Many members of the Royal Family have been presented with art during their tours of what is now Canada. Some have also commissioned or acquired works as mementos of their visits and of the artistic expression of the region’s inhabitants.

These objects provide a unique insight into the life of the country and its diverse peoples. Materials such as argillite, porcupine quill and whalebone reflect the region’s natural resources. Others represent forms and motifs used by Indigenous communities to express their identity and beliefs for many thousands of years.

Acquisitions from the later nineteenth century also indicate the increasing formalisation of Canada’s art through national institutions and societies, often under the patronage of members of the Royal Family.

Together this wide array of material, from paintings and sculpture, to metalwork and textiles, highlights the beauty of the land, and the diversity and history of its inhabitants.