Good Will, Phil & Kate

On October 31, 1958 Prince Philip, the one and the same we know today, changed his plans and took a detour to Springhill, Nova Scotia to visit the scene of the mine disaster that had befallen the town but a week before.  The Washington Post reported: “Queen Elizabeth’s husband flew from Ottawa to Moncton, N.B. aboard a BOAC Comet […] Jet and motored the remaining 65 miles to Springhill.”

As the Ottawa Citizen reported the next day, “Informality was the keynote of the royal visit.”  The Prince met miners who had been in the mine when the bump occurred on October 23^rd including George Hayden who was still in hospital with a broken leg.  The Prince broke from tradition and signed a number of autographs during his visit, including one on Hayden’s cast.

On November 1^st the Halifax Chronicle Herald reported the people of Springhill as saying: “It’s nice of him to come,  - It was thoughtful – you know this wasn’t on his schedule at all.”

In July of 2011, during their first international official visit, Will and Kate, a.ka. the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, followed in his grandfather’s footsteps, and visited a small town ravaged by disaster.  The royal couple “specifically asked to visit the Alberta community of Slave Lake” reported the Toronto Sun on July 5.  On May 14, 2011 a wildfire started 15km east of the community.  Two days later 95% of the population had been safely evacuated.  They were allowed back beginning on May 27.  It is labeled as the second-costliest fire disaster in Canadian history.

Will and Kate’s visit is remembered by residents as uplifting, and the beginning of something new.  The couple spoke with families who had lost their homes, emergency responders and the public.  Slave Lake Mayor Karina Pillay-Kinnee described the couple’s visit to CBC: “They were very concerned, very caring.  Just wanted to reach out to the people of Slave Lake and we are just so grateful for them taking the time out of their day off to come touch our community.”

The parallels between Prince Philip’s informal visit to Springhill in 1958 and Will and Kate’s desire to meet with residents of Slave Lake in 2011 are strong and show a royal interest in not only the major players of Canadian society, but also in its most fragile and vulnerable people and places.

As this project wraps up I invite your comments and questions,

Best,

Rebecca