Royal Observations: Canadians and Royalty

Nora T. Corley is a writer and librarian in Ottawa.

Canada’s kings and queens—French, English, British, and
Canadian—have been interested in Canada since the early days when they
sent out explorers and colonists to this newly discovered land. This is
a collection of quotations and anecdotes by and about the many monarchs
of the past 400 years, and also their relatives (especially Queen
Victoria’s); royals from other countries; various governors general
(many of whom were royal themselves); and Canadian observers. The
stories are serious, poignant, often witty or humorous. Though not a
history, this book provides insights into aspects of Canadian history
and heritage that are usually ignored or neglected; it is not generally
admitted, but royalty has had a great influence on many major Canadian
events.

The book is divided by subject chapters, with an index of personal
names to facilitate tracking down events that might fit into more than
one. A genealogical table of Canada’s kings and queens, both English
and French, on the front and back endpapers helps readers sort out the
relationships of those mentioned in the text. Each name is accompanied
by terse notes on that person’s contributions. A good book to dip
into, it can be read in large chunks with equal enjoyment. Readers who
enjoyed Lady Longford’s Oxford Book of Royal Anecdotes will like Royal
Observations even better—because it is about Canada. A bibliography of
75 titles is included.