Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
The princess, King Charles's sister, laid a wreath during a ceremony at the B.C. legislature cenotaph to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic, the largest and longest battle of the Second World War, during which Canada lost 24 warships and more than 4,300 Canadian forces and merchant marine members.
Earlier Sunday at Government House, Princess Anne planted a red flowering currant tree and unveiled a plaque to honour her late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
“We had the pleasure of going on a walk around the gardens with Princess Royal,” said Patty Grant, Friends of Government House Gardens president. “It was lovely. She is so personable and showed an interest in each and every one of the volunteers.”
Princess Anne was especially taken in by the woodland nature of the grounds, said Valerie Murray, government house horticultural adviser.
“She was most interested in the woodlands,” she said. “The camas is looking fantastic right now and we were able to talk about the unique Garry oak ecosystem. She took pictures of the Garry oak woodlands.”
Murray said the princess was shown a new coronation pathway developed to honour King Charles, including its design to “make it more accessible to the public and to protect the ecosystem.”
Princess Anne's royal visit started Friday in North Vancouver where she participated in the commissioning of HMCS Max Bernays, the first Arctic patrol vessel for Canada's Pacific fleet.
The princess, honorary commodore-in-chief of the Pacific fleet, sailed on board Max Bernays to Esquimalt where she visited God's Acre veteran's cemetery and an urban agricultural sustainable food project.
Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, said having the princess attend the Battle of the Atlantic ceremony and sail from North Vancouver to Esquimalt on board the patrol vessel was an honour for Canada's navy.
“It does make it extra special for the sailors of the Canadian Pacific fleet,” he said. “She is the honorary commodore-in-chief of the Pacific fleet, and for her to have a chance to come out and meet the sailors, sail on board HMCS Max Bernays and to be here to commission Max Bernays is a big moment for us. She cares deeply about her Royal duties and the sailors in the Royal Canadian Navy.”
HMCS Max Bernays is the first new ship commissioned on the West Coast for Arctic and offshore patrols based in Victoria, Topshee said.
“It's a great new capability for Canada and it guarantees that we can ensure our Arctic sovereignty,” he said.
About 600 people attended the Battle of Atlantic ceremony, B.C. legislature security staff estimated.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hamas rocket attack from Gaza sets off air raid sirens in Tel Aviv for the first time in months
Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months on Sunday in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israel's massive air, sea and ground offensive.
Grayson Murray's parents say the two-time PGA Tour winner died of suicide
Grayson Murray's parents said Sunday their 30-year-old son took his own life, just one day after he withdrew from a PGA Tour event. The family asked for privacy and that people honor Murray by being kind to one another.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Blaine Higgs 'furious' over sexual education presentation
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
'Inspires a sense of adventure': Sask. man conquers Mount Everest
A Saskatchewan man made it to the summit of Mount Everest earlier this month.
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
Indianapolis 500 delayed as strong storm forces fans to evacuate Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The start of the Indianapolis 500 was delayed as a strong storm pushed through the area Sunday, forcing Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials to evacuate about 125,000 fans who had already arrived for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
At least 9 dead in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after severe weather roars across region
Powerful storms killed at least nine people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where drivers took shelter during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.