Queen defies rain on Canada visit

The Queen's visit may be affected by a vote on Canada's budget

The Queen defied relentless rain in Canada on Wednesday to talk about her affection for the country.

Speaking in Regina, Saskatchewan, she recalled how her mother had once said Canada felt a "home away from home".

"Ladies and gentlemen, six decades later it still does, and it is good to be back," she told drenched onlookers.

The nine-day trip to mark the centenary of Saskatchewan and Alberta's entry into the Confederation comes at a time of political turmoil in Canada.

My mother once said that this country felt like a home away from home for the Queen of Canada - ladies and gentlemen, six decades later it still does, and it is good to be back The Queen

The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, arrived in Canada on Tuesday.

She made her way to the legislative building in Regina on Wednesday morning in an open-top carriage in relentless rain.

She later unveiled a statue of herself on her favourite horse, Burmese - which she often rode at Trooping the Colour and which was given to her by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1969.

But on Thursday the visit could be disrupted by a crucial vote on the Canadian government's future.

Paul Martin's Liberal minority government, hit by a corruption scandal, faces a vote on the budget. If it loses, a general election would be called and the Queen's schedule changed.

In pictures: Queen's visit

It is unlikely that the monarch would return home early or cut short her visit in the event of an election.

But certain parts of her programme could be curtailed to enable her to keep her distance from senior politicians and avoid any suggestion of bias.

The Queen has visited Canada at least 22 times. Her last visit was in October 2002 for the Golden Jubilee tour.

She is the head of state in Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.