The memorial was officially dedicated on 21 May 1939 by King George VI, the then reigning Canadian monarch, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth, Governor General the Lord Tweedsmuir, Mackenzie King,[57] and an estimated 100,000 people,[2] including some 12,000 veterans, attending. The site was decorated with banners depicting the heraldic elements of the Royal Arms of Canada.[3] In his speech, the King focused on Canada having, through defending decency and democracy, reached nationhood among other Western countries.