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Princess Elizabeth visits Nanaimo

On Feb. 6, 1952, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was proclaimed Queen of Canada. Her spectacular coronation in Westminster Abbey the following year was heard by millions on the radio and was the first ever to be televised. When she visited Canada in 1951, 1957, 1959 and 1964, Elizabeth left an indelible mark on Canadians coast to coast.

In 1951, Princess Elizabeth and her new husband visit Canada for the first time. In Nanaimo, B.C., the royal couple is greeted by mobs of adoring children, many of whom have come hundreds of kilometres to catch a glimpse of their future queen.
The children have gifts for Elizabeth's young children, "Bonnie Prince Charles and wee Princess Anne." The children are so excited that they block Elizabeth's passage, and are rewarded with personal greetings from the delighted princess.
• Prince Charles, now the Prince of Wales and heir apparent to the throne, was born in 1948 His sister, Princess Anne, now the Princess Royal, was born in 1950.
• At the time of the 1951 visit there was great concern for Elizabeth's father, King George VI, who was very ill. He died the following year and Elizabeth was proclaimed Queen.
• A 4-cent Canadian stamp was created to commemorate the 1951 royal visit.
Medium: Radio
Program: Royal Tour Diary
Broadcast Date: Oct. 26, 1951
Guest(s): , Earle C. Westwood
Duration: 9:09
Photo: CBC Times Vol. 4 No. 11, Sept. 30 – Oct. 6 1951

Last updated: March 28, 2012

Page consulted on March 20, 2013

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