Following a tradition that began a century ago, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, planted an oak tree at Rideau Hall yesterday, before making their way to the Ottawa International Airport for their flight home to England. The tree-planting at the Governor General's residence was the couple's last official function of their 11-day visit to Canada, during which they travelled to Newfoundland and Labrador, Toronto, Hamilton, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Victoria, Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal and Petawawa, Ontario. The tradition of planting trees during royal or state visits began with Earl Grey, who was Governor General of Canada from 1904 to 1911.
The Prince's grandmother, The Queen Mother, meanwhile, distributed Royal Oak seedlings during her visit to Canada in 1939, in a gesture meant to represent the values shared between Canada and Britain.
The Royal couple was met at the airport Thursday by Governor General Michaelle Jean and her husband Jean-Daniel Lafond, as the Central Band of the Canadian Forces played the opening bars of "God Save the Queen" and the 37th Field Artillery issued a 21-gun salute.
After inspecting the Guard of Honour mounted by the Royal Canadian Dragoons, and a complete rendition of O Canada, Charles and Camilla boarded their aircraft and departed.
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