Regina, known as Canada's Queen City, will play host today to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, due to touch down in the city late this afternoon.

It has been 18 years since the 79-year-old monarch last visited Saskatchewan, where she will help mark centennial celebrations in the province before visiting Alberta during her nine-day visit.

Banners have been unfurled, the red carpet is waiting and statues are prepared for unveiling. Security has been tightened, with barricades erected at Regina's provincial legislature.

Prime Minister Paul Martin is expected to greet the Queen at the Regina airport at 4:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET).

First on the agenda for the Royal Couple is a visit to the First Nations University of Canada. Then, they'll visit the provincial legislature, the RCMP training depot and Government House.

The Saskatchewan leg of the tour includes a stop in Saskatoon, where the Royal Couple will attend an entertainment gala and tour the newly-built Canadian Light Source synchrotron -- a research facility at the University of Saskatchewan that performs the function of a giant microscope.

There will also be a luncheon in Lumsden, Sask., a picturesque river-valley community of 1,500 just north of Regina.

Political backdrop

But with all the pomp and pageantry, the monarch could be stepping into quite a political mess. That's because the Queen's visit begins just two days before Prime Minister Martin faces a vote of non-confidence in Parliament.

Should Martin's Liberal minority government lose the budget vote on Thursday, it could trigger a federal election.

The Queen, who as head of state is meant to stay out of electoral politics, has managed to avoid being drawn into such political conundrums before during her 53-year reign.

But that's not the only problem that threatens to harangue the Royal visit.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA, has vowed to make their presence felt at every Royal engagement.

Their goal is to draw attention to the towering bearskin hats worn by the British Army's Royal guards. Because they are made from the fur of Canadian black bears, the group wants them replaced with artificial substitutes.

"On average it takes one to two bears to make a hat and 150 new hats are required a year," PETA campaign organizer Allison Ezell told CTV News.

"So that's up to 300 bears that are being killed just to make the guards' hats."

In the past, to avoid allegations of favouritism, the Queen has avoided visiting countries that are in the midst of election campaigns.

Late last week, officials in both Martin's office and Buckingham Palace confirmed that the tour will proceed as planned.

Planning for the Queen's trip to help Saskatchewan and Alberta celebrate 100 years since joining Confederation began long before it was clear Parliament would be in crisis.

Officials at Buckingham Palace have since said her Majesty will continue the tour of Saskatchewan and Alberta even if government is dissolved.

But just 24 hours before the Royal arrival, the subject was still not up for discussion. Handlers for Governor General Adrienne Clarkson told reporters not to ask, because she would not answer those questions.

Calls to the spokesperson for the federal department coordinating the royal visit, Canadian Heritage, were not returned either.

According to John Aimers, dominion chair of the Monarchist League of Canada, the decision was a good one.

"I'm very glad her trip wasn't cancelled because it would have sent the wrong message, that we are not a mature-enough country to work out our political differences even while our head of state is present," he told The Canadian Press.

He said the monarchy is a unifying principle in this country, while partisan politics represents things Canadians disagree about.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will spend three-and-a-half days in Saskatchewan, then leave for Alberta on Friday. They will return to London on May 25.

With files from CTV News and The Canadian Press