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Having spent her life in the less than sun-drenched climes of Blighty, the Queen is accustomed to dealing with a few drops of rain. And that's probably no bad thing, because there was a distinctly British flavour to the weather when Her Majesty was guest of honour at Alberta's centenary celebrations this week.
The monarch, wearing a fur-trimmed hat and rain mac, was greeted by a blustery downpour when she arrived in the city of Edmonton to mark the Canadian province's 100th birthday. The royal visitor didn't seem the least bit bothered, though, smiling broadly as a group of "White Buffalo" performers welcomed her with a display of traditional indigenous dancing.
Prince Philip and his wife took time to chat with some of the 15,000 hardy locals who braved the nasty weather to meet their head of state. And afterwards the monarch cut the first slice of an ornate birthday cake - an exact replica of Alberta's legislative building.
Local premiere Ralph Klein was left red faced after he nearly knocked off the sovereign's hat with his umbrella, but the Queen, who says Canada is one of her favourite countries to visit, wasn't about to let the mishap spoil her day.
The royals have been dogged by bad weather since they began their nine-day visit. High winds were waiting for the couple when they arrived in Saskatchewan last week and heavy rains have dampened spirits at several more appearances since then. Organisers in the city of Calgary won't be caught out, however, as they are planning to make their welcome ceremony an indoor affair. |
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