S36 E2: All About Romana | The Cult Queen of Canada

Summary

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Uncover: The Cult Queen of Canada

Episode S36 E2: "All About Romana"

Host: Rachel Brown, CBC Uncover
Release Date: March 2, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Uncover delves into the rise and reach of Romana Didulo, the so-called "Queen of Canada," exploring how a little-known figure at the start of 2022 transformed into the leader of a fringe conspiracy cult. Rachel Brown investigates Romana's background, her methods for attracting followers, the dangerous escalation of her rhetoric, and the impact of her cult on small-town Canada. Through interviews, first-hand accounts, and audio from cult members themselves, the episode examines both the bizarre and harrowing aspects of Romana's movement.

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Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Romana’s Emergence During the Freedom Convoy (00:00–03:11)

• At the height of Canada's "Freedom Convoy" protests against COVID-19 mandates in January 2022, Romana Didulo presents herself to the crowd as "Queen of Canada," burning a Canadian flag and promoting her self-styled "Kingdom of Canada".
  • Quote:
    • "I am Queen Romana of Canada...I am backed by the armed forces of the United States. There are no more elections, no more politicians, no more politics in the Kingdom of Canada." — Romana Didulo (01:11)
• Her profile rises dramatically with media attention as she and her followers travel across the country, ultimately settling in the small town of Richmond, Saskatchewan.

2. Community Response and Law Enforcement Limits (03:11–04:48)

• Locals like retired schoolteacher Shauna Sain express confusion and frustration over law enforcement's apparent inability to act against Romana.
  • Shauna investigates Romana's background herself after RCMP say they need proof of illegal activities.
  • Fears parallel those seen in the Rajneesh cult’s takeover of Antelope, Oregon, highlighted as a historical analog.

3. Romana’s Patchy Backstory and Entrepreneurial Failures (04:48–07:06)

• Romana’s self-published life story: privileged Filipino origins, orphaned by 12, emigrated to Canada as a teen.
• A pattern of failed businesses emerges: cleaning company, recruitment agency, "Infinite Wealth 24.7," and bizarrely, a $2 million fundraiser for police dog bulletproof vests that netted only $26.
  • Quote:
    • "If there’s one thing I know about Romana, it’s that she’s a hustler." — Rachel Brown (05:47)

4. Transition from Failed Politician to QAnon Monarch (07:06–09:25)

• Launches "Canada First" political party in 2020, echoing US far-right slogans, but the party fails.
• Turns to Telegram, announcing herself head of state and quickly amassing thousands of followers as QAnon movement fragments.
  • Quote:
    • "As of February this year, 2021, I am the head of state and commander in chief of Canada, the Republic." — Romana Didulo (08:48)

5. Cult/Mythology Building and Dangerous Decrees (09:25–12:47)

• Declares herself Queen, commander-in-chief, abolishes taxes, utility bills, mortgages — ideas that attract mostly elderly, fixed-income followers, many of whom are described as "sweet people that are very, very deluded." (10:33, Mac Lamoureux)
• Builds elaborate mythos: claims contact with Trump and Putin, touts non-existent "med beds", and divine "DNA X" which she says she’s distributed to humanity.
  • Quote:
    • "I have released DNA X to each and every living I ams in the world and planet Earth." — Romana Didulo (12:47)
• Uses religious/ascension movement language, referencing "I AM" (13:02).

6. Escalation Toward Real-World Mobilization (15:05–17:02)

• Labels COVID restrictions and vaccines as "criminal", incites followers to serve "cease and desist" letters as "digital soldiers."
• Rhetoric turns violent, encouraging "Duck Hunters" to "hunt" those connected to vaccinations, escalating to explicit death threats.
  • Quotes:
    • "You will be put through Nuremberg trial for crimes against humanity, an intentional genocide." (16:32)
    • “You will receive not one, but two bullets on your forehead for each child that you have harmed.” — Romana Didulo (16:47)

7. Confrontation and Tactical Retreat After Law Enforcement Steps In (18:38–20:27)

• Vice journalist Mac Lamoureux exposes "duck hunting" threats; RCMP detain Romana under the Mental Health Act, but she is quickly released, touts lack of charges as vindication.
  • Quote:
    • "You’re not certifiable, meaning you’re not insane." — Romana Didolo (19:58)
• Adjusts tactics: reduces overtly violent rhetoric, but creates coded language (“milkshake” for execution) and strengthens internal loyalty.

