Did the GG’s hubby, Jean-Daniel Lafond, suggest the Queen shouldn’t stay at Rideau Hall?

The Queen has left Canada without naming a replacement for Governor-General Michaëlle Jean, as some had speculated she might. But given this latest rumour about her visit, she might be tempted to hop back across the pond and announce that the current GG, or rather her husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, won’t be staying at Rideau Hall much longer.

The Sun has the really odd story:

Even though Lafond and his wife Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean were out of the country on a state visit to China when the Queen arrived in the capital on June 30, Lafond asked that the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, find somewhere else to stay.

It was a bizarre request that raised more than a few eyebrows in official Ottawa, partly because Rideau Hall is, for all intents and purposes, the property of the Queen.

Then there’s the fact that even if it weren’t Her Majesty’s house, it’s paid for by the Canadian taxpayer and has over 100 rooms, so maybe His Excellency could spare some space. Lafond has explicitly and strenuously denied the accusations this afternoon, leaving any sharp observer with the conclusion that someone here is lying. Lucky for us, the reporter, QMI’s David Akin, says that if someone lies to him, off-the-record quotes become very much on the record, so this should all be wrapped up before dinnertime, we’re sure.

Of course, if it is true, one could add this incident to the time our last GG told the world the Queen had bad table manners and call it a trend.

• Lafond denies trying to block Queen’s Rideau stay [Toronto Sun]
• GG’s hubby Queen-hater? [Toronto Sun]