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Canada monarchists aflutter over Prince Harry and Meghan’s move
VANCOUVER, Jan 26, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – A striking sight, the Royal Standard
flaps against the dark skies and unrelenting rains of Vancouver, Canada’s
Pacific coast metropolis.
Monarchist Raymond Greenwood raised the Queen’s banner atop his house just
days ago to welcome Prince Harry and his wife Meghan after learning that the
royal runaways were considering moving to his oceanside Kitsilano
neighborhood here.
Locals surveyed by AFP are giddy about their move. Tourism groups are even
more excited about the prospects of a boost from the global attention on the
couple.
“I’m very, very happy,” said Greenwood, president of the local branch of
the Canadian Club and a volunteer at Tourism Vancouver; he is also known as
“Mr. Fireworks” for having brought an annual international fireworks show to
the city.
“I mean, who wouldn’t want to run into Meghan walking her dogs in the
neighborhood,” he said, referring to pictures published of Meghan out for a
stroll in North Saanich, where she and Harry are now staying.
He quipped that he might set up a stand to sell royal memorabilia on the
street, where Chip Wilson, founder of the Lululemon yoga-wear chain, also
lives.
Canadian sales of the Union Jack and Saint George’s Cross flags have
already jumped, according to Susan Braverman, president of The Flag Shop.
She admits to being “a big fan” of Meghan from the days when the former
American actress appeared in the television series “Suits,” shot in Toronto.
Braverman, like others here, was quick to dismiss criticism of the duke
and duchess of Sussex for their shock exit from their royal roles.
“We all want our kids to grow up and become independent, don’t we? They’re
just spreading their wings,” she said.
– A matter of location –
Where Harry and Meghan settle in Canada will likely depend on where they
have the most support. Megan’s mother Doria Ragland lives in Los Angeles, and
Vancouver is the closest Canadian city with direct daily flights.
But her best friend Jessica Mulroney — married to the son of former
Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney — is in Toronto, where Meghan spent
years shooting “Suits.”
Canada’s Atlantic Maritime provinces are arguably the most vocally pro-
monarchy.
If Harry craves flavors of Britain, the island city of Victoria on the
Pacific (named after Harry’s great-great-great-great-grandmother), with its
multitude of tea rooms and double-decker buses, might feel more at home.
But, said Vancouver lawyer and royal commentator Edward Wang, “I wouldn’t
say British Columbia (overall) is very British anymore, it’s become very
multicultural, with large South Asian and Chinese communities.”
Canadian monarchists, often on guest lists for functions hosted by
Governor General Julie Payette and provincial viceregals, are champing at the
chance to rub shoulders with the prince and his wife.
MORE/MSY/0828 hrs
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“Selfishly, it’s our hope that even if Prince Harry and Meghan are doing
fewer royal duties overall, if they’re doing them in Canada there’ll be more
for us,” Bruce Hallsor, head of the Victoria chapter of the Monarchist
League, told AFP.
“So that’s a plus for us,” he said.
He rejected critics, including Meghan’s estranged father Thomas Markle,
who assailed the couple for bowing out from representing the British
monarchy.
“The idea that every member of the royal family should have a full-time
role, be a patron of things and a ribbon cutter, is relatively new,” Hallsor
said.
“It’s not part of royal tradition,” he added. “It started in the media
age.”
As Greenwood said, “Let’s be honest, there’s enough members of the royal
family over there (in Britain) for official duties.”
– Overshadowing viceregals –
Of greater concern might be whether their presence in Canada overshadows
the Queen’s official representatives, including former astronaut Payette.
“A charity or other organization would certainly be more interested to
have Prince Harry as their patron than the viceregals,” acknowledged Hallsor.
But, he added, “I don’t see it as a competition.”
Wang, meanwhile, warned of potential political pitfalls should Prince
Harry and Meghan choose to use their newfound freedoms to be more forthright.
He noted Meghan’s “strong feelings” about a number of issues, pointing to
her public thrashing in 2016 of Donald Trump, which risks putting an unwanted
spotlight on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s own sometimes strained relations
with the US president.
The couple are also big proponents of climate action, which is in line
with the values of most Canadians, but offside with its oil industry; Canada
is the world’s fourth largest oil exporter.
“There’re certainly risks of stepping into political landmines,” Wang
said. “If they start attacking the oil industry, for example, I don’t think
the premier of Alberta would be too happy about it.”
He also offered this bit of advice to the couple to help them better fit
in: work on their French — which, along with English, is one of Canada’s two
official languages.
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