Explore The Royal Family's close relationship with the region, as well as the diverse artistic traditions represented in the Royal Collection
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth attend a session of the Canadian Parliament
19 - 19 May 1939RCIN 2941041
During their tour of Canada in 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth attended Parliament in Ottawa to give Royal Assent to nine bills. It was the first time a reigning monarch of Canada attended a session of the Canadian Parliament in person. Following the ceremony, the king stated that the event symbolised ‘the free and equal association of the nations of the Commonwealth’ as guaranteed by the Statute of Westminster eight years earlier.
The tradition of the royal ‘walkabout’ was also said to have begun in Ottawa when Queen Elizabeth spontaneously walked amongst crowds of First World War veterans who had gathered for the unveiling of the National War Memorial.