8. Insider Perspective: Julie’s Journey Into and Out of the Cult (21:43–32:52)

• Julie (pseudonym), a former follower, shares her experience—drawn in by a desire to “help people.” Echoes that many join out of sincere intentions, not malice.
  • Quotes:
    • “I wanted to get out there and reach more people and wake people up to what’s going on.” — Julie (23:19)
• Describes cult's RV “royal tour” from B.C. through Ottawa protests (including repeated plays of “Rasputin” by Boney M), harsh living conditions, and increasing Romana paranoia.
• Key incident: Peterborough, ON, where followers attempt citizens’ arrest of police, resulting in brawl and arrests—Romana herself stays in RV, avoids direct involvement.
• Julie describes psychological manipulation, harsh treatment of followers, and Romana’s increasing threat-making.
  • Quotes:
    • “It was like a narcissistic relationship when I look back on it.” — Julie (32:52)
    • “We would look at each other and say, do you think she’s been taken off planet? Because she’s not very friendly.” — Julie (31:32)

9. The Cult on the Move: From Expulsion to Sanctuary (32:59–36:47)

• After being chased from towns in Nova Scotia (following Hurricane Fiona) and Saskatchewan, Romana’s group is given sanctuary in Richmond by local Ricky Manns, himself a deep believer and “notorious” figure in the area.
  • Manns had failed to convert the local school into a weed grow-op and housed Romana’s followers in the abandoned property.

10. Stalemate in Richmond and Ongoing Tensions (36:47–39:03)

• Former teacher Shauna monitors livestreams for incriminating activity, finally spotting a possible fire code violation—a glowing propane heater—on Romana’s birthday "Earth Day" broadcast.
• Richmond community remains vigilant but hamstrung by the cult’s (so far) legal status and careful maneuvering.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Romana's Coronation:
  • "I am Queen Romana of Canada." (01:11)
• Deluded Motivation:
  • “A lot of them are sweet people that are very, very deluded.” — Mac Lamoureux (10:33)
• Self-Mythologizing:
  • "This gentleman is presenting a gift from President Putin..." — Romana Didolo (12:07)
• Extreme Threats:
  • “You will receive not one, but two bullets on your forehead for each child that you have harmed.” — Romana Didolo (16:47)
• On Cult Living:
  • “We went a long time sometimes without the opportunity to have showers...sometimes we’d drive into the night and there’d be no food. We’d be eating chips and junk food.” — Julie (27:44)
• On Leaving:
  • "It was like a narcissistic relationship when I look back on it." — Julie (32:52)
• Community Watchfulness:
  • “So at 4 o’clock every afternoon, the cult’s livestream begins. Shauna tunes in. Even when it’s absolutely infuriating.” — Rachel Brown (36:47)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Freedom Convoy & Romana’s Public Debut: 00:00–03:11
• Romana’s Background & Early Schemes: 04:48–07:06
• QAnon Adoption & Cult Formation: 08:48–10:33
• Cult Broadcasting & Decrees: 12:47–15:05
• Threat Escalation: 16:10–17:02
• RCMP Intervention: 18:38–20:27
• Julie’s Testimony & Inside the Convoy: 21:43–32:52
• Cult’s Saskatchewan Arrival & Local Reaction: 32:59–36:47
• Romana’s Richmond "Earth Day" & Monitoring: 37:48–39:03

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Tone & Language

The episode strikes a balance between investigative rigor and incredulity, employing both empathy (for followers) and dry wit (Rachel’s asides about absurdities). Rachel is often candid about the “bonkers” turns of the story while never losing sight of the harm involved.

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Final Note

This episode reveals how unchecked conspiracy, charismatic self-mythologizing, and online community-building can produce a fringe movement with real impacts across Canada—from crushed spirits in small towns, to ruined finances of vulnerable seniors, to dangerous rhetoric and the thin line between speech and violence. The episode closes with a cliffhanger: as Richmond residents keep vigil, the fate of Romana’s cult, and its next move, remain uncertain.

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Transcript

[Rachel Brown]

You know how everything's a subscription now? Music, movies, even socks. I swear, if I to continue this ad, please upgrade to premium plus platinum. Uh, what? No. Anyway, Blue Apron. This is a pay per listen ad. Please confirm your billing. Oh, that's annoying. At least with the new Blue Apron, there's no subscription needed. Get delicious meals delivered without the weekly plan. Wait, no subscription? Keep the flavor, ditch the subscription. Get 20% off your first two orders with code APRON20. Terms and conditions apply. Visit blueapron.com terms for more. This is a CBC podcast. It's January 2022, the height of the so called Freedom convoy. Thousands of people have traveled to Ottawa to protest against Canada's pandemic rules and vaccine mandates. The capital's been overrun by cars, trucks, thousands of people screaming and honking. Yep, there's even more honking in this story. A lesser known figure stands on a platform near the parliament building holding a megaphone.

[Romana Didolo]

Hello, everyone.

[Julie]

I am Queen Romero of Canada.

