The Queen and possibly Prince Charles will come to Canada within the next year and a half, the Prime Minister's Office confirmed yesterday.
Although details are still being worked out by Ottawa and Buckingham Palace, speculation is that the Queen, who turns 83 on April 21, will come next year to open the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and perhaps mark the centenary of the navy, and Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, will come earlier.
The Globe and Mail reported in February that the Prince was keen to deepen his relationship with Canada, but was thwarted by not having been invited to the country for eight years.
By convention, the Queen and Charles, respectively head of state and next-in-line, can set foot in the country only officially and by invitation.
A convention which should be ditched. Surely the head of state should be able to visit the state she is the head of, without asking the permission of her own ministers.
There you go trying to apply common sense to politics! But seriously, as the Sovereign isn't normally resident in Canada (or NZ, Australia etc) it is naturally going to create some fuss - which the local politicians will want to manage to suit their political agenda's as far as possible.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, strictly speaking, Canada hasn't had a Navy since the enactment of the National Defence Act in 1968 which merged the three Services into one. As a result Canada has a "Maritime Command".
On a personal note, wouldn't it be the ideal time to remedy the situation and formally re-estabish the RCN, RCAF and Canadian Army in their own right?
Mac
Please refer to the link on the left hand side of this blog for a petition to reinstate the royal designation, under The Counter Revolution.
ReplyDeleteDear Kipling,
ReplyDeleteYes, I have seen the petition. I rather like the accopmanying video as well.
However as I am not a Canadian citizen, it wouldn't be right for me to sign. However I would encourage all Canadians to do so.
Mac
No one uses Maritime Command anymore, they now informally - and probably incorrectly - call it the Canadian Navy, since the royal prefix was apparently never rescinded.
ReplyDeleteThe signatures are still rolling in, albeit at a much slower pace. Time to ramp up the pressure, with only one year to go. If the stories turn out true that the Queen is coming to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Navy, then this might increase our chances. A royal homecoming to rededicate the Royal Canadian Navy
There's a doozy of a debate circling around an article in yesterday's Globe and Mail on Charles' upcoming tour of Canada. Perhaps some of this blog's luminaries should chime in! Some intelligence is sorely needed there...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090406.wmacgregor06art2232/CommentStory/National/home#
It is rather, no, highly unlikely the commands of the CF will ever again be separate. Having said that, why not a Royal Canadian Forces?
ReplyDelete