Princess Anne to overnight aboard a naval ship during 2-day stay next week

The Princess Royal and her husband Tim Laurence will spend time in Victoria, Vancouver—and aboard a Canadian naval ship—when they visit BC next Friday for parts of three days.

Although times and dates have not been released as per protocol, the Princess Royal’s first sojourn in Victoria since 1971 will be busy with stops at organizations close to her purview.

The Princess Royal, Honourary Commodore-in-Chief of the Canadian Fleet Pacific, will sail overnight on His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Max Bernays and will receive a 21-gun royal salute when the recently arrived vessel enters Esquimalt Harbour, for a commissioning ceremony.

A royal visit to the Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association is also on the itinerary for the lifelong equestrian with a strong Olympic background, including her competition at the 1976 Montreal Games. She is expected to meet with staff, clients, and families of the non-profit, present prizes, and tour the stables.

The only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II will lay wreaths at the God’s Acre Veterans Cemetery in Esquimalt and the legislature during a service to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous battle of the Second World War, which took the lives of approximately 4,400 sailors from Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Maritime Museum, founded by an initial donation by Her Royal Highness’s late father Prince Philip, is part of the tour with the Princess Royal slated to stop by its archives and collections space.

Then there’s the Spring Dinghies Regatta at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, part of which the Princess Royal will attend.

The King’s sister (Charles, 75, is two years her senior) will be making her third visit to Canada in a year, following a stop in New Brunswick last May and Alberta the following month.

During the upcoming visit to British Columbia, The Princess Royal will participate in various community events with local organizations, including the following:

• The Princess Royal will attend the commissioning ceremony for HMCS Max Bernays and sail overnight on the ship to Esquimalt
• When HMCS Max Bernays enters Esquimalt Harbour, The Princess Royal will receive a 21 Gun Salute from the Black Rock naval battery
• The Princess Royal will visit the Military Family Resource Centre and meet with staff, board members, and service members and their families
• The Princess Royal will pay respects and lay a wreath at the God’s Acre Veteran’s Cemetery
• The Princess Royal will visit the archives and collections space of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia
• The Princess Royal will visit the FED Urban Agriculture project to learn about local sustainable food practices
• The Princess Royal will attend the Battle of the Atlantic Commemorative Service at the British Columbia Legislature and lay a wreath
• The Princess Royal will visit the Royal Victoria Yacht Club and present prizes at the Spring Dinghies Regatta
• The Princess Royal will visit the Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association and meet with staff, board members, clients, and their families. The Princess Royal will also tour the stables and present prizes
• The Princess Royal will meet with Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin and various British Columbia community leaders

The Princess Royal was appointed Honorary Commodore-in-Chief, Canadian Fleet Pacific, in 2015. The visit by Her Royal Highness is hosted by the Royal Canadian Navy.