Queen Elizabeth II

In 1955 Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip visited Calgary.

Most Canadians are familiar with the longest-reigning monarch in British history. For many of us, Queen Elizabeth II has been the personification of stability and institutional customs since the first days of our lives. Throughout the mid-20th Century and into the 21st Century she has carried herself with the same gentle, familiar face and comforting demeanor from the halls of the family home at Buckingham Palace.

In Spring 2016 scholar Stéphane Guevremeont spoke at the Galt Museum & Archives about Queen’s Elizabeth’s unique upbringing, first under the tutelage of very modern and strong family figures and, secondly. Those in attendance learned about her dramatic experiences from the age of 13 to 19 years old under a direct and personal threat of war in England. This presentation helped residents of Lethbridge understand that Queen Elizabeth II would not have been such a fixed pillar of longevity if not for her upbringing in those early years.

The Galt Museum & Archives includes archival imagery of Queen Elizabeth’s visits to southern Alberta. By searching the Galt Archives we see front-page historical documentation of Queen Elizabeth II as she attends the Calgary Stampede and greets citizens young and old in the 1950s and 60s. But what do we know about the family life behind those headlines?

Dr. Stephane Guevremont, a former aircraft mechanic returns to the Galt Museum & Archives. In his upcoming presentation, Guevremont talks about Queen Elizabeth II’s feminist influence on the world and her scandalous family as she ploughed through decades of popularity and turmoil without faltering.

On Sunday, November 20 from 2-3 p.m., the Galt Museum & Archives Café Galt program presents “Queen Elizabeth II: The Real Titanic” with Stéphane Guevremont. Admission fees apply and include exhibit access. Admission is free to Galt Museum annual pass holders.