Queen Elizabeth II, one of the most famous faces in the world for decades, has passed away at the age of 96. 

Back in February of this year, the Queen officially became the first British monarch to serve seventy years on the throne, making her the UK’s longest-ruling monarch of all time (before that was her grandmother Queen Victoria, who served sixty-three years).

The Queen paid a visit to the United States several times throughout her reign, but did she ever visit Buffalo, New York?

Did Queen Elizabeth II ever visit Western New York?

The answer is… almost. 

As first reported by The Buffalo News, the Queen came very close to the Western New York area when she traveled across the pond to mark an official opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway in 1959. Afterward, she would embark on a tour of her commonwealth of Canada. 

News reports at the time stated that the closest Queen Elizabeth would be to Western New York was just over the border in Hamilton, Ontario on July 2, 1959 - just over sixty-three years ago. The Queen had previously visited Hamilton back in 1951 when she was Princess Elizabeth, and would later visit Hamilton again in 2002.

Even though we never got the chance to see Queen Elizabeth II on the streets of Buffalo, perhaps our royal luck may change in the coming years.

Now, the British monarchy has been taken over by her son, King Charles III (we know him best as the former Prince Charles), and maybe there’s a chance we can see him, his son Prince William, or even his grandson, Prince George, visit our fair city in the years to come.

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Gallery Credit: Dave Fields

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