My new article in the Historica Canada Canadian Encyclopedia is about Royal Tours of Canada from the late eighteenth century to the present day, including early visits by King George III’s sons, the travels of Queen Victoria’s children, the 1939 royal tour by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), and official visits and working visits during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
Click here to read my article about Royal Tours of Canada in the Canadian Encyclopedia
Happy Canada Day! My latest article in the Historica Canada Canadian Encyclopedia is about Charles Stanley Monck, 4th Viscount Monck of Ballytrammon, governor general of British North America, captain general and governor of British North America from 1861 to 1867 and governor general of Canada from 1867 to 1868 (born 10 October 1819 in Templemore, County Tipperary, Ireland; died 29 November 1894 in Charleville, Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland). Monck supported Confederation and became the first governor general of the Dominion of Canada.
Click here to read my article about Viscount Monck in the Canadian Encyclopedia
I discussed virtual royal engagements during the COVID-19 pandemic with Janet Davison at CBC News. As traditional royal walkabouts are not possible during the pandemic, members of the royal family are connecting with the public virtually, finding innovative methods to engage with people while maintaining a physical distance.
Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughter, Princess Beatrice of York, will marry Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on May 29, 2020 in the Chapel Royal of St. James’s Palace. The Chapel Royal has not been a venue for royal weddings in more than 100 years but was the setting of important historical royal weddings including Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in 1840 and the future King George V and Queen Mary in 1893. I discussed Princess Beatrice with Meghan Collie at Global News.
My new article in the Globe and Mail, “What it takes for British royalty to truly become Canadian” compares Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Louise and son-in-law Lord Lorne, the first royal couple to visit Canada. Even in the nineteenth century, royalty faced different expectations in Canada than they did in the United Kingdom and Louise and Lorne adapted well to Canadian life during Lorne’s five year term as Governor General.
I discussed royal Christmas traditions with Meaghan Wray at Global News including opening presents on Christmas Eve, multiple Christmas trees including nursery trees for royal children, and other traditions that date back to Queen Victoria’s reign.
Mon Dec 16, 2019 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Toronto Public Library S. Walter Stewart Branch 170 Memorial Park Ave.
Royal weddings have been the focus of popular fascination for centuries. Queen Victoria popularized the white wedding dress and her descendants have also exerted a profound influence on how marriages are celebrated around the world. Join Carolyn Harris, author of ‘Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting,‘ for a lively history of royal weddings from Victorian times until today.
Drop in. No registration required.
The panel of historians and biographers on the program include A.N. Wilson, author of Victoria: A Life, Jane Ridley, author of Bertie: A Life of Edward VII and Queen Victoria: Queen, Matriarch, Empress, Jules Stewart, author of Albert: A Life and Christine Kinealy, author of A New History of Ireland.
I discussed Queen Victoria’s legacy in Canada with Janet Davison at CBC News. While Queen Victoria never visited Canada in person, all four of her sons and her daughter Princess Louise spent time in Canada and set precedents for future royal tours. Queen Victoria also exerted political and cultural influence over the development of 19th century Canada and her birthday remains a Canadian holiday to the present day.
Queen Victoria was born 200 years ago today on May 24, 1819. Her sixty-three year reign had a profound impact on the history of the monarchy and her legacy endures to the present day. I discussed Queen Victoria’s legacy with Aurora Bosotti at the Daily Express along with other historians of the Queen’s reign including Marlene Koenig, author of Queen Victoria’s Descendants, Julia Baird, author of Victoria the Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire and Helen Rappaport, author of numerous books about Queen Victoria and the Victorian era including Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert and the Death That Changed The Monarchy.