[Rachel Brown]

A massive crowd gathers around her.

[Romana Didolo]

I am backed by the armed forces of the United States. There are no more elections, no more politicians, no more politics in the Kingdom of Canada.

[Rachel Brown]

She holds a lighter under a Canadian flag and it starts to burn. Her followers raise a new flag. It's purple and white with a sword through a maple leaf and the phrase God loves you. The flag of the Kingdom of Canada.

[Julie]

New Canada 2.0.

[Rachel Brown]

By this point, Romana hadn't really hit the mainstream media. But now news cameras and reporters are everywhere and she's eager to show everyone that she's 100% serious. After Ottawa, they hit the road to spread their message across the country, only to end up in, of all places, the tiny town of Richmond, Saskatchewan. So who is Romana Didolo? What is she about? And how did she end up in Richmond? I'm Rachel Brown and this is the cult Queen of Canada from CBC's Uncover, episode two, all about Romana. How can this woman, who's clearly either insane or demonically devious, get to run around around the country creating all this disruption and chaos and she's untouchable. Back in Richmond, retired school teacher Shana Sain was decompressing on her farm. Her protest against Queen Romana was over.

[Romana Didolo]

You need to go far, far away.

[Rachel Brown]

There was no shootout. There was no burning school, no Waco. The protesters packed up and the RCMP didn't intervene. The cult stayed put. Richmond was once again stuck with its new neighbors. They can't take her in for questioning or can't accuse her of something. I just don't get that part. So now Shawna was on her own to defend her town. And rather than Waco, she was guarding against a more insidious that Romana's group was putting down roots. Were they plotting a takeover like the Rajneeshis did in antelope in the 1980s? In Netflix's wild, Wild country, we saw how the Rajneeshi cult invaded this small town in Oregon. But their takeover didn't start with violence. Instead, the Rajneeshis did it slowly, strategically, by exploiting local bylaws and interfering with the town's election. Shauna was getting worried that Romana could be trying to take over Richmond, and she wanted to bring him back up. But according to Shauna, the RCMP said they needed proof of Romana and her group breaking the law before they could take action. So Shauna started to research, looking into Romana's past to figure out who she was up against and perhaps find information she could use against her. As I do my own digging, I find there's very little verifiable information about her younger years. Most of the information comes from Romana herself.

[Romana Didolo]

Greetings, everyone. Hello, everyone. Hello, Canada. I'm Romana Didolo.

[Rachel Brown]

She says she was born in the Philippines to a privileged family, which she describes on an old website of hers as the modern equivalent of a royal family. By the time she turned 12, Romana says both her parents had passed away around 1990. As a teenager, she emigrated from the Philippines to live with family in British Columbia. When I pull her business records, it looks like she went on to be a serial entrepreneur, or at least tried to be. She ran a cleaning company, a recruitment firm for the oil and gas sector in Alberta, and another company called infinite wealth 24.7. Not sure exactly what that one did. And then there's my personal favorite. The time she tried to raise money online to buy bulletproof vests for Canadian police dogs. She made only $26 of her $2 million goal. If there's one thing I know about Romanna, it's that she's a hustler.

[Mac Lamoureux]

She would just keep starting these companies that would fail. They folded because she wouldn't pay taxes.

[Rachel Brown]

That's Mack Lamoureux, my former colleague at Vice, who's been following Romana since the beginning.

[Mac Lamoureux]

I actually spoke to a woman who had to sue her because Romana hired her to do some business, didn't pay her stiffer on the payment, then started threatening her and started acting really paranoid.

[Rachel Brown]

From the court documents I've seen, this seems to be her pattern. Open a business, stiff employees. Dissolve the business. Repeat. By 2020, Romana was living on a street called, fittingly, Princess avenue in Victoria, B.C.

[Mac Lamoureux]

romana was living in the top floor of a boarding home on a pretty rough street in Victoria. I think Romanna was living a life where she didn't have very much power,

[Rachel Brown]

and she was ready to do something about that. And look, that year, 2020, was when we all got a little stir crazy. But no one more so than Romana. While some of us stressed over our sourdough starters, Romanna launched a federal political party called Canada First.

[Romana Didolo]

Hello, Canada. I'm Romana Didolo. I'm the founder and the leader of Canada First.

[Rachel Brown]

In her announcement video on YouTube, she sits next to a giant maple leaf flag.

[Romana Didolo]

It's time for us to clean up the swamp in Ottawa.

[Rachel Brown]

Ripping slogans from the American Republican Party, Romana promises to put an end to the lies and corruption in the government.

[Romana Didolo]

So come and join us, and together, let's make a real change in Canada.

[Rachel Brown]

Canada first failed to take off, but then she watched as QAnon exploded in popularity. Suddenly, questions about QAnon, as it's known, were being asked at the White House.

