The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York's visit to Ottawa, 1901 

In 1901 the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (later King George V and Queen Mary) traversed Canada over five weeks. Conveyed by special train, the royal couple began their visit at Quebec City in the east and travelled as far as Vancouver in the west. Their tour covered 7700 miles, allowing an unprecedented number of Canadians to see a member of the Royal Family for themselves. Central to the visit was acknowledgement of Canada’s role in the Boer War, and much of the time was spent distributing medals and reviewing troops. The royal couple also attended a lacrosse match, visited a sawmill and inspected the Mounted Police.