Whereas numerous royal followers have had brushes with Queen Elizabeth II throughout her iconic 70-year reign, one Manitoba household loved a really unparalleled day with the late ruler and her household.
Brian Bailey’s household farm a number of kilometres southeast of Carberry, Man. performed host to Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, then-Prince Charles and Princess Anne throughout a fateful royal go to in 1970.
“They have been on the Manitoba Centennial Celebration Tour,” Bailey recalled in a cellphone interview with CTV Information Winnipeg.
“They wished a spot the place they might come and chill out and maybe trip horses, and simply form of be away from the media and all the pomp and circumstance that went with that tour, so certainly they did.”
Bailey mentioned his household’s farm was chosen to host the Windsors’ reprieve by being on the proper place on the proper time.
(Supply: Brian Bailey)The individual organizing the tour in Winnipeg knew his father, T. Roy Bailey from when he was named Mr. Manitoba Farmer a number of years earlier, and thought the farm could be a handy getaway from the Royal Household’s close by engagements.
“My dad mentioned, ‘Certain, we’ll take that on,’ and I imply, you are not going to refuse a go to with the Royal Household, particularly when you recognize that it may be simply that household and our household. It was very, very cozy,” he recalled.
Nonetheless, earlier than the Baileys might welcome the Windsors into their house, a lot preparation and planning needed to be performed. A dry run was carried out a couple of month earlier than their arrival, at which period The Queen’s personal secretary got here to present all the things the once-over and guarantee it was protected.
He even wished to know what meals they might serve, so Bailey’s mom, Nora whipped up a particular cake she deliberate to bake for her Royal Highness. It handed the take a look at, and the Bailey farm was given the inexperienced gentle.
Weeks later, in July of 1970, the royals arrived on the mixed-crop farm on the royal practice for a day of rural leisure.
(Supply: Brian Bailey)The Windsors had their coronary heart set on driving horses. One snag – the Bailey farm didn’t have any. So, a couple of half-dozen horses from the RCMP Musical Journey, which occurred to be in Brandon for a efficiency, have been introduced in a number of days earlier.
The household spent two hours driving amidst the crops and livestock alongside Bailey’s dad and the then-head of the RCMP.
“The entire household was expert equestrians,” Bailey recalled.
(Supply: Brian Bailey)Afterward, the Royal Household got here again to the Bailey farm for a backyard get together to take pleasure in punch, espresso and the pre-approved cake, which encountered bother hours earlier than the Windsors’ arrival. Bailey’s mom found she had made it with no key ingredient – the cinnamon, brown sugar topping.
“So she made one other one. I am certain that The Queen had heat, contemporary cake, and he or she liked it,” Bailey laughed.
(Supply: Brian Bailey)He mentioned the go to was very informal – akin to having kinfolk over for a day backyard get together. Bailey recalled Princess Anne sitting comfortably on a chaise lounge, whereas Prince Philip and Prince Charles wandered across the acreage, with their personal safety hidden discretely across the property in plain garments.
(Supply: Brian Bailey)“The Queen was simply as candy as ever. She was simply so, so charming and filled with questions, inquisitive in regards to the farm. She and my mother had an amazing chat, simply in regards to the children. You realize, how mothers are,” Bailey mentioned.
After a day having fun with the farm and the corporate, the Royal Household left once more for his or her practice which was parked a couple of mile away at a once-deserted practice siding mounted up for the event.
“Actually, it was a stupendous summer season day. We have been very lucky,” Bailey mentioned.
(Supply: Brian Bailey)REUNITED WITH THE QUEEN DECADES LATER
Because it turned out, that fateful summer season day on the farm wasn’t the household’s final encounter with the royals.
When Bailey heard Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have been due for an additional royal tour of Winnipeg in 2010, he wrote a letter to the premier requesting his father be reunited with the Windsors. Preparations have been made to present his father a main spot on the Manitoba Legislature grounds because the royal couple did a walkabout.
Queen Elizabeth greets T. Roy Bailey a long time after having spent a contented afternoon at his farm close to Carberry, Man. (Supply: Brian Bailey)“She made a beeline proper over to speak to him, and that made his day, made his yr, made his life. He was simply tickled pink to have The Queen come over and say, ‘Mr. Bailey, what a stupendous time we had in your farm.’”
Prince Philip additionally came to visit, inquiring as to how the crops have been faring.
CHERISHED MEMORIES AMID QUEEN’S DEATH
A long time after having fun with a day with the long-serving monarch, Bailey mentioned Queen Elizabeth’s loss of life feels just like the lack of a detailed member of the family.
Nonetheless, he counts himself extremely lucky to have had the once-in-a-lifetime expertise along with her and her household, away from the royal pomp and circumstance.
“There weren’t many visits the place she might truly exit and trip horses and do the issues that basically she wished to do, quite than chopping ribbons and laying cornerstones and sitting on a throne,” he mentioned. “It was fairly atypical for her, and he or she was fairly happy.”
(Supply: Brian Bailey)
