Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko spent three and half eventful days in British Columbia, Canada.

Click to view photos at Getty Images

Upon arriving in Richmond, the Emperor and Empress were escorted by Premier Gordon Campbell on a tour of the Olympic Oval built for the 2010 Winter Games. They were greeted by other dignitaries, athletes, and a few hundred well wishers. Outside the Olympic Oval, the royal couple watched a performance of “Field of Spirit” by a Richmond children’s choir, a song that was written for the choir to commemorate the opening of the Olympic Oval. The Emperor and Empress were presented with 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games commemorative pins before leaving. Premier Campbell later issued a statement saying that the object of the visit will be to renew and strengthen B.C.’s strong ties with Japan. “Their Majesties’ visit highlights the importance of British Columbia and Japan as strong partners as we move forward with our Asia Pacific strategy.”

In Victoria, Lt.-Gov. Stephen Point welcomed the Imperial Couple to Government House (the Lt.-Governor’s residence).  For Akihito, this was a trip down memory lane for it was at Government House that he stayed as a 19-year-old Crown Prince on his way to Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953. “It left a very strong impression on him. He has always wanted to retrace those memories and share them with the Empress,” said Mr. Numata, former Japanese Ambassador to Canada.  Read more…

Capricorn Japanese Royals Canada, Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko, State Visit

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko arrived in Toronto on Wednesday as part of their state visit to Canada.  On their agenda, was a trip to Toronto’s Hospital For Sick Children commonly known as Sick Kids (see a video here).

Click on image to view photos at Getty Images

The Imperial Couple later met with Lt.-Gov. David Onley at the his residence and then with Premier Dalton McGuinty at the Ontario Legislature.

They visited the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre on Thursday evening and a seniors’ home on Friday morning before leaving for British Columbia where they may be facing a tense situation as  a group of veterans and other interested parties are expecting an apology or expression of regret for past wars from the Emperor .

Turnouts to greet the Imperial couple have seemed rather small as compared to other royal visits during their stay in Toronto.

More information can be found in this thread.

Capricorn Japanese Royals Canada, Children, Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko, Hospital, State Visit

The Imperial Couple landed in Ottawa on Friday afternoon to kick off their 12-day state visit that will also take them to Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria.

The last time Akihito visited Canada, he was a 19-year-old Crown Prince on his way to attend the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. Although this visit is to commemorate the 80th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries, it is also to strengthen their common bonds.

The weekend activities were chosen in keeping with Akihito’s interest in natural science and his biological studies.  They visited a tea room at the Mackenzie King Estate in Gatineau Park, Quebec and Ottawa’s Experimental Farm.

Click image to see photo at www.cbc.ca

The official state visit began on Monday when the Imperial Couple rode in an open carriage up the winding road to Rideau Hall, the Governor General’s Residence, to be welcomed by Governor General Michaëlle Jean.  He reviewed the GG’s guards and planted a Canadian hemlock tree in the GG’s private garden.

“We are most impressed with the effort the people of your country make in order to maintain nature in metropolitan areas and try to lead a healthy lifestyle,” said the Emperor as part of his address.

Later that afternoon, Akihito met with students at Carleton University before returning to Rideau Hall for informal talks with the Prime Minister.

GG Jean hosted a state dinner for the Imperial Couple and other dignitaries at Rideau Hall during the evening.

On Tuesday the Couple toured Parliament Hill and attended a gala reception at the National Gallery.

Many excited Japanese-Canadians could be seen among the crowds greeting the Imperial Couple.

You can follow the Imperial Couple’s state visit to Canada in the thread here.

Capricorn Japanese Royals Canada, Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko, Michaëlle Jean, State Visit

View the image at The Georgian.ca

On 18 June 1959 Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh began a 45-day tour of Canada in Gander, Newfoundland, that would see them visit every province and territory and open the St. Lawrence Seaway. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Queen’s visit, The Georgian newspaper interviewed people who were there during the Queen’s visit.

To read some some interesting anecdotes click here.

The Royal Couple was received by the Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and Governor General Vincent Massey and other dignitaries when they arrived in Gander. A pretty little girl handed HM a bouquet and everyone waited patiently until the little girl remembered to curtsy and pull at her skirt before returning to her parents.

