Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Just months into her husband’s reign, Queen Consort Camilla, who will be crowned during Saturday's coronation ceremony, is already putting her own personal stamp on the job, says CTV News royal commentator Richard Berthelsen.
On Nov. 29, the Queen Consort hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace to raise awareness around violence against women and girls. Domestic violence is just one of the “gritty issues” Camilla has spoken about publicly, focusing her advocacy on lending support to victims, Berthelsen said.
“For her to have hosted that particular reception … was quite remarkable and it’s not the sort of thing the palace has been doing for a while,” Berthelsen told CTVNews.ca in a telephone interview on Monday. “It's a real marked change from the past.”
This level of advocacy around complex social justice issues has not typically been exercised by past members of the Royal Family who were in a similar position, Berthelsen said. This includes Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, Prince Philip.
“We haven’t seen this from someone in that position,” Berthelsen said. “For someone … at the top of the royal pyramid, it’s very significant to take on those kinds of issues.”
Prince Philip had a strong interest in matters of the environment, industry and engineering. He was unlikely to take on social justice issues in the same way Camilla has, with such a hands-on approach, Berthelsen said. While he would engage with organizations focused on these topics, these engagements would often take place outside of royal residences such as Buckingham Palace, he said.
Other members of the Royal Family, such as Diana, Princess of Wales, have also raised awareness around serious topics such as HIV/AIDS and the destigmatization of the condition.
In addition to domestic violence, the Queen Consort has also spoken publicly about health conditions such as osteoporosis, which claimed the lives of her mother and grandmother, as well as children’s literacy.
“Her interests are … topical and of relevance to people living right now,” Berthelsen said. “And these are things that are important to her.”
In addition to paving her own path through the causes she champions, the Queen Consort has also stepped away from royal tradition by deciding not to appoint ladies in waiting. A Queen or Queen Consort’s lady in waiting acts as a personal assistant, helping with day-to-day tasks such as responding to letters and greeting guests at official events.
These women are friends of the Queen Consort, and were likely chosen based on their closeness to Camilla and overall willingness to take on the role, Berthelsen said.
Instead, Camilla has appointed six “Queen’s companions.” The role is meant to be similar to a traditional lady in waiting, but will not be as extensive, Berthelsen said. The “companions” will likely be in attendance less frequently than Queen Elizabeth II’s ladies in waiting while still accompanying her on the odd royal engagement, he said.
“She’s trying to move in a different direction [by] giving them less onerous responsibilities,” Berthelsen said. “It’s a much less committed role … and so that expands the number of people that can be a part of it, I think that’s what her thinking is.”
The acceptance of Queen Consort Camilla by the British public has increased significantly over the years, Berthelsen said. According to royal commentator Afua Hagan, Camilla’s public relations team has played a crucial role in helping her build a more favourable public image after facing criticism over they way she and Charles treated Diana.
“In this massive PR push Camilla has come across and charming and fun,” writes Hagan in an opinion column for CTVNews.ca. “She’s been repackaged as everything from the ultimate grandma, to a glam-ma, to [King] Charles’ ‘strength and stay.’”
These latest decisions made by the Queen Consort as she continues to settle into her new role are less about modernizing the monarchy and more about leaving her personal mark on the job, Berthelsen said.
“I’m sure it’s an adjustment for everyone but I think that people are happy to give her this chance,” he said. “She wants to do things in her own way.”
Camilla is likely to continue to put her personal touch on future engagements hosted at royal households, Berthelsen said. This includes adding her input on how the palaces should be decorated, and the kind of food and drinks that should be served.
Unlike his father before him, Charles is also expected to play an active role as host now that he is King. This has already begun to take shape, as witnessed at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace on Nov. 22. In welcoming South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the King used sustainable flowers from the palace garden rather than importing flowers from around the world.
King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort, are likely to act together as royal host and hostess going forward.
“They’ll share that role in a way that [Queen Elizabeth II] did not.”
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Mullett Arena buzzed like few times in the two years since the Arizona Coyotes moved in, the fans amped for one last desert hurrah.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.
B.C. resident Robert Conrad spent thousands of hours on Crown land developing an unusual bond with deer.
A Sudbury woman said her husband was bringing the recycling out to the curb Wednesday night when he had to make a 'mad dash' inside after seeing a bear.