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In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne. Over the course of her record-breaking reign, the Queen witnessed unprecedented social, cultural and political change and travelled extensively throughout the United Kingdom, Canada and the wider Commonwealth. Here are 10 interesting facts about the long and eventful life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

Royalty have been touring Canada since the late 18th century, visiting every province and territory and meeting with Canadians from all walks of life. Here are 10 of the most memorable royal tours of Canada.

Autumn Patricia Phillips (née Kelly) (born 3 May 1978 in Montreal, QC). Autumn Phillips is the former wife of Peter Phillips, son of Princess Anne (HRH The Princess Royal) and eldest grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Her daughters, Savannah and Isla Phillips, hold dual British and Canadian citizenship and are the most senior Canadians in the line of succession to the throne.

Camilla, Queen Consort, formerly Duchess of Cornwall (born 17 July 1947 in London, United Kingdom), is the second wife of King Charles III, monarch of Canada, the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth Realms. She has undertaken five official tours of Canada with the then Prince of Wales, including celebrations for the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017 and Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

Her Royal Highness (HRH) The Princess of Wales, née Catherine “Kate” Middleton (born 9 January 1982 in Reading, United Kingdom) is the wife of HRH The Prince of Wales (The Prince William) , who is first in line to the thrones of Canada, the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms. Kate has become famous worldwide for her philanthropy and fashion, and is closely associated with the modernization of the monarchy. William and Kate have three children: Prince George of Wales (born 22 July 2013), Princess Charlotte of Wales (born 2 May 2015), and Prince Louis of Wales (born 23 April 2018).

"Off with her head," the Queen of Hearts shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody moved. "Who cares for you," said Alice (she had grown to her full size by this time). "You're nothing but a pack of cards.This article was originally published in Maclean's Magazine on January 8, 1996

This article was originally published in Maclean’s magazine on September 8, 1997. Partner content is not updated. They kept trying to take her picture even after the car stopped careening off the concrete wall, even as she lay dying in the back of its tortured chassis. She was their prey.

He has her look, the one that gave her so vulnerable an air, that slow, shy upturned glance from a downturned head. He has her eyes, too, blue as an English summer sky. The blond hair is the same, as is the quiet smile, the fluid walk, the long, lean figure.This article was originally published in Maclean's Magazine on August 31, 1998

French Canadian attitudes toward monarchical government and members of the French and, later, British royal families have changed over time. King Louis XIV of France made New France a crown colony and supported its expansion and economic development. King George III of Great Britain granted royal assent to the Quebec Act in 1774, which guaranteed freedom of worship and French Canadian property rights. Early royal tours of Quebec were well received by the public. There was republican sentiment expressed during the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837, however, and support for the monarchy in Quebec declined sharply following the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s. Today, polling data indicates that a majority of people in Quebec support the abolition of the monarchy in Canada.

Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, HRH Prince of Wales from 1910 to 1936, HM King Edward VIII from 20 January to 11 December 1936, HRH The Duke of Windsor from 1936 to 1972 (born 23 June 1894 in White Lodge Richmond, Surrey, England; died 28 May 1972 in Paris, France). Edward toured Canada on several occasions and purchased a ranch in Alberta. He is best known for abdicating the crown and marrying American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Edward is mentioned in novels by several Canadian authors, including Robertson Davies, Lucy Maud Montgomery and Timothy Findley.

His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Arthur William Patrick Albert, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, third son of Queen Victoria and governor general of Canada from 1911 to 1916 (born 1 May 1850 in London, United Kingdom; died 16 January 1942 in Surrey, United Kingdom). As governor general, Connaught was involved in military recruitment and philanthropy in Canada during the First World War. He also established the Connaught Cup for marksmanship in the RCMP and made extensive renovations to Rideau Hall. His daughter, Princess Patricia, was the first honorary colonel-in-chief of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

His Majesty King Charles III (formerly Prince Charles), King of Canada, the United Kingdom and 13 other Commonwealth realms (born 14 November 1948 in London, United Kingdom). Charles is the eldest son of Her Majesty (HM) The Queen (1926–2022) and His Royal Highness (HRH) The Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Philip) (1921–2021). Charles became King on 8 September 2022 after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

This article was originally published in Maclean’s magazine on February 21, 2005. Partner content is not updated.

This article was originally published in Maclean’s magazine on May 6, 1996. Partner content is not updated.

Prince Henry Charles Albert David, Duke of Sussex, known by his nickname Prince Harry (born 15 September 1984 in London, United Kingdom). Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, née Rachel Meghan Markle (born 4 August 1981 in Los Angeles, California). After stepping back from the royal family in 2020, Harry, Meghan and their son, Archie, relocated to North America to pursue independent projects and philanthropic work. Their daughter, Lilibet Diana, was born in the United States in 2021.