Buckingham Palace insists Queen Elizabeth II will arrive for a visit as scheduled on Tuesday, despite the possibility the Canadian government might fall during her nine-day stay. Queen Elizabeth's 22nd visit to Canada since becoming Britain's queen 53 years ago begins just two days before Prime Minister Paul Martin faces a vote of no-confidence in Parliament. Officials in both Martin's office and Buckingham Palace confirmed late last week that the trip will go on, The Associated Press reported. The queen's trip with her husband, Prince Philip, celebrates the centennials of Alberta and Saskatchewan's incorporation into Canada. The region has been preparing for weeks, with brass being polished and flower beds groomed. The visit begins Tuesday in Regina, Saskatchewan, and ends May 25 in Calgary, Alberta. The queen is the symbolic head of state in Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth of former colonies. Martin said he intends to greet the royal couple when they arrive Tuesday, and will also speak at the official welcoming ceremony Wednesday morning before returning to Ottawa.