[Mac Lamoureux]

Literally using the blood of children to fuel.

[Rachel Brown]

I do believe Hillary Clinton and many others were a part of pedophilia, human trafficking.

[Julie]

I absolutely believe that.

[Rachel Brown]

Toward the end of 2020, the originator of QAnon, known as Q, suddenly went dark and stopped posting regular messages online. In Q's absence, there was a massive power vacuum. And from what happened next, it seems Romana spotted the opportunity of a lifetime. Maybe she could steal the QAnon crown and the followers along with it. So Romana joined Telegram, an encrypted messaging app. Telegram is known for loose content restrictions, meaning it's the perfect place for conspiracy theorists like Romana to gather. And in 2021, Romana logs onto Telegram to make a major announcement.

[Romana Didolo]

As of February this year, 2021, I am the head of state and commander in chief of Canada, the Republic.

[Rachel Brown]

Romana quickly gained a large following, especially after several prominent QAnon influencers like Charlie Ward and Whiplash347 allegedly confirmed Romana as one of their own. Just months into her reign, she hit 20,000 subscribers. Soon, Romana tells her followers that she's more than head of state. She is queen.

[Romana Didolo]

I address you today as your commander in chief and queen.

[Rachel Brown]

Okay, let me step in here quickly and point out the obvious. Nothing Romana is saying makes any sense. None of it is true. Canada does not have A commander in chief. We have a prime minister. And technically Canada's head of state is whoever the king or queen of England is. Right now it's King Charles and now I'm just piling on here. But Canada is not a republic either. We're a constitutional monarchy. Of course, none of this matters to Romana. As she goes around calling herself the Queen, she has big plans for her kingdom, which she announces as royal decrees in her daily livestreams. She claims she's abolished all taxes, utility and credit card bills and mortgage payments. I mean, this all sounds kind of great. And it makes sense that these promises appeal to people who are struggling with the rising costs of living. Many of Romana's followers are older, living off of retirement savings and fixed incomes.

[Mac Lamoureux]

I'm surprised most of them know how to use telegram. I'm actually quite impressed.

[Rachel Brown]

That's Mac Lamoureux again.

[Mac Lamoureux]

You know there's like a lot of pensioners in our group. A lot of them are sweet people that are very, very deluded. They are extremely active. They are very subservient. Whenever she asks them to do something, they typically will.

[Rachel Brown]

As Max says, many of Romana's followers do exactly as she decrees and the results are disastrous.

[Mac Lamoureux]

Dear hrm, I received a letter from

[Rachel Brown]

the CRA today, a statement what I

[Mac Lamoureux]

owed them income taxes.

[Rachel Brown]

I've gotten several of these which I have ignored. Here are some examples of the barrage of actual messages Romana's followers sent her on telegram read by actors.

[Mac Lamoureux]

I'm still getting tax notices and a

[Rachel Brown]

lien has been placed on my property. Is there anywhere I can go for

[Mac Lamoureux]

assistance from the defunct corporation of Canada?

[Rachel Brown]

They write to her begging Queen Romana, my gas has been shut off and threatening to shut my power off as well. My medical device does not work without power. But no help ever comes. Moderators appear to delete many of these pleas from the Telegram channel. But still more and more people follow her from there. Her rise is increasingly strange. She develops an elaborate mythology around herself. It's a lot, so brace yourself. She claims to be in touch with Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, even saying that Putin gifted her a Rolex watch.

[Romana Didolo]

This gentleman is presenting a gift from President Putin of Russia and this rights has been signed by President Putin

[Rachel Brown]

and her self mythologizing only continues to escalate to otherworldly levels. She tells her followers she has access to med beds, non existent technology that can cure any illness. She claims she's not only queen, but she's an extraterrestrial divine being with superior DNA called DNA X. DNA X is God's tool.

[Romana Didolo]

And in the name of God, Master Creator, I have released DNAX to each and every living I ams in the world and planet Earth.

[Rachel Brown]

