When I moved to British Columbia, I imagined my blue-blood hobnobbing days were over. But when Kate and William chose Canada for their first post-wedding visit, it was a reminder that my adopted home province has a long history of royal appointments.
Vancouver has seen plenty of Royal Family action over the years. Charles and Diana opened Expo ’86 here, staying at the then-new Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel. They also took a trundle on the just-completed SkyTrain line from Waterfront to Patterson Station in Burnaby, and even met with dignitaries at Vancouver City Hall.

The Royal Family was a distant and exotic presence for subjects of the Empire in the 1930s. So when King George VI and his consort Queen Elizabeth—recently portrayed in the Academy Award-winning The King’s Speech—crossed Canada by train in 1939, the country was in awe. The Vancouver Sun reported that when the train stopped briefly in the Kootenay town of Revelstoke, it was surrounded by thousands of well-wishers.

If you fancy a palpable taste of their trip, nip into downtown’s Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. On the lobby wall, you’ll find photos of the royal visit—the couple officially opened the swanky property—as well as a menu showing that they lunched on “stuffed eggs and chicken supreme.” It doesn’t sound nearly as appetizing as the sumptuous afternoon tea the hotel now serves.

Gardens feature heavily in British Columbia’s regal heritage. And not just among British royals. Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol, the youngest daughter of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, strolled among the flowerbeds of Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island in 2010. While in the Victoria suburb of Oak Bay, the rhododendron-lined Abkhazi Garden reflects an enduring royal love story.

While William may one day visit British Columbia as the reigning monarch, it won’t be the first time he’s travelled to the region. Along with Charles and brother Harry, the three skied the slopes of Whistler in 1998, triggering an avalanche of media interest. But the young William has a long way to go to match his grandmother’s familiarity with the province.

Visiting several times since her first trip as princess in 1951, the Queen’s most recent call was in 2002 to mark her Golden Jubilee. In Vancouver, she stayed in the Fairmont Waterfront’s palatial Royal Suite, heading out for a hockey game at what’s now called Rogers Arena. In an unexpected fusion of royal pomp and Canadian circumstance, she joined Wayne Gretzky to drop the puck and start the game. The capacity crowd of over 18,000 roared its approval.

Continue reading about British Columbia’s history of royal visits here.

Source: John Lee and Tourism British Columbia contacts: Tourism British Columbia, Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel, Queen Elizabeth Park, Parliament Buildings, Government House, Butchart Gardens, Abkhazi Gardens, Prince George Railway and Forestry Museum, Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Fairmont Waterfront Hotel.

Photo Credit: Tourism BC/JF Bergeron