Prince Charles and the Duchess of Camilla toured Ottawa and were greeted with a spectacular ceremony

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Prince Charles and the Duchess of Camilla traversed the city on Wednesday, welcoming you to churches, schools, war memorials, stables, and official residences with handshakes, cheers, applause, songs, whining, and improvisational drumming. I did.

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The crowd that came out to meet them wasn’t the biggest to welcome the royal family in Ottawa, but for many, the couple still has that royal jelly that is of interest.

“I just want to be able to say I met the royal family in my lifetime,” said Stephen Miller, who traveled to meet them from Montreal. “Because we are still a federal state, it is part of our history and part of our culture.”

The day began and ended with a glitz and ceremony at Rideau Hall. In the morning, Governor Mary Simon invested Prince Charles as a temporary commander of the Order of Military Achievement. After a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a GG reception was scheduled for Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, following the morning wreath laying ceremony at the National War Memorial, we visited the Ascension of the Orthodox Church of Our Lady, praying for peace, and Camilla challenged to make pierogi and pierogi.

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Ruslan and Oksana Robischen stood outside the church. Its 14-year-old son, Rotislav, was internally involved in the service.

“He was very excited,” Ruslan explained. “He was preparing for three days. Iron his shirt. Other students at the Count’s school in March he attends tell him” hello “for them. I was asking for. And it’s not just exciting for him. For me too, when we returned to Ukraine at school, we studied the royal family. I was told that I had to read 100 books to meet the Queen. “

Others were completely surprised to meet the royal family by chance. Olena Svyryd arrived in Canada from Ukraine just 12 days ago. She and her husband and daughter appeared in the church to see which community support was available, but was postponed for a day by a royal visit.

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“It’s exciting to meet a member of the royal family,” she said. “I’m proud of what Britain has done and I’m doing it for Ukraine now. Boris Johnson’s visit to Kyiv was important, but it’s cool to see the royal family.”

A last-minute ByWard Market walkabout has been added to the itinerary, allowing you to chat about Beaver Tails nosh and maple syrup, and head to Assumption Elementary School in Banier. There, a young man dressed in nine and sang O Canada. Camilla talked to her students about her favorite book, and Charles met with a representative from Start2Finish Canada. The project is piloting an indigenous literacy enhancement project to provide culturally relevant books to the indigenous community.

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Outside of school, kindergarten education assistant Kate Lindendy wore an orange “Every Child Matters” T-shirt during a break while waiting for Charles and Camilla to arrive. “I just wanted to represent,” she said.

Meanwhile, Anishinaabe Chief Okima JD Anderson led an instant and unplanned drum and smudging ceremony to welcome Charles and Camilla. Anderson, a survivor of a housing school in Manitoba, said he spent an afternoon with Prince of Wales in Winnipeg in the mid-1990s. The prince admitted him on Wednesday and they spoke briefly.

Meanwhile, across from the school, Luc La Voie and his sons Frederick (9) and Theodor (5) wanted to sit on the stairs in front of the house and glance at the royal family before heading elsewhere. ..

“I want to see the prince,” Frederick said. “I have never met the royal family. I will tell the class about meeting him.”

“One day he will grow up and become a king,” Theodor added.

-Use The Canadian Press files