Residents of Falkland caught a fleeting glimpse of royalty in 1951.
A Canadian National Railway train heading west to Vancouver was carrying then Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip. The royals, according to provincial government records, were on a coast-to-coast tour of Canada from Oct. 8 to Nov. 12.
This photo suggests to have been taken in November of 1951.
The pair waved hello to the crowd from the train's caboose as it went past the station. It was the first visit to the province for Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Phillip visited Vancouver, Victoria, and Nanaimo while in B.C., and enjoyed a private retreat in Qualicum Beach.
They were to attend a UBC football game but, according to records from the UBC Library, "Unfortunately with unavoidable delays in their tour schedule, the royal couple did not arrive at the stadium until after the completion of the football game (the game against Eastern Oregon had been won by the home side by a score of 13-8). Many of the 5,000 spectators who had jammed the stadium grandstands remained in place to see the royal couple."
Just a few months later, Elizabeth received news of her father's (George VI) death on Feb. 6, 1942, and ascended to the thrown while on an official visit to Kenya. She became Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip visited B.C. seven times, including stops in Vernon in 1971 and 1983. Their last visit to the province was in October 2002.
FYI, Nov. 21 happens to be National Hello Day.
