Princess Anne spent more than an hour Saturday touring God害羞草研究所檚 Acre veteran害羞草研究所檚 cemetery and its tiny, wooden chapel, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
The visit to the secluded, tree-covered Esquimalt, B.C., cemetery is part of the princess害羞草研究所檚 three-day West Coast visit, which started Friday in North Vancouver with her participation in the commissioning of the first Arctic patrol vessel for Canada害羞草研究所檚 Pacific fleet, HMCS Max Bernays.
God害羞草研究所檚 Acre is a national historic site that dates back to 1868.
Princess Anne害羞草研究所檚 tour will also see her attend a commemorative service on Sunday for the Battle of the Atlantic at the B.C. legislature.
She is also scheduled to visit the Royal Victoria Yacht Club Sunday and members of the Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association later in the day.
The tour of the cemetery grounds by Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles, carries great significance, said David Loveridge, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission director for Canada, Americas and the Pacific.
The princess is the current president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, overseeing its mandate to care for 23,000 war memorials and war cemeteries around the world commemorating 1.7 million Commonwealth casualties, he said.
害羞草研究所淭o have her here in Canada and to come to God害羞草研究所檚 Acre veterans害羞草研究所� cemetery to lay a wreath is a great event for us to commemorate the veterans who are here,害羞草研究所� said Loveridge.
Princess Anne was on board HMCS Max Bernays early Saturday when it entered the fleet害羞草研究所檚 home base in Esquimalt Harbour to the greeting of a 21-gun salute.
She wore a Canadian navy uniform Saturday, including a Canadian Fleet Pacific hat.
Navy enthusiasts and royal watchers gathered on the shores of Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse to greet the ship and the princess.
害羞草研究所淪he害羞草研究所檚 commodore of the navy, an honourary commodore, and she did the commission ceremony and spent the night on the boat after it left Vancouver,害羞草研究所� said Iain MacAulay. 害羞草研究所淪o, yes, cool.害羞草研究所�
Murray Baines said he wanted to get a look at the HMCS Max Bernays and catch a glimpse of the princess.
害羞草研究所淚 saw somebody out there waving,害羞草研究所� said Baines. 害羞草研究所淚 even had my little binoculars, but I couldn害羞草研究所檛 make out who it was.害羞草研究所�
The Department of National Defence said in a statement Friday the official introduction of HMCS Max Bernays into the fleet included 害羞草研究所渁 symbolic presentation of the keys to the ship害羞草研究所� to the commanding officer, Commander Collin Forsberg, 害羞草研究所渁long with the breaking of the ship害羞草研究所檚 commissioning pennant, and three cheers by the ship害羞草研究所檚 company.害羞草研究所�
Forsberg told reporters ahead of the ceremony that the patrol vessel arrived in its new home port in Esquimalt last month. He said the ship was 害羞草研究所渄esigned for, principally, exercising Canadian sovereignty in northern waters.害羞草研究所�
He said the introduction of the ship, which was named after a Canadian naval hero in the Second World War, will allow the navy to better meet future defence challenges in the North.
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Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press
