Last year around this time, a royal couple visited Canada.
Prince William (second in line to the throne of England) had just gotten married to Catherine Middleton and the two spent much of their honeymoon touring Canada.
Next month Canada will get a visit from another royal couple—this time, it’s the father of the groom. Prince Charles is William’s father. Charles is first in line to the throne. That means that when his mother—Queen Elizabeth—steps down, Charles will become king. (There is also a chance that the throne could go directly to William, but that hasn’t been decided yet.)
Charles will come to Canada with his second wife, Camilla.
Charles’ first wife was one of the most well-known and popular celebrities in the world, Princess Diana. (Princess Di, as she was known, was killed in a car crash in 1997. When that happened, millions of people around the world mourned.)
Charles and Camilla will tour New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan from May 20 to 23.
The tour is part of “diamond jubilee” celebrations for Queen Elizabeth. The diamond jubilee refers to a celebration taking place to recognize that Queen Elizabeth has reigned as queen of Canada (and other countries) for 60 years.
The last time a diamond jubilee was celebrated was for Queen Victoria in 1897.
Elizabeth is the queen of 16 “commonwealth countries,” including England, Canada, Australia and Jamaica.
Because she lives in England, she is represented in Canada by our Governor-General, David Johnston.
Royal visits are very expensive, partly because they need a lot of security to protect the royals. It typically costs more than $1-million to host a royal visitor. In Canada, the visits are paid for by the country’s Department of Canadian Heritage.
Some Canadian politicians are not pleased that Canada is spending so much money to host a royal visit, especially when government jobs are being cut (in other words people who work for the government are losing their jobs in order to help the government save money.)
Charles and Camilla will land in Fredericton, NB on May 20. They will watch a Victoria Day fireworks display in Toronto, visit with First Nations leaders and award some diamond jubilee medals to “deserving Canadians.”
The Canadian visit is one of hundreds of things that will be happening throughout the United Kingdom and the commonwealth nations to celebrate the Queen’s diamond jubilee.
Note: This article was updated at 10 p.m. on May 7 to correct a typo on the date of the royals’ visit.
Related links
TKN’s article on William and Kate’s marriage last year. (This article also has a picture of Princess Diana.)
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
By Kathleen Tilly
Writing/Discussion Prompt
The article explains, “Some Canadian politicians are not pleased that Canada is spending so much money to host a royal visit, especially when government jobs are being cut (in other words people who work for the government are losing their jobs in order to help the government save money.)”
What is your opinion on this issue? Do you think money should be spent on the royal visit? Do you think the money spent on the royal visit connects to the government jobs being cut? Do you think government jobs should be saved and the royal visit should be cancelled or shortened?
Reading Prompt: Read a variety of texts
Traditionally, diamonds are used to signify a 60-year anniversary, which is why this year is called the “diamond jubilee” year for Queen Elizabeth.
Use the Internet to find out what object represents the following anniversaries:
1. 1 year
2. 5 years
3. 10 years
4. 15 years
5. 25 years
6. 50 years
Junior
Read a variety of texts from diverse cultures, including literary texts, graphic texts and informational texts (OME, Reading: 1.1).
Intermediate
Read a wide variety of increasingly complex or difficult texts from diverse cultures, including literary texts, graphic texts and informational texts (OME, Reading: 1.1).
Grammar Feature: Plural nouns
When we write a plural noun, we often add -s or -es to the end of the word. Sometimes, this rule doesn’t apply. For example, the plural of governor-general is governors-general. Also, the plural of mother-in-law but mothers-in-law.
Can you think of any other words that don’t follow the standard rule for making a noun plural?
