Canada, Dominion. An Invitation For The Visit Of The Prince Of Wales During The Royal Tour Of 1919

Printed in black ink on a light beige card stock, with the name of the recipient in black pen ink, bearing the coat-of-arms on the City of London, Ontario at the top, followed by the text in running script "The Executive Committee in charge of the Reception to His Highness The Prince of Wales request the pleasure of Mr. J.C. Spence at a Drawing Room Reception to be tendered His Royal Highness at the Armories on Wednesday evening, October the twenty-second, nineteen hundred and nineteen from ten to twelve / S. Baker Clerk / E.S. Little Chairman / Kindly present this card at main entrance", measuring 173 mm (w) x 134 mm (h), accompanied by its original lightly soiled and torn envelope. Small smudge across the word "Drawing" on the , otherwise, near extremely fine.

Footnote: After the end of the First World War in November 1918, Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) set out to develop his role as the Prince of Wales through a tour of the Empire, with his first tour occurring in the dominions of Newfoundland and Canada for two months in 1919. Organization for the tour was undertaken by Joseph Pope, the Assistant Clerk to the Privy Council for Canada. Unlike earlier tours, the 1919 royal tour dropped the rigid formalities of earlier tours, partly due to authorities' inability to control the crowds who came to see the Prince. The informality of the tour was matched by the Prince of Wales, whose informal dress, and mannerisms had struck the right note with Canadians. Boarding HMS Renown on August 5, 1919, Edward proceeded towards St. John's, Newfoundland, and Charlottetown, before proceeding towards Quebec City on August 21st. Proceeding towards Ontario, he laid the foundation stone of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, met with the League of Canadian Indians at Sault Ste. Marie, and took a three-day canoe trip down the Nipigon River to fish and hunt with two Ojibwa guides. On the August 26th, he inaugurated Warriors' Day at the Canadian National Exhibition. The Prince then travelled to Regina, where he renamed a library the Prince of Wales Library. He then proceeded towards Vancouver, toured the area, attended a civic reception and military ball, as well as opening the New Westminster Exhibition. While in Alberta, he was named Chief Morning Star by the Chiefs of the Nakoda First Nations. The Prince also went on to Victoria, where he laid the foundation stone of a statue of Queen Victoria on the grounds of the British Columbia Parliament Buildings.