Royal rumble: Queen not welcome at Quebec celebrations, Duceppe says

Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe is royally bothered by the prospect of Queen Elizabeth visiting Quebec City to mark the city's 400th anniversary next year, saying she is an archaic symbol who should stay home.

"She has enough matters to settle at home, starting with her grandson," Duceppe told reporters outside the House of Commons yesterday. "He has problems with his romantic relations. That's enough for Madame."

Duceppe's comments, referring to Prince William's recent breakup with his girlfriend, Kate Middleton, come after the announcement last week that the group organizing Quebec City's 400th-anniversary celebrations in 2008 would like to invite the queen to attend and has asked the federal government to formally extend an invitation.

The president of France also is expected to be invited to attend the celebration.

Federal government officials were not able to say yesterday whether the request has been received and whether they will extend the invitation.

Asked if the queen's presence could trigger violence, Duceppe said Ottawa should refuse to invite her.

"I'm not a supporter of that kind of violent demonstration. I hope that the federal government won't invite her. It would be much simpler like that."

The queen has no place at Quebec City's anniversary celebration, the separatist leader said.

"It is an affront to Quebecers. On the one hand it is archaic to have a queen. For the queen of Canada to be the queen of England is already fairly hare-brained. Secondly, I think she has strictly no business to be there. It is an outmoded, archaic symbol."

Nor is her presence in keeping with the history of the event being celebrated, Duceppe said.

"It is also a certain distortion of history. We are celebrating the creation of the city of Quebec by (Samuel de) Champlain 400 years ago.

Yesterday was not the first time the separatist leader has been critical of the monarchy and the institutions that surround it. In 2002, during a royal visit to Canada, Duceppe boycotted the government's black tie and tiara dinner for Queen Elizabeth, saying he doesn't recognize her as the queen of either Canada or Quebec. Earlier that year, Duceppe's Bloc MPs voted against a motion of condolence on the part of Parliament following the death of the queen mother, saying they could not back a motion that referred to MPs as loyal subjects.

Duceppe and other Bloc MPs continue to swear loyalty to the queen when they are sworn in as MPs because it is a requirement to take their seats in the House of Commons.

Not all Quebec MPs were calling yesterday for the queen to stay home. Liberal MP Denis Coderre said the queen should come and bring her grandson.

"The monarchy isn't Quebec's first priority, but Quebecers know how to receive so well that Quebecers would certainly appreciate having her as well."

ethompson@thegazette.canwest.com