The royal visit that marked B.C.'s 1971 centennial celebration

Visiting Canada for centennial celebrations was becoming almost routinefor Queen Elizabeth andPrince Philip by 1971.

They had come in 1964 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Charlottetown conference, forCanada's centennial celebrations in Ottawa in 1967 and for Manitoba's 100th in 1970.

And then they came toBritish Columbiain 1971, bringing their daughter, Princess Anne, with them.

"Of particular interest to tour watchers this year will be the performance of Princess Anne, now 20," the Globe and Mail reported on May 3, 1971, the day of their arrival.

On the previous visit, Anne's elder brother, Charles, had been part of the tour and Anne had been "willing to let Prince Charles have most of the limelight." This time, the limelight would be all hers.

Crossing the strait

A royal crossing to Vancouver Island

53 years ago

Duration 2:28

The royal visitors, along with the prime minister, the governor general and their wives, take the yacht Britannia across the Strait of Georgia.

There was a lot of the West Coast province to cover, and that's why the royal yacht Britannia had made the trip over and arrived in Esquimalt, B.C., on April 21, according to the Globe and Mail.

"The voyage across the Strait of Georgia was a leisurely affair," said CBC reporter Mike McCourt, as the camera captured the Union Jack flapping in the wind whilethe Queen, her husband and daughter admired the scenery on May 3. "And they had a perfect day for it."

An American submarine "happened by" on the surface as the yacht passed, andthe vessel turned out a guard of honour for the family, said McCourt.

Along for the journey

Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and his newwife, Margaret, who was originally from B.C., had also takenthe six-hour trip from Vancouver to Victoria. B.C.'slieutenant governor Jack Nicholson,Gov. Gen. RolandMichener,andtheir wives rounded out the group, according to the Globe and Mail.

According to a report in the Toronto Star, 25,000 people had "swarmed to the docks" as the yacht glided in.

"This morning, the start of the royal tour script,"McCourtsaid as the camera captured pink blossoms and "thousands of schoolchildren" at the provincial legislature.

"As a veteran tour reporter, I'd say this has to be the most minutely planned royal mainstreeting of my experience," wrote the Star's Lotta Dempsey in a pre-visit column.

"Mr. Premier, you have made us very welcome at the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the entry of this province into the Confederation of Canada," the Queen said in a speech as B.C. Premier W.A.C. Bennett looked on.

Island time

'Logger sports' in Ladysmith

53 years ago

Duration 2:27

The Queen and Prince Philip take in a demonstration of lumberjack skills while Princess Anne dedicates Pacific Rim National Park.

The next day in Ladysmith,the Queen and her husband were treated to "typical British Columbia entertainment," said reporter Bill Dobson.

That included "loggersports" like pole climbing and axe-throwing.

"Local woodsmen raced the clock to the top of an85-foot-tall spar tree, then made the breathtaking descent," said the reporter.

A further highlight was men in lumberjack garb hurling axes at targets hewn from trees, which seemed to especially please Prince Philip.

Then it was on to Nanaimo, where the royal couple watched a preview of the city's annual "bathtub derby."

"The royal visitors are approaching their busy schedule with obvious good humour," said Dobson.

Princess Anne, meanwhile, was travelling to the Island's west coast for a solo engagement to dedicate the new Pacific Rim National Park near Tofino. She was accompanied in the task by Indian Affairs Minister Jean Chrtien.

Dobson said that on the way back to her helicopter, Anne stopped to talk to a group of young people"who described themselves as "squatters" who livedon the beach.

"I could think of worse places to live," the princess was said to have replied.

'Tummy troubles'

May Day in New Westminister

53 years ago

Duration 2:42

The Queen and Prince Philip take in May Day celebrations and observe an anvil salute during their visit to the B.C. city.

Two days later, the tightly planned visit had to make changes on the fly in light of what McCourt described as "tummy troubles" for Princess Anne.

The Globe and Mail, whichdescribed Anne as sufferingan"upset stomach," said she had been attended by the ship's surgeon aboard the Britannia and spent the day resting there.

But the day continued"without a flaw," McCourtsaid, as the Queen and Prince Philip attended a citizenship ceremony together in downtown Vancouver before "splitting off" sothat Philip could perform some of the duties planned for Anne at the University of British Columbia.

Explosive salute

Then it was off to New Westminster, where the Queen was met with a 21-gun salute of a different kind by the Hyack Anvil Battery.

"The Hyack boys don't use guns but, in fact, anvils,"said McCourt, as the camera showed an explosive chargebeing placed under an anvil, which jumped when it ignited.

But a plan that was to have Anne dedicate thecornerstone of a new CBC building in Vancouver had to be cancelled because ofher illness, according to the Globe and Mail.

The CBC camera showed bunting and bleachers that had beenset up for the eventbeing taken down.

"And the plaque had to wait for whatever fate was decided for it by corporation management," said McCourt.

A cake to remember

A royal visit to Prince Rupert

53 years ago

Duration 2:14

Princess Anne slices a giant birthday cake for B.C.'s centennial.

Anne had recovered and was back in the spotlight again when the familytravelled to Prince Rupert. On a five-kilometre ferry ride from the airport across the harbour into town, Anne rode in the wheelhouse as the royal standard flew on the flagpole.

McCourt, again reporting on the tour, noted the "inevitable motorcade" that took the family tothe civic centre, where a large crowd and "the ever-present Cubs and Brownies" looked on.

It was Anne's task to slice an "immense" centennialcake adorned with 100 oversized birthday candles.

According to the Toronto Star, her father coached her, telling her to "have a slash at it" with the designatedceremonial sword.

Ceremonies all around

Then it was on to the Queen Charlotte Islands, now known as Haida Gwaii, for a "ceremonial tribal dance."

"The Queen was obviously intrigued by the dancing, which is not performed for just anyone," saidMcCourt.

Even as the Queen chatted with 85-year-old chief Billy Matthews, all eyes were on Anne, said McCourt.

"A great deal of attention centred around Princess Anne, who, as society editors are wont to say, looked radiant," said McCourt.