Queen Elizabeth II criticised for this on Canada royal tour - but Prince Philip praised (Image: Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were the first members of the British royal family to fly across the Atlantic. The royal couple visited the USA and Canada in 1951 and it came at a stressful time for the Queen as her father was very ill. However, not only did the young Elizabeth have family worries - but she was also made unhappy for other reasons while on the trip to Canada with the Duke of Edinburgh. Royal author Sarah Bradford explained the downsides of the visit in her 2012 book, Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life In Our Times.
Queen Elizabeth II criticised for this on Canada royal tour - but Prince Philip praised
The Queen - then a Princess - was criticised by Canadians during the trip for a sadly personal reason.
“In Canada crowds wildly applauded Prince Philip but criticised the Princess for her unsmiling look,” wrote Bradford.
Time magazine reported at the time: “Instead of the poised and charming beauty most Canadians had expected, she was nervous and inarticulate.”
Bradford explained: “Apart from worrying about her father, she had not yet discovered the skill with crowds that came so easily to her mother and husband.”
In contrast to the Queen, the public loved the easy-going Philip who did not seem to struggle in the public eye.
The monarch’s smile drew particular negative attention. “Queen Elizabeth’s smile had become her trademark (she was nicknamed ‘Grinners’ by some of her more irreverent friends), while handsome Prince Philip always found it easy to adopt a relaxed democratic attitude in public,” said Bradford.
Queen Elizabeth II's smile drew particular negative attention during the tour with