Romana refers to her followers as I Ams. All caps I am. Religious studies scholars suggest that I am is likely a reference to God. Scholars have also noted that Romana's rhetoric shares similarities to the 1930s I am religious movement, where followers attempt to gain Ascended Master status. So much of her theology feels borrowed from other movements and slapped onto her own. Over just a few months, Romana escalates from right wing to the free fringe of the fringe, bringing her followers along with her like frogs in a pot of boiling water. She sucks in the anti vaxxers, QAnon believers and those looking for a tax break, and suddenly they're bowing down to an alien queen. And they love her for it. You can watch this all play out on her Telegram channel. It feels important that you have a visual for how unhinged this Telegram feed is. It's full of emojis, strange memes, and heavily filtered glamour shots. There's a badly photoshopped image of Romana surrounded by bees and flowers and rainbows. It says queen bee of all Homo sapiens. There's a picture of Romana with a coffee mug that says, wakey wakey, meet the real boss. And everyone reacts with hearts, frogs and alien emojis. Being inside Romana's Telegram channel feels like a strange mix of My Little Pony and Jonestown. The comment threads are fawning, adoring after every decree. By the end of 2021, her telegram following had grown to more than 70,000, and she was ready to rally her troops for action in the real world. It was the height of the pandemic lockdown and the release of the COVID 19 vaccine. People were scared, skeptical, and stuck inside all day. The timing was perfect. She records this from her apartment in Victoria, bc. So don't mind the seagulls.

[Romana Didolo]

Today, I'd like to speak with you about the unlawful and criminal vaccinations.

[Rachel Brown]

Romana claimed the vaccine was a tool of genocide and that the COVID quarantines were unlawful. She called on her followers to fight back.

[Romana Didolo]

And I would like to send a very special thanks to our digital soldiers on Telegram.

[Rachel Brown]

She told these digital soldiers to serve cease and desist letters on her behalf to businesses, politicians, police stations, anyone who was adhering to Covid restrictions. And her followers, do they post videos of themselves online, hand delivering these letters? You're being served A cease and desist order. Thank you. What you're administering are war crimes. Everything related to Covid is war crimes. This is a huge moment for Romana. She learns she has the power to activate her followers to carry out her will. In real life, all she had to do was issue commands from a keyboard, and soon she wants more.

[Romana Didolo]

And for those who are bent over backwards in harming the children and youth

[Rachel Brown]

of this republic, Romana gathers her most loyal digital soldiers in a special channel called Duck Hunters. And she sends out a warning to anyone upholding pandemic restrictions and vaccine mandates.

[Romana Didolo]

You will be put through Nuremberg trial for crimes against humanity, an intentional genocide.

[Rachel Brown]

Her threats become death threats at the firing squad.

[Romana Didolo]

You will receive not one, but two bullets on your forehead for each child that you have harmed as a result of injecting this experimental vaccine,

[Rachel Brown]

she declares. Duck hunting season in the kingdom of Canada opens tomorrow. The followers respond. One shares images of a massive gun collection. A man in Quebec shares details of his daughter's school vaccine program to his fellow duck hunters. He writes, time to go hunting. Bang, bang. When you manage procurement for multiple facilities, every order matters. But when it's for a hospital system, they matter even more. Grainger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no room for shipping delays. That's why Grainger offers millions of products in fast, dependable delivery, so you can keep your facility stocked, safe, and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. You know that feeling when you reach the end of a really good true crime series? You want to know more, more about the people involved, where the case is now, and what it's like behind the scenes. I get that. I'm Kathleen Goldhar, and on my podcast Crime Story, I speak with the leading storytellers of true crime to dig deeper into the cases we all just can't stop thinking about. Find Crime Story wherever you get your podcast. Mac Lamoureux, reporting for Vice at the time, checked in on Romana's telegram channel and was startled by what he saw.

[Mac Lamoureux]

She had made a post calling for duck hunters to come from America to shoot to kill people that were facilitating vaccinations to children. And then they started creating groups for these, quote, unquote, duck hunters. I got myself into one of these groups and. And I was pretty taken aback by what I saw. Inside these groups were people posting photos of weapons. They were talking about where vaccinations were happening, and they were essentially Saying like, the minute Romana says, I am ready to go.

[Rachel Brown]

So Mack published a story about the duck hunting execution threats, and it caught the police's attention. A prominent Canadian QAnon figure based in Victoria says she has been arrested. Within days, the RCMP's national security team, the same people who deal with terrorism threats, knocked on Romana's door and detained her under BC's Mental Health Act.

[Romana Didolo]

They called out my name and said, open this door or we're going to break it in. I was escorted by multiple officers.

[Rachel Brown]

Romana was released within 48 hours and took to YouTube to tell her followers that she was ordered to take a psychiatric assessment and in the end was deemed not certifiable.

[Romana Didolo]

You're not certifiable, meaning you're not insane.

[Rachel Brown]

The RCMP have never confirmed Romana's accounts publicly, and no charges were laid. Following her arrest, Romana learns a valuable lesson that she has to be a lot more careful with how much risk she takes. On. This time, the execution threats were attached to her and her name. She won't make that mistake ever again.

[Mac Lamoureux]

She toned it down. Her rhetoric became a lot less violent, but they became a lot more mobilized.

