Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip arriving for a state dinner at the Château Frontenac in Quebec City, Canada, 1964. 

The rise of the sovereigntist movement from the 1960s weakened Quebec's historic links with the Crown. Separatists purported to see it as a symbol of colonialism and of Ottawa's ascendancy rather than as a vehicle for francophone particularity. The Queen's visit to Charlottetown and Quebec in 1964 for the centennial of the Confederation conferences of 1864 elicited protests from some Quebec nationalists; given concerns for the Queen's safety, there were calls for the cancellation of the tour. During the 1964 tour, the Queen herself acted with calm and courage, paying an eloquent tribute in French in the Quebec assembly to francophone culture in Canada. Vanier was disappointed and embarassed by the excessive security measures taken due to a gew hundred separatists, but admired the Queen's poise and perseverance and applauded the decision of Prime Minister Pearson and Premier Lesage not to bow to pressure and cancel the tour | The Crown and Canadian Federalism by D. Michael Jackson