The Life of King Edward VII: with a sketch of the career of King George VHopkins, J. Castell (John Castell)
History
The Life of King Edward VII: with a sketch of the career of King George V
Hopkins, J. Castell (John Castell)
Edward VII, King of Great Britain, 1841-1910
At every village and town and tiny settlement on the way to Ottawa
crowds turned out to welcome and cheer the passing visitor; while flags
and arches and decorations indicated the pleasure of the people in more
practical shape. Near the capital of the United Provinces of Upper and
Lower Canada--seven years hence to be the capital of the new
Dominion--the Prince of Wales was received by a fleet of steamers and
1200 lumbermen and Indians in birch-bark canoes and was escorted into
the city in a most picturesque style. Mayor Workman presented an address
and a procession through the capital followed. On September 1st the
corner stone of the splendid Parliament Buildings, which afterwards
graced the hills of the Chaudière, was laid by the Royal visitor amid
scenes of considerable dignity and much enthusiasm. Amongst those
present were H. E. Sir Edmund Head, Lord Mulgrave, General Sir Fenwick
Williams, Hon. John A. Macdonald and the other members of the Ministry.
In the afternoon a state luncheon was given by the Government at which
the Governor-General presided and the toasts proposed were presented
respectively by His Excellency, Sir N. F. Belleau, Sir Henry Smith and
the Prince himself. A visit to the Chaudière Falls followed and the
usual illuminations were given in the evening. On Sunday Christ Church
Cathedral was attended and early in the succeeding day the journey was
resumed--Arnprior, Almonte and Brockville being visited and addresses
received.
At this point in the tour occurred an unfortunate misunderstanding with
the Orangemen of Kingston and Toronto. While in Montreal the Duke of
Newcastle--who was practically in charge of the Prince's movements so
far as they affected state and public interests--heard that the members
of the Loyal Orange Order proposed to erect arches along the route of
the Royal procession in Toronto and Kingston and to decorate them with
Orange colours and regalia. The Duke at once wrote to Sir Edmund Head
that this would not do. "It is obvious that a display of this nature on
such an occasion is likely to lead to religious feud and breach of the
peace; and it is my duty to prevent, so far as I am able, the exposure
of the Prince to supposed participation in a scene so much to be
deprecated, and so alien to the spirit in which he visits Canada." He
added that if the policy was persisted in he would advise the Prince not
to visit the places in question.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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