Category Archives: The Monarchy in Canada

Updated Canadian Encyclopedia Article: Prince Charles (HRH The Prince of Wales)

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The Prince of Wales

I have updated my article about Prince Charles in the Canadian Encyclopedia to include the 2017 tour of Nunavut, Ontario and the National Capital region in honour of the 15oth anniversary of Canada’s Confederation.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“Charles and Camilla spent Canada Day in the National Capital Region. Charles first met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and then was invested as Extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada. He later made a speech on Parliament Hill, which included extensive remarks in French and a warm tribute to Governor General David Johnston, whose term ends in September 2017. During their time in the National Capital Region, the royal couple also helped open the Canadian History Hall at the Canadian Museum of History, unveiled the Queen’s Entrance at Rideau Hall and reopened the newly renovated National Arts Centre.”

Click here to read Prince Charles (HRH The Prince of Wales) in the Canadian Encyclopedia.

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National Post Interview: Light everything on fire: What would have happened had the Nazis invaded Britain

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King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in British Columbia in 1939

I discussed the royal family during the Second World War with Tristin Hopper at the National Post. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and their children, the future Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret were determined to remain together in Britain but there were contingency plans in the event of a German invasion, including the purchase of Hatley Castle in British Columbia by Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King as a possible wartime residence for the royal family.

Click here to read “Light everything on fire: What would have happened had the Nazis invaded Britain” in the National Post

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Canada’s History Magazine Feature Article: The Queen’s Land

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My latest feature article for Canada’s History Magazine is entitled “The Queen’s Land: The colourful stories behind the royal names embedded in Canada’s geography.” I discuss the royal personages who gave their names to Canada’s cities and landscapes, revealing the fascinating historical figures behind Canadian places such as Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia; Fredericton, New Brunswick; Prince Edward Island; Lake Louise, Alberta; and Prince George, British Columbia.

The August-September issue of Canada’s History Magazine will be available on newsstands in the coming weeks.

Click here to read the Table of Contents of the August-September Issue of Canada’s History Magazine

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Toronto Sun Interview: Canada and the royals during the wars

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King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at Toronto City Hall in 1939

I discussed the history of the monarchy in Canada during the First and Second World Wars with Antonella Artuso from the Toronto Sun. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

“Historian Carolyn Harris, who has just released her third book, Raising Royalty: 1,000 Years of Royal Parenting, said the monarchy retained tight links with Canada throughout both world wars, from 1914-18 and from 1939-45.

The Earl of Athlone (seated right) with the Allied leaders at the Quebec Conferences.

“What’s very striking about the First and Second World Wars is that the governor general was a member of the royal family, that Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Arthur, the Duke of Connaught, was governor general for much of WWI … and his daughter, Princess Patricia, became extremely popular during her time in Canada, that her image was on the $1 bill for a year during the First World War and she also became patroness of the Princess Patricia’s (Canadian) Light Infantry,” Harris said. “There was a lot of engagement with Canadian troops.”

Alexander Cambridge, Earl of Athlone, served as governor general from 1940 to ’46, and he and his wife, Princess Alice of Albany, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, hosted European royalty fleeing the Nazis during WWII.”

Click here to read “Canada and the royals during the wars” in the Toronto Sun

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CBC News Network Interview: The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall Visit Prince Edward County

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Prince Charles tours the Wellington Farmer’s Market in Ontario, Friday June 30, 2017.
[Photo credit: Peter J. Thompson]

I discussed the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to Prince Edward County on the CBC News Network this afternoon including Prince Charles’s interest in organic farming, the first royal walkabout in Canada in 1939 and the history of Queen Elizabeth II’s Canadian tours

Click here to watch: “Carolyn Harris interview – Live coverage of royal tour on CBC News Network”

I am also quoted in the CBC article “Retired soldier takes to life on the farm, with help from Prince Charles”

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CBC News Interview: Is Prince Charles misunderstood?

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The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall

I discussed the Prince of Wales’s reputation and philanthropy with Janet Davison at CBC News, in advance of his tour of Canada with the Duchess of Cornwall, which will include Nunavut, Prince Edward County and Ottawa for the 150th anniversary of Canada’s Confederation. Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

“In Canada, there’s also a feeling the public perception of Charles has been changing. “I have the sense that it’s much more positive now than it has been in the past,” says Carolyn Harris, a Toronto-based author and royal historian.

“Some of the causes Prince Charles has been engaging with have become very topical and raised the profile of these tours,” says Harris, whose book Raising Royalty: 1,000 Years of Royal Parenting was recently published.”

Click here to read “Is Prince Charles Misunderstood at CBC News”

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CBC News Interview: ‘Bit of a loose cannon’: Why Prince Harry’s musings on the monarchy may not be so surprising after all

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Prince Harry at the official press launch of Walking with the Wounded in 2010.

I discussed Prince Harry’s recent remarks about the monarchy with Janet Davison at CBC News. Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

“Harry’s comments about how the Royal Family is “involved in modernizing the British monarchy” and how “we are not doing this for ourselves but for the greater good of the people” also conjured up memories of his grandfather.

“I think there are very striking similarities to Prince Philip’s comments in Canada in the 1960s about how monarchy exists for the people rather than for the monarch,” says Carolyn Harris, a Toronto-based royal historian and author of the recently published Raising Royalty: 1,000 Years of Royal Parenting.”

Click here to read the full interview: “‘Bit of a loose cannon’: Why Prince Harry’s musings on the monarchy may not be so surprising after all” at CBC.ca

I also discussed Prince Harry with 610CKTB radio St. Catharines. Click here to listen to the interview.

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Maclean’s Interview: Canadians adore Queen Elizabeth. Her son? Not so much

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The investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales at Caenarvon Castle in 1969

My recent interview in Maclean’s Magazine concerns how Queen Elizabeth II and her son Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, are perceived in Canada. Canadians turning 100 are eligible to receive birthday greetings from the monarch. As journalist Aaron Hutchins and I discussed, the current generation of Canadian centenarians would prefer to receive congratulations from the current Queen rather than her successor for a variety of reasons including the shared experience of the Second World War.

Click here to read “Canadians adore Queen Elizabeth. Her son? Not so much” in Maclean’s Magazine

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The Queen’s Coronation on Camera

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Coronation portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. June 2, 1953

Today is the 64th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation on June 2, 1953. As I discuss in my latest article for the Dundurn Press blog, the decision to televise the ceremony was controversial at the time (a debate dramatized in the first season of the recent Netflix series, The Crown).

The Queen’s ultimate decision to invite the BBC into Westminster Abbey to televise the coronation allowed the Commonwealth to share in the event and made the television a household item. As I discuss in the article, the Queen continues to make use of new technologies to publicize royal events and philanthropy.

Click here to read “The Queen’s Coronation on Camera” at Dundurn Press

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National Post review of Raising Royalty: “Murder your children’s rivals, and other parenting tips from royals”

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19th century portrait of Peter the Great interrogating his son, Alexei

My new book, Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting, is featured in the weekend National Post including quotes from the chapters about Peter the Great, Queen Victoria and Henry VIII.

“[The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge] want Princess Charlotte and Prince George to go to the local school. They want to be hands-on parents. On the day George left the hospital, William wrestled with the lad’s car seat, a performance reenacted daily by new dads the world over. The message they hoped you’d glean from it? Will and Kate are just like you and me.

In her new book, Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting, Canadian historian Carolyn Harris reveals there may be other parenting tips to be gleaned from royal watching. With Harris as inspiration, we offer six tips from moms and dads who also happened to be monarchs.”

Click here to read “Murder your children’s rivals, and other parenting tips from royals” in the National Post

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