[Rachel Brown]

Romana's group starts using code to talk about people they want executed, joking that they should be given a milkshake, meaning their last meal. Romana's emboldened by getting away scot free, even boasting about it at an event with her followers, it seems she learns just how far her followers will go for her.

[Romana Didolo]

To the RCMP hall. Came to my humble office to take me to my girly head of state psychiatric exam. Thank you very much for the escort.

[Mac Lamoureux]

So she went from only posting videos to. To essentially trying to, like, gather a weird militia, to being arrested, to then live streaming with her audience, all within a week.

[Rachel Brown]

Ramanda's arrest, if anything, only boosted her credibility and further fueled her mission. After all of this, the wild claims and threats of violence, I was feeling really confused. Why would anyone want to join this group? And then I found this.

[Julie]

My heart. Once I went down the rabbit hole, I guess I knew about human trafficking, child trafficking, adrenochrome.

[Rachel Brown]

This is a video posted online by a woman who we're going to call Julie. We're protecting her privacy because she left romana's group in 2022. She posted this video after she left because she wanted the world to know about her experience.

[Julie]

I was looking for some way to, like, do something. I. I felt like knowing this and knowing what I know. How do I just sit home and have a nice comfy life myself and not do anything about it.

[Rachel Brown]

Julie got drawn into Romana's orbit during the pandemic. She believed a lot of the same things as QAnon believers, like the idea that children were being harvested for adrenochrome, a hormone that's supposedly in their blood that is falsely believed to make the elites in society live long. Julie thought that Romana and her followers were part of a positive movement aimed at community service.

[Julie]

I want to help people. I believe that's what we need to get back to. I think I got involved really because it seemed like people were of good hearts and the people that I saw involved really cared about other people, and that really drew me in.

[Rachel Brown]

Julie's story challenged my assumptions about Romana's followers. She comes across as articulate and well meaning. While I know that some of her beliefs are not rooted in reality, it's clear Julie came to Romana's group with a desire to do good in the world.

[Julie]

That was the purpose for me. I wanted to get out there and reach more people and wake people up to what's going on.

[Rachel Brown]

She started by donating to Romana's cause from home. In 2022, Romana announces that she's taking her show on the road, starting a mobile government. They'll Travel around in RVs and meet Romana's loyal subjects in person. But they need to raise money first, and Julie is happy to help. Romana says her followers raised $25,000 in just 35 minutes to support her convoy. Who knows if this is actually true, but at this time, they appeared to be raising huge amounts of money. Romana saw just how willing her followers were to open their wallets. Romana launches the tour from Victoria, B.C. with a few close followers who will travel around with her. A big crowd of supporters joins to see them all off.

[Romana Didolo]

RV1, RV2, and we have RV3 here.

[Rachel Brown]

Leading the pack of RVs is Romana's very own, which she dubs QR1. It's emblazoned with a giant portrait of her face and her purple and white flag. On the road, Romana blasts her favorite song the whole time, the 1978 song Rasputin by German Eurodisco band Boney M. Her followers are forced to listen to it non stop on a loop. Videos from the road show Romana dancing around to the song. She posts a lot of videos of herself dancing. They head to the Freedom Train trucker convoy in Ottawa. They're there to join the protest against vaccine mandates and here, Romana makes her mark by burning the Canadian flag on Parliament Hill. After the drama of Ottawa, Romana and her inner circle hit the road again on a royal tour across the country. The convoy was made up of Romana, her followers and her two beloved dogs, labs named Comet and Princess. She calls them the royal puppies. Welcome all I am's in the kingdom of Canada and around the world, Romana and her followers start live streaming daily for hours on Telegram and YouTube. They drone on and on with cheesy graphics. Think the low res clip art of early 2000s. And they can never seem to get their tech set up properly. Someone that has their microphone on will just have the admin

[Romana Didolo]

microphone is on. We seem to be having issues with the transmission.

[Rachel Brown]

They call their broadcasts QRTV News Queen Romana Tell Real Vision News. Sometimes Romana addresses her followers directly and sometimes she gets her right hand woman, Darlene Ondy to read out her numerous decrees on their broadcasts. They ask for followers to donate money to keep the mobile government afloat. So where can these contributions be sent? Contributions can also be forwarded through wise. They want donations e transferred and the emails are always attached to Romana's followers and never herself. So there's never any paper trail leading to her. They even created a theme song for their broadcasts based on Romana's favorite song. Though in this cover version, all the lyrics are all about her. The song goes rah rah Romana, patroness of humankind. Her healing, love and hugs activate our chief commander and head of state,

[Romana Didolo]

Queen Romana. Over and out.

[Rachel Brown]

Julie, who had been supporting from afar, got the opportunity to join the royal tour. She left everything behind to become a part of Romana's trusted crew, living and traveling with them.

