November 5, 2009
Royal Hamilton
Hamilton > -> Today> ‘> s visit to Hamilton by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall signals the city> ‘> s appeal to Royal followers.
> “> As a monarchist and Hamiltonian, I am so proud of the city> ‘> s many royal connections and rich royal heritage,> “> says Robert Finch, Chief Operating Officer and Dominion Chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada. > “> From the Queen Victoria statue at Gore Park to the many local organizations with a royal designation or patronage, Hamilton boasts an exciting royal presence worth exploring.> “>
Here are five majestic must-sees in random order sure to please a royal palate.
1. Historical interpreters at Dundurn National Historic Site have discovered that the lineage of Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall, traces back to the home> ‘> s resident. Sir Allan Napier MacNab was Parker-Bowles> ‘> Great Great Great Grandfather. Further, during his Hamilton visit in 1860, the then Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) who was also the Great Great Grandfather of the current Prince of Wales dined at Dundurn Castle with MacNab. In other words, Dundurn was a place where their ancestors crossed paths. Today, visitors can discover mid-19th-century Hamilton on a guided tour of Dundurn> ‘> s 40+ rooms.
2. Royal Botanical Gardens received its Royal designation in 1930 from King George V. All Royal Botanic institutions are expected to promote science (biology, botany, horticulture), provide public education, and champion conservation. In essence, every Royal Botanic has the same mission: to be a living museum which serves local, regional and global communities while developing and promoting public understanding of the relationship between the plant world, humanity and the rest of nature. Today, RBG features five glorious gardens including the world> ‘> s largest lilac collection, a 30-kilometer trail system and four nature sanctuaries.
3. The Prince of Wales is a patron of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. The site is a living museum featuring the aircraft used by Canadians or Canada’s Military from the beginning of World War II up to the present. The Museum’s collection includes aircraft that really fly and several that remain on static display and are interactive workshops. The museum strives to allow the visitor to experience and interact with displays. One could climb into the cockpit of a real WWII trainer or a real jet fighter, our Avro CF-100. There are interactive flight combat simulators which will surely test the flight skills of any aspiring aviator. The Museum also offers the visitor an educational experience that will take them back through Canadian history via interactive video displays, movies, photographs and memorabilia. The Prince reopened the site in 1996 during his most recent visit to Hamilton.
4. A Hamiltonian, Lincoln Alexander, served as Ontario> ‘> s 24th Lieutenant Governor from 1985 to 1991. The Lieutenant Governor is the Queen> ‘> s representative in Ontario and largely a ceremonial role with some governmental responsibilities. Alexander was born in Toronto but represented the riding of Hamilton West federally as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1968 to 1980. Today, the jovial gentleman frequents downtown sites including Lloyd D. Jackson Square shopping centre and the Hamilton Farmers Market.
5. Hamilton is also home to Her Majesty> ‘> s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Haida, a Tribal Class destroyer built in England, commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy in 1943, serving in many theatres of operation through the Second World War. After a post-war refit, Haida continued in service through the Korean War and Cold War situations, until she was decommissioned in 1963. The ship was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1984 by the federal government and arrived at Pier 9 in Hamilton Harbour on August 30, 2003, the 60th anniversary of her commissioning. >
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