This page was created by Ashley Mowry. The last update was by AVRC.
The Canadian Pacific Railway's Royal Train
When it was announced that Canada would have the opportunity to host their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, special arrangements had to be made to ensure a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable journey. The Royal Party was to make its way from the Atlantic to the Pacific and back again, travelling more than 11,000 kilometers. Due to the sheer length of this journey that the future King and Queen were to embark on, the president and director of the Canadian Pacific Railway decided to build a train worthy of transporting the esteemed guests.[1]
“The train itself was one of the finest ever built.”[2]
The Royal Train was divided into two sections which ultimately consisted of two different trains. Both trains – the Governor General’s train and the Royal Train – consisted of ten cars. These trains carried distinguished guests such as: The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York; Lieutenant-Colonel A.P. Sherwood; her Excellency the Countess of Minto; Major Maude; Mrs. Maude; Miss Alice Grenfell; Captain H. Graham; the Comptroller of the Governor General’s Household, Mr. A Guide; and R.F. Pereira, who served as a secretary to Major Maude. The Government car also included the Right Honorable Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Tinder-Secretary of State Mr. Joseph Pope, and secretaries to the Prime Minister: S. Lelievre and G. McDougall.[3]
The Royal Train of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York[4]:
The following artifact is interactive! Hover over the highlighted parts to see each of the Royal Train's specially-made cars.
[1] “Image 10,” A souvenir of the visit made by their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York to Canada, September and October 1901 (Montréal: C.P.R, 1901), https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.74400/10?r=0&s=1.
[2] Carleton Place Herald, “Onward and Upward,” Carleton Place, Lanark Co., Ont., Tuesday, September 24, 1902, 390.pdf, Newspapers, 1899-12-19 to 1902-03-25, Microsoft Teams.
[3] Joseph Pope, The Tour of Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York through the Dominion of Canada in the Year 1901 (Ontario: S.E. Dawson, 1903), 64-65, https://archive.org/stream/touroftheirroyal00popeuoft/touroftheirroyal00popeuoft_djvu.txt.
[4] A souvenir of the visit made by their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York to Canada, September and October 1901 (Montréal: C.P.R, 1901), https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.74400/10?r=0&s=1.