On June 26, Queen Elizabeth and U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower formally inaugurated the St. Lawrence Seaway, which links the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. They boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia at the lock at St. Lambert, Ontario. The Britannia pulled away from the dock and entered the lift lock to officially open the Seaway as she passed a gate made from timber from the lock of the old Lachine Canal. Read more…

Capricorn British Royals Canada, Duke of Edinburgh, Elizabeth II, Official Visit, Prince Philip

Click here to read an article at honoluluadvertiser

Japan’s Emperor Akihito and his wife, Empress Michiko, will leave Tokyo on July 3 in order to pay an official visit to Canada and the US state of Hawaii that will last until July 17. The visit is meant to promote goodwill and friendship between Japan and Canada, the United States and Hawaii and will mark 80 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Canada. Diplomatic relations between Japan and Canada began in 1928 with the opening of a Japanese legation in Ottawa. Canada opened its Tokyo legation in 1929. It was Canada’s first in Asia.

The first leg of the couple’s tour is going to be Ottawa where official events will begin on July 6. The gap between their arrival on July 3 and the start of the official schedule on July 6 is probably owing to the fact that both royals have been repeatedly struggling with health problems during the last years. Emperor Akihito (74) who underwent surgery for prostate cancer five years ago still carries a full load of official duties. In December 2008, he was hospitalised for treatment for internal bleeding. His wife, Empress Michiko (73), the first commoner ever to become Japanese empress, has long struggled with her position in the imperial family, with consequences for her health. She suffered two nervous breakdowns, one shortly after her marriage and another in 1993, supposedly due to the stressful life Japanese royals lead. In February, she sustained a ligament injury in her left knee when she fell while playing tennis at the Imperial Palace. Her doctors said that it will take up to six months for her to fully recover.

In Ottawa, emperor and empress will, among other things, enjoy a state dinner at Rideau Hall with Governor General Michaëlle Jean and her husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, before heading to Toronto on July 8. They will travel on to Victoria on July 10. The last leg of their trip to Canada will be Vancouver where they are going to stay from July 12 to July 14. During their visit, they will meet representatives of the Japanese-Canadian community who are supposed to highly anticipate the ‘once in a lifetime’ visit from the emperor. (Article) In fact, in meeting the emperor and talking to him so close, the “Nikkeis” (Japanese born outside Japan) who will welcome him in Canada are being given an opportunity that the vast majority of Japanese can only dream of. Read more…

ChiaraC Japanese Royals Canada, Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko, Official Visit, Pearl Harbour, United States of America

On Thursday, Prince Michael of Kent was invited to be the guest of honor at the Alberta Aviation Museum in Canada. It was a very special visit for the Prince, who also happens to be a pilot, and an enthusiastic fan of aviation history, according to a report from IAviation.

During his tour, Prince Michael was able to practice his flying on a DC-6 flight simulator, which featured technology developed exclusively by the Alberta Aviation Museum. He also checked out the cockpit of a Boeing 737, and tried out other interactive exhibits. The most personal part of the visit came when Prince Michael was presented with photographs taken of his father, the Duke of Kent, during a visit to the facility that is now the museum, in the World War II years. When the Duke of Kent visited, the building was part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

To learn more about the Alberta Aviation Museum, please visit this website.

To read about, and to discuss Prince Michael of Kent, please visit the Forum.

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After their visit to British Columbia last week, the Earl and Countess of Wessex spent the weekend in Alberta, where Prince Edward continued his activities on behalf of the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme while the Countess undertook other engagements (see this blog).

On Saturday Prince Edward visited Simon Fraser Junior High School in Calgary to meet students involved in the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme and other leadership schemes.

On Sunday morning the Prince handed out awards to 100 Gold Award recipients at the Palliser Hotel in Calgary. He told the students that they could walk taller, knowing what they have achieved.  He also held a breakfast meeting with business leaders and RCMP officials with a view to increasing the number of young people taking part in the Award scheme, especially those in the north of the country, including Nunavut, where presently the high school drop-out rate is very high.

On Sunday afternoon the Prince took part in a ceremony at the Mewata Armoury to mark the 100th anniversary of the Cadet Instructor branch of the Canadian Forces Reserve. As Colonel in Chief of the Saskatchewan Dragoons, he was wearing the uniform of a Canadian colonel. He watched a march past, inspected the troops, and chatted informally to some of the cadets.