[Julie]

The only way to really understand what goes on when you're on the team is to be on the road and to be a part of the team.

[Rachel Brown]

Almost right away, it became clear that the trip was not as glamorous as she might have expected.

[Julie]

We went a long time sometimes without the opportunity to have showers. We weren't eating properly. Like sometimes we'd drive into the night and there'd be no food. We'd be eating chips and junk food.

[Rachel Brown]

Still, she was driven by her purpose, to help save children she believed were being harmed and to support those in need. And she grew to love the team and their queen.

[Julie]

I mean, I just loved Romana. I could laugh with her, she was funny.

[Rachel Brown]

But the hours were long.

[Julie]

You were never sleeping like a good sleep for the whole time. I was There like some nights, I stayed up all night doing security because I was trying to let other team members get a rest.

[Rachel Brown]

Despite all of this, Julie was there for a reason. But what happened next made her see Romana and their whole dynamic in a new light.

[Julie]

It was supposed to be like a silent, non violent protest. But what happened sent everything south.

[Rachel Brown]

Romana and her cohort of RVs landed in Peterborough about an hour outside of Toronto for a peaceful run of the mill anti government rally. Frank Curtin, one of Romana's most loyal followers at the time, was ushers a group to the local police station where some of them attempt to enter the lobby. We're going to request the military come and remove the criminals. Frank is enacting one of Romana's decrees for her followers to carry out citizens arrests of local police officers for quote, Covid crimes. This did not go over well, obviously. Quickly this turns into a full on brawl. At least six of Romana's followers are arrested. Frank and others are charged with assault. But Romana stays out of the fray. And inside her rv she broadcasts fake reports that her kingdom's military force, possibly extraterrestrial in nature, are ready to come to collect the Peterborough Police Department.

[Romana Didolo]

So the triangular craft, military craft showed up and that's the special forces right above the Peterborough police station.

[Rachel Brown]

Romana had learned her lesson in Victoria after being arrested. Getting her hands dirty was not good for business. So for the rally in Peterborough, she sat serenely inside of her RV while her followers put everything on the line.

[Julie]

I had no knowledge that anything like that was going to happen or planned to happen. After the Peterborough incident, the mood changed on the team.

[Rachel Brown]

They left town. Julie began having her doubts after seeing how the followers were being treated. People were worn out, working ridiculously long hours and eating poorly.

[Julie]

People were supplying food that was like going on to QR1 and we weren't getting it in our aries until it was going bad, so it was garbage.

[Rachel Brown]

I've spoken with several other former followers who were there during this time. They told me that Romana was becoming increasingly paranoid. She would go so far as to threaten to kill followers over minor infractions. One time she threatened to hang a follower out of a helicopter over a volcano and an alligator pit. She'd threatened to take others off planet, whatever that means. Some of these threats are pretty outlandish, but the followers know she really does have digital soldiers who are ready to take up arms. I tried reaching out to Romana for comment, but she didn't respond.

[Julie]

We would look at each other. And we'd say, like, do you think she's been taken off planet? Because she's not very friendly, like, she's not very caring about us. And maybe, like, we're supposed to be picking this up. Maybe it's a test that she's gone and we still haven't even noticed.

[Rachel Brown]

This isn't so weird when you consider that. Romana was often telling them that world leaders, like Canada's prime minister at the time, Justin Trudeau, had been replaced by actors.

[Julie]

If we approach her and go, okay, we got you. You're a clone. You're not the real Romana, that would be a problem too. So we were. It was like a head trip going on with us.

[Rachel Brown]

But despite all this, Julie stayed. The group headed to the east coast, where she saw more red flags. They arrived in Nova Scotia shortly after the area had been devastated by Hurricane Fiona. Romana immediately made enemies there by making false claims online that the storm was all a big hoax.

[Julie]

So I really struggled with it because even in Cape Breton, I could see why people were angry when you're saying that nothing happened and their house is blown down.

[Rachel Brown]

So after Nova Scotia, Julie decided to leave. She'd had enough. And with that, she says she was immediately banned from Romana's telegram and social media channels.

[Julie]

It was like a narcissistic relationship when I look back on it.

[Rachel Brown]

Down a few members, Romana's convoy kept moving. They tried the west coast, they tried the east coast, but they were running out of places to go. They looked at the map and saw the wide open prairies. In the early fall of 2023, Romana's RVs pulled into CamSack, Saskatchewan, a town right at the Manitoba border. Locals and members of the Codee First Nation took notice. They began preparing, protesting their arrival, shouting at them, and filming the confrontations with their phones. Romana and her followers were run right out of cam sack. Within a day, The cult's reputation had caught up with them. What seemed like a growing movement just weeks before was now in tatters, and the Queen's future wasn't looking so bright. But then they got an offer that must have seemed like divine intervention, like something Romana herself would have prophesied. A message from someone a few hours away. I purchased the property at the end of 2017, and I invited Queen Romana and team to come to Richmond. In the fall of 2023, Ricky Manns, the voice you heard there, invited the cult to Richmond.

