The Prince of Wales celebrates 100 years of the 'Royal' Canadian Navy

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, the Headquarters of the Canadian Pacific Fleet, in Victoria, British Columbia 9 November 2009 to mark the upcoming centennial of the Canadian Navy (1910-2010). Readers will know this is very dear to me, the navy there being my former occupation and home port. If you listen closely, he actually called it the Royal Canadian Navy.



His Royal Highness wore the uniform of a Canadian Vice-Admiral, which unlike its older equivalent in the Royal Navy, sadly lacks two rings of gold lace above the thick admiral braid, a fourth row of nautical buttons and the all-familiar Elliot's Eye. (It is worthy to note that almost all of the seagoing nations of the world wear the Elliot's Eye, except France, Canada and the United States).

The Prince told the guests about his time in the British Navy and how on a number of operations he served alongside Canadian sailors, including on his way back from a posting in the West Indies where he and the crew of his vessel received a warm welcome in Halifax.

During the event, dignitaries watched as one of the naval base's more prominent warships, HMCS Winnipeg, sailed past with all its crew stood on deck.