Queen Elizabeth II has visited Canada 22 times in the 70 years she has been on the throne, usually accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Twelve of those visits included a stop in Ottawa.
Her last visit to Ottawa was for Canada Day in 2010 with The Duke of Edinburgh, when they attended the Canada Day noon show on Parliament Hill.
Here are all the times the Queen has made an official visit to Ottawa (she also made stopovers to refuel in 1970 and 1974—these do not count as official visits). She also visited in 1951, when she was still Princess Elizabeth.
October 1957
Queen Elizabeth’s first visit to Canada as monarch is to Ottawa and Hull in October 1957. She opens the first session of Canada’s 23rd Parliament, and she and Prince Philip are welcomed by 15,000 schoolchildren at Lansdowne Park.
Summer 1959
The Queen and Prince Philip conduct a 45-day tour of Canada from June 18 to Aug. 1, stopping in all provinces and both territories. They are in Ottawa for Dominion Day and also open the St. Lawrence Seaway during their visit.
October 1964
The Queen and Prince Philip visit Charlottetown, Quebec City and Ottawa for an eight-day tour. Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson invites them to mark the centennial of the 1864 pre-Confederation conferences in Charlottetown in Quebec City, which helped lead to Canada’s founding.
Protesters demonstrating in support of Quebec sovereignty greet them in Quebec City. But things are more low-key in Ottawa, where they spent Thanksgiving.
June-July 1967
The Queen and Prince Philip attend celebrations of Canada’s centennial in Ottawa, then visit Expo ’67 in Montreal.
June-July 1973
The Queen and Prince Philip visit Ottawa for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting. He has a program of his own while she receives heads of government in audience at Rideau Hall.
October 1977
The Queen and Prince Philip visit Ottawa to mark the Silver Jubilee. She opens the third session of Canada’s 30th Parliament by delivering the Speech from the Throne.
April 1982
The Queen visits Ottawa for the proclamation of the Canadian Constitution.
September-October 1984
The Queen and Prince Philip visit to mark the bicentennial of New Brunswick and Ontario. The Ontario portion includes stops in Ottawa, Morrisburg, Cornwall, Prescott, Kingston and Amherstview.
June-July 1990
The Queen visits Ottawa alone for Canada Day celebrations, after stops in Calgary and Red Deer, Alta.
June-July 1992
The Queen visits Ottawa alone for the 125th anniversary of Confederation and the 40th anniversary of the accession, and also visits Hull for a reception hosted by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
June-July 1997
The Queen’s royal visit marks the 500th anniversary of John Cabot’s arrival in what is now Canada. It concludes with a stop in Ottawa to celebrate Canada’s 130th birthday on Canada Day.
June-July 2010
The Queen and Prince Philip visit Ottawa for three days, including Canada Day. It is her seventh time in Canada for the big national celebration. The tour also included visits to Halifax, Winnipeg, Toronto and Waterloo.
During her visit to the capital, she unveils a plaque dedicating the Queen’s Lantern a the Canadian Museum of Nature, and also unveils a life-size statue of jazz great Oscar Peterson outside the National Arts Centre.
And she praised Canada in front of 100,000 people on Parliament Hill during Canada Day festivities.
“This nation has dedicated itself to being a caring home for its own, a sanctuary for others and an example to the world,” she said.
