 The Queen and Prince Philip have a solid marriage despite
the pressures their roles place on it. Or maybe its because of those pressures that their marriage has been going strong since it began way back in 1947. "If I am asked what I think about family life after 25 years of marriage, I can answer with equal simplicity and conviction, I am for it." The Queen's Silver Wedding speech at the Guildhall, November 1972. Loyally Yours, A Kisaragi Colour As people around the world commemorate Remembrance Day we remember the sacrifices and bravery of our armed forces. The fact I can sit at my computer in rural New Brunswick and write this article without any fear of attack is in large part because of them. That this could easily be different reminds me that but for the grace of God go I. The Royal Family remembers this more than most. It has long been tradition for members of the Royal Family to get some form of military training for when they would have to lead their armies themselves. While no monarch is expected to be in the field anymore it is still recognized that a royal should share in some measure of the soldier's experience.  Princess Elizabeth, then 18 It is widely known that Her Majesty served as a truck driver and mechanic during World War Two. She remains the only female member of the Royal Family to have entered military service and the only living head of state who served in that war. Her Majesty served in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service and had the rank of Second Subaltern.  Prince Philip, 2015 Prince Philip served in the British Navy during World War Two in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. He was mentioned in dispatches for his services during the Battle of Cape Matapan during which he controlled the search lights. During the invasion of Sicily he devised a means to distract in-coming German bombers away from the ship by the use of rafts and smoke signals. On his 90th birthday he was given an honorary appointment to all three branches of the Canadian Armed Forces.  Photo Credit: Eva Rinaldi Prince Harry served in the military for ten years and undertook two tours of Afghanistan. Part of his training was
carried out in 2007 while in Canada. His first tour ended prematurely after two media outlets revealed that he had been secretly deployed which posed a threat to him and his fellow soldiers. To get around this Prince Harry completed his Apache attack helicopter training and was then redeployed. Since attack helicopters are always high-priority targets it was determined his presence would create no additional threat to the other military personnel. Prince Harry's time in the military has made a lasting impact on him and inspired the creation of the Invictus Games for wounded and disabled soldiers and veterans. The bond between the Royal Family and their soldiers is a strong one built over time and generations. And as this Remembrance Day comes to an end we hope for the day when no one will have to put themselves in harms way in defence of Queen and country. Loyally Yours, A Kisaragi Colour I have an occasional interest in stories about Canadians and
their interactions with the Royal Family. I don't think these stories are all that rare as even within the ranks of my 30, or so, coworkers two have shared stories about Royal Tours. The first is a story I have I may have already shared at one point. When my coworker was a young girl she was part of an event in Riverview, New Brunswick. I believe this would have been the 1984 Royal Tour which celebrated New Brunswick's bicentennial. While the Queen had gone to Sackville for an event, Prince Philip attended an event in Riverview. The local school seems to have had their students attend. As it turns out my future coworker was one of the few students who dressed up for the occasion. Either noticing that she had put some effort into her appearance or that she was somewhat self- conscious about this fact, Prince Philip approached her and remarked about the somewhat unkempt appearance of the other attendees. The second story was relayed to me recently by a second coworker. His son is a member of the RCMP and when he was a rookie he was assigned to be part of the Queen's security detail while she was staying at a hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Normally a rookie would not be given this job but it was found at the last minute that another officer assigned to the security detail did not have a suit. My coworker's son was asked if he did. He in fact did which got him added to the Queen's security. That night he was assigned to the hotel grounds where he chatted with a senior member of the security detail. This man had an ear piece that was connected to microphones in the Queen's bedroom so at the first sign of trouble he would be alerted. The next morning the young rookie was assigned to the kitchen. The cook asked if he wanted a piece of blueberry pie. He accepted and as he was eating he was made aware of the fact that only one other piece had been served from that pie which was the Queen's piece. I can only make assumptions but it may well be that the Queen's food is kept separate to avoid the potential for poisoning. Anyways, these have been two stories about Canadian Royal Tours. I hope you found them at least a little bit interesting. Loyally Yours, A Kisaragi Colour  Book Cover Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip have been around a long time. And in that time they have made over 20 official visits. Nova Scotia Writer Allison Lawlor has written an interesting little book that serves to illustrate the Queen's many years as Canada's sovereign.
As the back cover describes the book as a 'scrapbook' of the royal tours it may be best to start with the visual aspects of this book. If you guessed there are a lot of pictures, you would be right. There are over 100 pictures covering the tours themselves, schedules, and related memorabilia. The pictures are crisp and well-captioned.  Some, such as the Queen signing the Constitution Act are iconic and you have likely seen them before. But there are many images that have likely not been seen in many years and certainly not collected together like this. Allison Lawlor has also included an impressive array of quotes
made by Her Majesty over the years. These give a glimpse into the Queen's feeling for Canada and are greatly appreciated. While the book is certainly pro-monarchy it does not shy away from talking about various controversies that occurred, how they related to the tours, and reactions to them. This adds some needed context in areas since royal tours often had aims related to the current political 'mood' of the time. Overall, its a good introduction to Canada's history of royal tours and would make an attractive addition to any coffee table. The specialist may be left wanting more though. Myself, I would have found the addition of a map marking the places the Queen has visited a worthwhile addition that would drive home the Queen's deep connection to her country. Given that this book is titled A Royal Couple in Canada I would have found the addition of some quotes by Prince Philip most appropriate. These are small issues though and do not detract greatly from this book that Allison Lawlor has written. I fully recommend it. It is available for purchase online here. Loyally Yours, A Kisaragi Colour  Hillsborough Castle, 2015 It has been announced today that Prince Philip will not be carrying out active engagements from the autumn of this year. At nearly 96 years of age, and after a lifetime of service, it is a well-deserved rest. While Prince Philip will not be carrying out engagements I suspect we will still find him at the Queen's side as he always has been. The announcement notice from the Palace is below. I would like to wish Prince Philip all the best in his retirement.  Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour |
AboutThis website is intended to be a resource for those arguing in favour of Canada's monarchy, researching Canada's royal past, or wondering what the various vice-regal representatives of the Canadian Crown are up to currently. As well, articles about other monarchies may appear from time to time. Archives
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