Royal tour of Canada: Prince Charles and Camilla’s itinerary revealed

By Rachel Aiello

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    OTTAWA (CTV Network) — Preparations are well underway for Canadians to welcome Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, to Canada for a three-day, travel-filled visit happening May 17-19. Between what senior government officials, Canadian Heritage, Rideau Hall and Clarence House have released, here’s everything we know so far about the royal tour. The trip is set to focus on “learning from Indigenous peoples” and “working with businesses to find a more sustainable way of living with global warming,” while also celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the 70th anniversary of her accession to the Throne. All told, their Royal Highnesses will travel more than 3,218 kilometres (2,000 miles) across Canada during their trip. Despite polling indicating Canadians’ support for the monarchy is waning and could reach new lows under Prince Charles as king, one senior official told reporters on Tuesday that the government is “absolutely delighted” to play host. FIRST STOP: ST. JOHN’S Prince Charles and Camilla’s first stop in Canada will be St. John’s, N.L. There, the plan is they’ll be welcomed at around 1:30 local time by school children, community representatives, as well as other dignitaries with a ceremony at the Confederation Building in the capital city “which will reflect the province’s rich tradition of song and story.” His Royal Highness is slated to give a speech, on what exactly remains to be seen. There will also be an inspection of the Guard of Honour, and a signing of the Government of Canada “Golden Book” and the Newfoundland and Labrador guestbook, before moving on to visit Government House, the official residence of Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador Judy Foote. There, the pair will meet with Indigenous leaders at a garden dedicated to the memory of Indigenous children who were lost and those who survived the residential school system “for a solemn moment of reflection,” and then, with Foote, lay a bronze marker at to inaugurate a new “commonwealth walkway.” At some point during this stop at Government House, there’s plans for the royal couple to participate in “a discussion on Canada’s wool industry” and partake in a knitting circle with “NONIA knitters,” a century-old non-profit organization. Then, like all good tourists to St. John’s, the Prince and the Duchess will visit the Quidi Vidi Village “to meet local artists and members of the local food industries and fishing communities.” To round out their “walkabout” with an iconic east coast backdrop, Charles and Camilla will pop into the local brewery to learn about how they make their growing list of beers, which includes the well-known lager made with 20,000-year-old water from an iceberg. SECOND STOP: THE NATION’S CAPITAL Day two of the royal tour will see Prince Charles and Camilla visit Ottawa. First item on their itinerary will be seeing the Prince of Wales invested into the Order of Military Merit at Rideau Hall. Then, he and the Duchess will be joining Gov. Gen. Mary Simon at the National War Memorial—recent site of trucker convoy desecration—to lay a wreath to “remember those Canadians who lost their lives in service to their country.” Then, the pair will meet with members and organizations from the Ukrainian community and participate in a traditional prayer service at a yet-to-be-named Ottawa cathedral. Among the topics of discussion during this meeting: Canada’s efforts to support Ukrainians who have fled Russia’s unjustified war in the country. That afternoon, the royal tour will continue at a Vanier-neighbourhood elementary school where Charles and Camilla will speak with parents of students— many of whom are new arrivals to Canada—as well as teachers and organizations “on the importance of literacy,” and providing support to newcomers. It wouldn’t be a classic day in Ottawa without some heady policy talk. Prince Charles has plans to partake in a roundtable led by Environment and Climate Change Canada and featuring business leaders, academics, and civil society organizations on “sustainable finance in combating climate change and building a net-zero economy.” Then, they’ll saddle up to the home of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride, where the royals will meet the riders, walk through the stables and be given “a special performance.” In case you didn’t know, Prince Charles has been an honorary RCMP Commissioner since 2012. Rounding out their visit to the city, the couple will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and partake in a “special evening reception” at Rideau Hall—a walkway away from Trudeau’s residence—to celebrate the Queen being Canada’s longest reigning Sovereign. In attendance at this soiree will be a mix of Canadians who “have dedicated their lives to serving their communities.” When the royal tour was first announced, Trudeau’s office issued a statement saying he and his wife Sophie were looking forward to welcoming Charles and Camilla and “showing them some of the many reasons why we take pride in being Canadian.” THIRD STOP: THE NORTH For their final day in Canada, Prince Charles and Camilla will be heading north. They’ll be flying to Yellowknife, the capital of Northwest Territories, where they’ll visit Dettah, a Dene First Nation community to partake in local culture and traditions. They will also speak with local chiefs and elders, and visit a school that provides culturally-responsive teaching. It looks like the couple will then go separate ways, with Charles heading to a park to meet with members of the Canadian Rangers and be appointed as an honorary one and then meet with locals at an ice road to talk about the impact of climate change and Indigenous-led solutions. Meanwhile, Camilla will visit a transitional housing facility for women and children who are fleeing domestic violence, and will partake in a bannock-making demonstration. They’ll reconvene at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre to meet with local food producers, and watch a demonstration of Inuit sports. Their Royal Highnesses will also be part of a discussion on Treaty 11, which is the last of Canada’s numbered treaties signed by the Crown and First Nations in Northwest Territories in 1921. Rounding out their trip they’ll make one last stop at a place called the “Ceremonial Circle” for another Platinum Jubilee celebration which will include a flag raising and a presentation of various symbolic plants and flowers. The royal couple is scheduled to depart at 6:30 p.m. local time from the Yellowknife airport, and their sendoff will include some elements of pomp and circumstance, including the participation of military officials. HISTORY OF ROYAL VISITS Next month’s visit will be Charles’ 19th time coming to Canada, and Camilla’s fifth. His first time here was in 1970, and hers was in 2009. The couple was last in Canada in 2017, and took part in Canada 150 celebrations. During that tour, Charles and Camilla visited Iqaluit, Ottawa, Wellington, Trenton, Ont., and Gatineau, Que. It’s been more than a decade since Queen Elizabeth II was in Canada. Her 22nd and last tour was in 2010 and during that trip she visited Halifax, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Toronto, Kitchener and Waterloo. Canada is the country the Queen has visited the most during her reign. Canadian Heritage is asking for folks to send greetings to Prince Charles and Camilla using the hashtag #RoyalGreetings with a picture or video of where you are from and what’s special about it. The department is also suggesting that if you “happen to take part in the tour,” to share any photos or videos online using #RoyalVisitCanada.

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Sonja Puzic