Since everyone is talking about the royal tour, I thought I would too. The City of Edmonton Archives has put together a couple of exhibits in honour of the first visit of state of newlyweds William and Kate. We teamed up with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment Military Museum, also located in the Prince of Wales Armouries, to create a display in the Archives’ reference room. Everyone is welcome to come and see it, there is no charge and parking is free.
A 1918 letter from George V.Detail of a ceremonial officer’s sword with a decorative “GVR” (King George V) hilt.
Our contributions to the display come from MS-106 Their Majesties’ Royal Collection which is a collection of everything from signatures to commemorative mugs.
Although the royal couple is not coming to Edmonton on this tour, we’ve had our fair share of royal visitors. In addition to the display in the reference room, our photograph archivist also put together a rotating virtual exhibit of photographs from past visits.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana dressed in period clothes for their day at Fort Edmonton Park in 1983.Prince Charles and Princess Diana dressed in period clothes for their day at Fort Edmonton Park in 1983.Queen Elizabeth II has visited Edmonton several times. In 1978 she was here for the Commonwealth Games and this photograph of her and Mayor Cec Purves was probably taken at the old City Hall.I love this, the Queen…in hot pink!! She and Prime Minister Trudeau are at a Commonwealth Games event.This photograph is from 1951 (when she was still a princess). She is shaking hands with Edmonton Eskimos captain Dick Huffman and Winnipeg Bluebombers captain Frank Filchock.Here is King George VI and the Queen Mum (Queen Elizabeth), demonstrating the royal wave, during their 1939 visit.And finally, here is a very dapper Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VIII, in 1919. With him is Colonel T.C. Sims (no, it’s not Hitler!).
