On July 3, Manitobans will be in the presence of royalty, as Queen Elizabeth II will be  visiting our province for the first time since 2002.

The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, will land in the city around 12:20 p.m. and will be the first official passengers to arrive at the new Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport terminal. There, she will sign a letter addressed to the youth of Manitoba, placing it in a time capsule to be opened in the year 2060.

In the afternoon, the royal couple will attend a luncheon hosted by the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba; a rededication of a statue of the Queen’s likeness created by the late Leo Mol; and a ceremonial tree-planting of a new shrub created in her honour.

She will then move to the site of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, where she will unveil a cornerstone that was quarried from the same site where the Magna Carta, considered by many to be the first significant human rights document, was signed in 1215.

At about 5:40 p.m., the Queen is slated to deliver an address to the public at the Manitoba Homecoming Concert for Human Rights at The Forks. Performing at the concert will be the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Chantal Kreviazuk, among others.

Watch for footage of the Queen’s visit on iTV Winnipeg!