Sask. legislature displays royal visit photos in celebration of Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Royal visits are among the most photographed events in the history of Saskatchewan. Archivists have dug deep into the official collection to find the most intriguing snapshots.

They are on public display at the legislative building to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

“This black and white photo, I had never seen it before,” said building manager Steve Bata.

“If you didn’t know it was the Queen, you would think it was 1950’s Hollywood.”

Queen Elizabeth has made six royal visits to Saskatchewan, including her first in 1951 as a princess.

The display also includes an oil painting that hangs high in the legislative assembly chamber. There has never been an opportunity to see it up close, until now.

The most recent work is courtesy of Regina visual artist Belinda Kriek.

“It’s a stamp, it’s a gold leaf stamp and I embedded it on top of the Plexiglas so that’s the additional layer,” Kriek said, as she motioned toward the painting.

“Actually that’s been a part of our passports so that’s where the idea came from.”

The gallery is the last stop on the legislative building tour. Visitors from England had a special appreciation for the photos and artwork on display.

“It’s amazing, absolutely amazing. It’s just as though you’ve taken a photograph and painted it,” visitor Sandra Pledger said as she admired Kriek’s work.

The Queen’s last visit to Saskatchewan was in 2005. She no longer tours the Commonwealth but Saskatchewan residents have these photographs to bring back fond memories.