Media Advisory - Governor General to Inaugurate the Queen Elizabeth II Equestrian Monument in its New Location

OTTAWA, June 10, 2019 /CNW/ - Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, will inaugurate the Queen Elizabeth II Equestrian Monument in its new location, in front of Rideau Hall's main gate on Sussex Drive, on June 12, 2019, at 2 p.m.

On this occasion, the Governor General will deliver remarks. The ceremony will also include the RCMP Musical Ride and music performed by the Band of the Ceremonial Guard and the Spitfire Brass Quintet of the Canadian Armed Forces.   

The monument was originally unveiled on Parliament Hill by Her Majesty The Queen on July 1, 1992, in honour of the 125^th anniversary of Confederation and the 40^th anniversary of her reign. With major rehabilitation of Parliament's Centre Block scheduled to take place over the next 10 years, the monument was moved to this new location, in front of Rideau Hall's main gate on Sussex Drive.

Members of the media wishing to cover the ceremony are asked to confirm their attendance in advance with the Rideau Hall Press Office, and must arrive in front of Rideau Hall's main gate on Sussex Drive no later than 1:45 p.m. on the day of the ceremony.

THE QUEEN ELIZABETH II EQUESTRIAN MONUMENT
BACKGROUNDER

The world's first equestrian statue of Her Majesty The Queen was unveiled on Parliament Hill by Her Majesty on July 1, 1992, in honour of the 125^th anniversary of Confederation and the 40^th anniversary of her reign. She is depicted riding astride her horse Centenial, a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to mark their 100^th anniversary.  The bronze statue is one and a half times larger than life, standing at 4 metres tall. The base is made of granite from the Laurentians and measures 3.7 metres tall, 4.3 metres long and 1.5 metres wide. In total, the monument weighs 1225 kilograms.

2019 Relocation
Due to the major rehabilitation of the Centre Block on Parliament Hill over the next 10 years, the Queen Elizabeth II Equestrian Monument has been temporarily relocated in front of Rideau Hall's main gate on Sussex Drive. The monument is a visual indicator of arrival at Rideau Hall and marks the beginning of the ceremonial avenue up to the residence; a fitting choice, as Rideau Hall is the official residence and workplace of the governor general, The Queen's representative in Canada, and where Her Majesty stays when she is in Ottawa. It was installed in the new location in May 2019. Not far from the new location, you will find the RCMP Musical Ride Stables where Centenial, the horse depicted in the monument, was trained. The RCMP stables are open to the public.

Jack Harman – Sculptor
Jack Harman (1927–2001) was a sculptor from Vancouver, British Columbia, who came to prominence in Canada and abroad in the 1980s. He was selected in 1990 to create an equestrian monument of Her Majesty. It required a team of 10 people and 2 years to complete. His other works include the Peacekeeping Monument on Sussex Drive in Ottawa. 

Centenial
Centenial was a gift to Her Majesty in commemoration of the 100^th anniversary of the RCMP. On August 2, 1973, Her Majesty selected the horse—then known as Jerry—from a group of five geldings at the RCMP stables in Ottawa, Ontario. Jerry stayed with the RCMP for saddle horse and Musical Ride training as per Her Majesty's request. Sergeant Fred Rasmussen had trained the first horse gifted previously by the RCMP to Her Majesty, Burmese, and subsequently was given the responsibility for Jerry's training. The horse was presented to Her Majesty at Windsor Castle on May 15, 1977, and renamed Centenial. Centenial was the second of eight horses that have been presented to Her Majesty by the RCMP to date.

Her Majesty at Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall is the official residence of Her Majesty when she is in Canada. Her Majesty's first visit was as princess in 1951, when she square danced in the Ballroom and planted her first ceremonial tree, a sugar maple, on the grounds. She has returned as Queen many more times and planted four other ceremonial trees that serve as a timeline of her connection with Canada. Echoes of Her Majesty's visits can also be seen inside the residence. A Royal commemorative stained glass window, unveiled in 1992, illuminates the Entrance Hall.

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SOURCE Governor General of Canada

For further information: Media information: Josephine Laframboise, Rideau Hall Press Office, 613-668-1929 (mobile), [e-mail]

Related Links

http://www.gg.ca/