In the summer and autumn of 1860, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII), visited Canada and the United States.  The Canadian section of the tour took him from St John’s in Newfoundland to Windsor in Ontario, from where he crossed to Detroit for the start of the US leg of the tour.  His itinerary included Halifax, Quebec, Ottawa, where he laid the foundation stone for the Parliament buildings, Toronto and Hamilton.  Another of his duties came during his visit to Montreal, when he inaugurated the Victoria Bridge carrying the Grand Trunk Railway over the St Lawrence, an event for which a commemorative medal was struck.

This detailed account was compiled by the author predominantly from the descriptions which he sent to The Times during the Prince’s tour in his capacity as Special Correspondent.  He has at times a distinctly acerbic tongue, coupled with a lively sense of the ridiculous.