History
The university's main building, Hatley Castle, was completed in 1908 for coal and rail baron James Dunsmuir, who was Lieutenant Governor and Premier of British Columbia during the first decade of the 1900s. At the outbreak of World War II, plans were made for King George VI, his wife Queen Elizabeth, and their two daughters, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, to reside in Canada. Hatley Castle was purchased by the federal government in 1940 for use as the King's royal palace, however, it was decided that having the Royal Family leave the UK at a time of war would be too big a blow to morale, and the family stayed in London.
After the death of Dunsmuir and then his widow Laura, the family sold the estate to the federal government in 1940 to be used by the military. HMCS Royal Roads (named after an offshore naval anchorage) was commissioned in December 1940 to train reserve officers for service in World War II. The institution had several names before it eventually became Royal Roads Military College in 1968 (achieving full degree-granting status in 1975).
Petty Officer First Class Gabby R. Bruner, Royal Roads bandmaster from 1979-85 composed `Hatley Park` as the official quick march for RRMC and `Dunsmuir Castle` for the Visit of Queen Elizabeth to Royal Roads in 1983.
When the military college closed, many of the academic staff stayed on. The historic buildings of the military college, and the extensive gardens, which were part of the estate of Lord and Lady Dunsmuir, continue to be a centrepiece of the campus. Hatley Castle, the former residence of the Dunsmuir family, houses a small Canadian Military museum.
In 1995, Royal Roads became a degree-granting affiliate of the University of Victoria.
A replica of Lord Horatio Nelson's quote, "Duty is the great business of a sea officer: All private considerations must give way to it however painful it is." which hung over the entrance to the Grant Building, was returned to Royal Roads University campus for Homecoming in 2011.
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