Royal couple deserve our best
Times Colonist
Published: Friday, November 06, 2009
For a few years, it seemed that Prince Charles was making Victoria his second home. He was here three times in less than five years.
On his first visit, back in 1979, the heir to the throne set our hearts a-flutter. "The Prince of Wales, it turns out, is not called Bonnie Prince Charlie for nothing," the Victoria Times reported.
A crowd of 500 gathered at the airport to greet the prince on his first visit to Victoria.
As the prince walked passed, a 22-year-old from Vancouver named Kate Brooke leaned over and planted a kiss on the cheek of the 30-year-old prince. "I was determined to do it and it was such a good feeling," she said later.
The prince might have thought so, too -- because he was back in our fair city 12 months later. He strolled around the Lester Pearson College of the Pacific, chatting with students and vowing to continue the United World Colleges vision established by his uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten, who had been assassinated a few months earlier.
Charles returned in 1982 for another visit to the college, and spoke to about 200 students from 57 countries.
The visit we remember most, however, came in 1986, when he brought his wife.
"Diana stole the hearts of thousands," the Times Colonist said. The princess, just 24 at the time, did not address the crowd, letting her husband do the talking.
"It's a particular pleasure to be able to introduce my wife to this great Pacific province and let her see for herself, and find out for herself, just what a warm-hearted lot you are," he said, to a roar of approval.
The prince stole hearts as well. Several women shouted "Charles, we love you" as the royals strolled through the grounds in front of the legislature.
Police estimated that 30,000 people were at the legislature or lined up along the route from the airport.
Flash forward 23 years -- 23 tough years for the prince, and for the image of the monarchy as a whole. The beloved Queen Mother has died. Charles and Diana separated and divorced, Diana died in a car crash, and Charles married his long-time love, Camilla.
And today, when the prince arrives for his fifth visit to Greater Victoria, we will see Camilla here for the first time.
Will 30,000 people greet the royal couple? Doubtful. Will there be shouts of love for either of them? Doubtful.
Does that mean that the monarchy no longer matters? Not at all. It is as relevant as ever.
We should not look at Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall as individuals. We should instead see the values they represent, and the institution of the monarchy itself.
Politicians, sports figures, and entertainers come and go, but the royalty has always been with us, and should always be with us. They provide continuity, and give us a sense of place and purpose in these tumultuous times.
When we look for leadership, it is only natural that we would turn to the royals. They have staying power.
So let's hope Charles and Camilla get the warm welcome they deserve. We would love to see them in Victoria more often.
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