Royal Smile, My Memories of the King and Queen's Visit to Edmonton, 1939, by Rosaline Hupfer

Date: June, 1939

"Mother, did you know that the King and Queen are coming to Canada, and that they'll visit Edmonton?" I asked as soon as I got home from school.


"Yes," said Mother, " heard it on the news last week."


"Our teacher says he's going to try to hire a truck and take all of us to see them. Can I go?"


"We'll see," she replied.


That meant she'd talk to Dad about it. Would they think I was too young? Maybe I should remind them that I would be eight in just a few months.


A few days later Mother told me that she, my dad, my sister and I would be going to Edmonton for the Royal Visit in a truck with students of Port View School. My sister's boyfriend was teaching here, but I would have preferred going with my own school like my older brother. However, I was glad that I'd be going.


From then on at school, I kept looking at the King and Queen in the picture that was hanging just above the blackboard at the front of the room. Would I see the Queen smile? Would she be as beautiful as she looked in her picture?


Finally, Friday, June 2, 1939 arrived. I don't remember much about the trip to Edmonton except that Mother soon gave up trying to get me to sit on one of the benches placed around the inside of the truck box. Instead, I stood on one and was just tall enough for the wind to whip through my ringlets that Mother had carefully combed that morning.


The trip took forever, but eventually we arrived in the city and were guided to our seats along Portage Avenue, later renamed Kingsway to commemorate to Royal Visit. Waving my little Union Jack, I jumped up and down, sat down, then leaped up all the while keeping my eyes peeled in the direction that the King and Queen were to come. At last, there they were in a huge black limousine (a new word to me).


The Queen was wearing a light blue dress, I think, and her large wide-brimmed hat was gorgeous. Then she looked right at me and smiled. I thought I would melt right away, or maybe fall through all the seats down to the ground. I don't really remember what the King looked like - just very ordinary, I guess.


At the end of the two miles, the procession was supposed to turn around and come back on the other side of the street. I continued to wave my flag and cheer as I watched for their return. It seemed only a few seconds that they were in our view on their way by.


"They're gone now," said Mother.


I felt like crying but the promise of a picnic lunch in the park helped to cheer me up.


I don't remember anything about going home except that I kept seeing the Queen smile. Even today, if I close my eyes and think about the King and Queen's visit, I can still see her warm friendly smile.