Stories of the 1970 Royal Visit

During the period of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, two Neepawa residents share stories of their unique connections to the former monarch and her family, both from the 1970 royal visit to Canada.

Reverend Chad McCharles, minister for the Neepawa United-Anglican Shared Ministry, explains how he came into possession of a chair that was used by the queen during her visit. After his great grandfather immigrated to Canada, he became head gardener for the grounds of the legislature and Government House, which is the queen’s official residence when in Winnipeg. He was making up a floral arrangement in the royal suite when the queen came in, and they had a short conversation. When he retired years later, in lieu of the traditional gift of an engraved watch or something similar, he asked instead for the chair that the queen had been sitting in when they spoke.

Since that time the chair has been passed down through the family, eventually coming into Chad’s possession. Following the queen’s death, he brought the chair to the church as a focal point for his congregation’s grief, but it is also available for community members to view.

Retired teacher Brian Bailey has a very different story from the same visit. Bailey’s father, T. Roy Bailey, had recently won the award of Mr. Manitoba Farmer, and when the royal family indicated they wanted to go somewhere for a little rest, relaxation, and riding, the Bailey family farm was chosen. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne came on the royal train and went for a two-hour ride on horses supplied by the RCMP Musical Ride before attending a garden party in the Bailey backyard. There were no media at the event, so the only photos that exist are the ones taken by Brian and those taken by the queen herself.

One of Bailey’s favourite anecdotes comes from the very end of the visit. Because they visited the farm without an entourage, the royal family drove themselves back to where their train was waiting. Prince Charles and Princess Anne, then 21 and 19 years old respectively, raced to the vehicles to see who would get to drive. Princess Anne, he recalls, was the winner.

A portrait of the Bailey family and the royal family is on display alongside the queen’s chair in the foyer of the Neepawa United-Anglican church. Both will be viewable for the duration of the official mourning period.