The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were left adrift on a Canadian river in near-freezing temperatures when their water taxi broke down.

Embarrassed officials organised a hasty rescue operation for the royal couple, on a Golden Jubilee tour of the country.

A second boat following the royal vessel was ordered to tow it to the shore of Winnipeg's Red River and the planned destination.

Corgi club members presented their pets to the Queen

Prince Philip, an admiral, looked faintly amused by the whole experience while the 76-year-old Queen merely commented: "That was interesting."

Both the Queen and the prince, 81, had already appeared to be suffering from the cold as they watched a 30-minute outdoor cultural display in temperatures barely above freezing.

They were not offered rugs to keep them warm as they sat on a dais on the banks of the Red River.

Although Winnipeg claims to be the world's coldest city, with temperatures regularly falling to -40C, apologetic officials admitted the bad weather had taken them by surprise.

Fur coat

One said: "We haven't had autumn - we've gone straight from summer to winter."

The Queen and Prince Philip were better prepared for the conditions when ballet dancers, wearing thermal underwear themselves, staged an outdoor performance in their honour.

For the second time on her Canadian tour the Queen wore a fur coat.

While in the Arctic at Iqaluit, she wore a cashmere coat trimmed with mink.

Corgi

Later she met members of the Manitoba Corgi Association and asked whether their dogs fought each other.

Her own corgis have a history of snapping at each other and have even bitten the Queen.

Patting two of the dogs on show she said: "They don't seem to mind being here."

The Queen also rededicated the city's restored Golden Boy statue.

A spectacular firework display lit up the night sky before the Queen and her husband went inside the Legislative Building for a VIP dinner.