On Sunday evening the Prince attended an event in Banff, and on Monday he was back in Calgary to present the RCMP with a new mascot, a yellow labrador called Suzanna, from the kennels at Sandringham. This comes shortly after the RCMP presented the Queen with a horse, named George, trained in the RCMP Musical Ride programme (see this blog).

For more details about the trip, see this thread.

Esmeralda British Royals Canada, Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Prince Edward is in Canada this week, paying a brief visit with the primary purpose of handing out Duke of Edinburgh awards. The Prince attended a private dinner on Wednesday night at the Vancouver Art Gallery, before heading to the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel on Thursday for the first award ceremony. Here he presented 76 DoE awards, and spent nearly an hour talking with the recipients and their families. Edward also visited University of British Columbia’s Thunderbird Hockey Arena, which is the official venue for hockey and sledge hockey for the 2010 Paralympics. The prince stated while there that he would like to attend the Paralympic Games, but that nothing is yet confirmed. That afternoon the Prince visited Vancouver Technical Secondary School, where a stunningly large number of students (36) received gold awards (the DoE awards come in gold, silver and bronze).

Friday saw Edward presenting 68 more gold DoE awards at Government House in Victoria, where he laughed and joked with the recipients and their familes. He had no public engagements in Victoria, as the ceremony was private and Edward had no other scheduled events. That afternoon the Prince was in Stanley Park, back in Vancouver, for the Navy’s 100th anniversary celebrations – more specifically, a “a naval mast dedication ceremony” or the unveiling of the Navy flag.

For more details about the trip, see this thread.

marmi British Royals Canada, Earl of Wessex, Paralympics, Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Click on the photo to see more from the Edmonton Journal

During the past two days, Sophie Rhys-Jones, who is better known as the Countess of Wessex, has been very busy. She has participated in ceremonies honoring police and the military. Her whirlwind schedule continued today as she participated in church services at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, according to an article in the Edmonton Journal. The Countess read from the Book of Isaiah during the Sunday morning service.

Shortly before the church service, the Countess inspected the South Alberta Light Horse Regiment. She is the colonel-in-chief of this regiment. After the inspection, the regiment joined the Loyal Edmonton Regiment Band in a parade near the church.

The Countess attracted many royal watchers and well-wishers who came to see her while on the royal visit. Shelly Kellam, a Canadian royal watcher, told the newspaper that she came to the event just to see what the Countess was wearing. She enthusiastically stated that, “She was great”.

Click on the photo to see more from inews880.com

After the church services, Sophie spent time greeting the children from Holy Trinity’s Sunday School. The children presented her with gifts of flowers and cards. The Countess took the time to take photos with the children, who were undoubtedly delighted by the opportunity to meet a real-life royal, according to an interview with some of the children by inews880.com.

The Countess spent the rest of the day meeting with the soldiers from her regiment and their families in honor of Regimental Family Day.

To read more about the Earl and Countess of Wessex, please visit the forum.

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Click here to read the article from ctv.ca

During day 2 of her Canadian visit, Sophie Rhys-Jones, the Countess of Wessex, visited with World War II veterans at the an event honoring the 65th anniversary of D-Day at the Military Museum in Calgary.

The Countess is currently visiting Canada with her husband, Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex. She has been busy with engagements of her own, including today’s event at the museum, which was attended by over 600 people, according to CTV.ca.

Despite stating that she has only recently learned of Canada’s role in D-Day, the Countess said that “Canada’s role in the invasion will never be forgotten”. In addition to the D-Day ceremony, the Countess also participated in a ceremony honoring the expansion of the museum, which now honors Canada’s military participation in Afghanistan. According to an article in the Calgary Sun, the Countess was visibly moved by the ceremony, and further stated that “commemorations just as these remind us of just how small our world really is-while we recall the important events of the past, I find my mind turn to the present where we are standing shoulder to shoulder once again in an effort to secure peace and stability in troubled places”.

Immediately after the ceremony, the guests and the Countess were invited to a royal tea.

To read about and discuss the Countess of Wessex, please visit the forum.

sgl British Royals Canada, Countess of Wessex, D-Day, Official Visit, World War II