canadian society. As Patron of many Canadian organizations - some spanning the fifty three years of her reign, including the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Red Cross Society, and Save the Children Canada, she has helped raise public awareness of issues of profound importance to all Canadians. As the first female member of the Royal Family to actively serve in the military, she continues to profile the critical role of the Canadian Forces, including peacekeepers, in our lives by serving as Colonel in Chief of many regiments in every region of the country. As Sovereign of the Order of Canada, the Order of Military Merit, the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, and The Royal Victorian Order, she calls public attention to significant achievement and the exemplary service of Canadians in numerous fields of human endeavour, as well as decorations for bravery, meritorious service and for gallantry.

“I was always impressed not only by the grace she
displayed in public at all times, but by the wisdom she
showed in private conversation.”
(The Memoirs of The Late Prime Minister, Pierre E. Trudeau)

1992 Ottawa, ON Her Majesty's walkabout brings her close to the public, leaving this young girl with a lasting memory.

Many Governors General and Prime Ministers have commented over the years on how interested and well informed Her Majesty is about Canada and current issues of concern to this country. The first Governor General to serve her was Vincent Massey and the first Prime Minister, Louis St. Laurent. Since then she has been represented in the country by nine Governors General including the first Canadian-born as well as the first, and now second, female Governor General. Her meetings with them and her ten Prime Ministers, have given The Queen an intimate knowledge of Canada and has aided her in fulfilling her role as our country’s Head of State. As The Queen so succinctly said during a visit to Canada in 1964:

“The role of a constitutional monarch is to personify the democratic state, to legitimate authority, to assure the legality of its measures and to guarantee the execution of its popular will.”

1973 Ottawa, ON Her Majesty is presented with “Centenial” a gift from the RCMP stables marking theRCMP’s Centennial year.

Over the fifty three years of her reign, Her Majesty has come to Canada on some 22 occasions when she has met thousands of Canadians in all regions and, more importantly, in the villages, towns and cities where they live. She has the distinction of having visited every province and territory and the first member of the Royal Family to visit the new territory of Nunavut in October 2002. The Queen has also been personally involved in many of our achievements and events, playing an integral part in creating defining moments in Canadian history: she is the first Monarch to read the Speech from the Throne (1957), she celebrated our Centenary with us at Expo ‘67, she declared open the Montreal Olympics in 1976 and she proclaimed The Constitution Act, 1982. The Queen has seen us evolve into a modern, confident and forward-looking society, evidenced in the adoption of the National Flag of Canada, the Canada Health Act, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Official Languages Act. In his congratulatory message to Her Majesty on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of her Accession to the Throne (February 6, 2002), Prime Minister Jean Chrétien spoke of her understanding of Canada:

“As Queen of Canada, you have borne witness to our national growth and, indeed, have been present for many historic moments in the life of our country. I have had the honour to be in your presence on numerous occasions, and have always admired your commitment to Canada and your very genuine affection for Canadians.”

1994 Rankin Inlet, NU Her Majesty is seen during a walkabout, as she enjoys a moment with the public.

Her reign has mirrored the explosion of cultural excellence that has taken place in every corner of Canada. The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards are testaments to the ongoing promotion and recognition of the arts as a key element of Canadian identity. This and many other timely issues such as youth, scientific/medical research, education and social cohesion to name but a few, are continually profiled and advanced through the work of her eleven representatives (the Governor General and Lieutenant Governors) across the country. In 2002, just prior to the Golden Jubilee visit, the Minister of Canadian Heritage stated:

“Her Majesty The Queen of Canada has been unfalteringly by our side to celebrate our successes and to help us to grow together. Fifty years after her Accession to the Throne, Elizabeth II remains a symbol of continuity, stability and tradition in a world that is under a barrage of constant change. That is why Canadians are proud to celebrate the Golden Jubilee.”

And indeed, they were. In each of the five regions of the country that she visited over a twelve day period, Her Majesty was greeted and thanked by thousands of Canadians for her unselfish service to Canada.

1994 Prince George, BC The Queen arrives to rousing applause in Prince George, BC

Now, with the approach of the 2005 visit, the following pages tell of the magnitude of the changes that, as the Minister indicated, we have experienced together with The Queen at our side. The Canadian Crown continues as a key element of our parliamentary democracy and an enduring symbol that represents all generations of Canadians and the best that is our country.

We look to the future with The Queen as we face a new millennium armed with the experience of the past and with a sense of confidence, pride and expectation in our future.



Date modified: 2005/04/21
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