Vintage Chicago Tribune: When British royals — including King Charles — visited the Windy City
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Everyone is a little starstruck — even the mayor — when royalty comes to town, Chicago.
“I consider myself a student of English history,” Mayor Harold Washington told reporters during a visit by King Charles, then Prince Charles, in 1986. “You read all about those kings. When you finally meet one, it’s kind of — maybe — intimidating. ... You’re awed by it.”
Members of the British royal family have explored our museums, raised money for charity during glamorous balls, sought relief for a toothache and even danced until dawn with locals during their time in Chicago since 1860, when a young Prince of Wales took a tour of the city by horse-drawn carriage.
It’s been 27 years since Princess Diana toured Northwestern University — just three years before her future daughter-in-law Meghan Markle would attend the school.
Which royal can we expect next?
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— Kori Rumore, visual reporter
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1860: A young Prince of Wales — the great-great grandfather of King Charles — seeks rest and relaxation
Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, became the first member of British royalty to visit the United States in 1860. The invitation for the 18-year-old prince, who was touring Canada at the time, came from the top — President James Buchanan.
Headaches were what brought the prince to Illinois. Read more here.
1924: Prince Edward VIII dances until 3 a.m., delaying his departure
A dozen years before he abdicated the throne to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, the Prince of Wales danced late into the night with a variety of women at the Saddle & Cycle Club in Chicago. The dinner-dance was the culmination of a 16-hour tour that began with his arrival by train in Lake Forest, then included visits to the Chicago Stockyards, the Wrigley building — which flew the Union Jack flag in his honor, the University of Chicago and the Field Museum. Read more here.
1959: Queen Elizabeth II’s ‘unforgettable day — a day I will never forget’ in Chicago
In the summer of 1959, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, embarked on a 15,000-mile, 45-day tour of all the Canadian provinces and four of the Great Lakes.
Their only stop in the United States during that trip was a 14-hour visit to Chicago on July 6, 1959 — the first visit of a reigning British monarch to the Windy City.
On Sept. 9, 2015, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest reigning monarch in Britain’s history. She was in her 70th year as head of the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 54 independent countries, when she died on Sept. 8, 2022. Read more here.
1966 and 1982: Prince Philip named honorary citizen, then raises funds for animal conservation
Prince Philip returned for two Chicago visits alone in 1966 and 1982. He died on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99. See more photos here.
1977: Young, single Prince Charles charms Chicago
Like his predecessors Edward VII and the Duke of Windsor, Prince Charles of Wales arrived in Chicago as a young, single man on Oct. 18, 1977.
It was the first stop on his 10-city, nine day visit to the United States. Read more here.
1986: Prince Charles — without Princess Diana or his sons — returns to play polo
An invitation to play in a polo match brought Prince Charles to the United States in 1986 for the seventh time in six years. Read more here.
1996: ‘Princess Di arrived in Chi and the town went gaga’
Her priority was clear — to raise money and awareness for the plight of cancer victims. In just 46 hours, Princess Diana helped raise more than $1 million for cancer charities here and in London.
The princess died in 1997, but her whirlwind tour of Evanston and Chicago is commemorated with a simple marker outside University Hall on Northwestern’s campus. Read more here.
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Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Ron Grossman and Marianne Mather at rgrossman@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com.