[Julie]

What did you tell me, Rick?

[Rachel Brown]

Oh, my. Okay, just. This is facts. Well, this is fact. I told him that I live in a very friendly, peaceful town. Didn't know, had no idea that this would. The RVs rolled in, the protest happened. Then nothing happened. So who is this guy? On the QRTRV broadcast you're hearing, Ricky Manns sits beside the cult's press secretary, wearing the cult's signature white ball cap and has this big gummy smile. Former schoolteacher Shawna tells me he is notorious in Richmond and has a reputation built long before he even invited the Queen. He had been in the Richmond area for years. His father was the mayor. At one point, he even taught karate at the local school. Actually, my husband Darren took karate lessons from Ricky. I think the impression that people had was that he was kind of aggressive, right? Like a karate guy would be. In 2017, after the school closed, Ricky bought the building from the town. Ricky wanted to turn the school into a weed grow op, but he failed to get it off the ground. So the school ground sat empty for a few years. And then the pandemic hit. Some locals told me that Ricky's always been a bit of a conspiracy theorist. You know, one year he was sad. He said, I'm so sad. I said, why? Trump's dead. He's been putting Gizmo or Guitanamo or whatever the heck they call it. And I said, I just seen him on tv. Oh, those are all actors, huh? But during the pandemic, he fell down the Romana rabbit hole hard. He believes it. 110%, he believes. And now he's hosting Romanna and her followers in his empty school. And Richmount has not taken kindly to his visitors. But as Shauna, the former schoolteacher, and others in town have learned, being a part of a cult or inviting a cult to stay on your property is not a crime. So far, Shauna can't prove that anything they're doing is illegal. So at 4 o' clock every afternoon, the cult's livestream begins. Shawna tunes in. You are watching QRTRB news, even when it's absolutely infinite. Infuriating. They brought in paid protesters. She watches them insist that they are not a cult. No one is held here against their will. She even clocks Melinda, the troublesome Richmond local from the protest making an appearance on the show. Here she is complaining about the town. This is just so corrupt. Not the Richmond Argon. Shauna continues, watching the live streams like a hawk. She knows what the cult has been getting up to elsewhere. The brawl with the cops in Peterborough, the flag burning on Parliament Hill, and the execution decrees now she's waiting to catch them doing something wrong on camera. Then, on November 5th, she spots it. It's a special broadcast for Romana's birthday, or as she calls it, her Earth Day.

[Romana Didolo]

We love you so much, Queen Romana.

[Rachel Brown]

Sorry I got a little emotional there. The whole cult is there in attendance, including the royal puppies. Romana herself narrates as she films the sparsely decorated gym. And we see the followers dancing in a conga line. It's at once sad and eerie. It was quite a party for a queen.

[Romana Didolo]

And taking part in the dance segments.

[Rachel Brown]

Romana's camera pans further around the room. Shauna watches intently. And that's when she sees it. The thing that she hopes will get them kicked out of the school. Like most things in this story, it's unexpected and a little odd. It's not a smoking gun. It's not a dead body. It's a big, bright red, glowing propane space heater. Next time on the Cult Queen of Canada. All their motorhomes were out of the fencing and it's like, oh my gosh, they're on the move. We have no idea where she's gone. The entire entourage has gone. Vanished.

[Romana Didolo]

Canada's QAnon Queen leaves village, but she hasn't gone far.

[Rachel Brown]

Tune in next week for an all new episode of the Cult Queen of Canada. Or you can listen ahead to the full series now by subscribing to CBC True Crime Premium on Apple Podcasts or by subscribing to the CBC True Crime channel on YouTube. Links in the description the Cult Queen of Canada is a production of New Metric Media and New Muse Entertainment for CBC Podcasts. The show is hosted by me, Rachel Brown. It's written and produced by Pippa Johnstone and Rachel Brown. The series producer is Chris Kelly. Sound design and original music by Mark Angley. Our senior producer is Jeff Turner. Our digital producer is Emily Kinnell. The series was developed by Chris Kelly, Courtney Dobbins and Rachel Brown for New Metric Media. The executive producer is Mark Montefiore. The vice presidents of podcasts are Chris Kelly and Pat Kelly for Muse Entertainment. The executive producers are Courtney Dobbins and Jonas Pruppis. For cbc, the executive producers are Cecil Fernandez and Chris Oak. Tanya Springer is the senior manager and Arif Narrani is the director of CBC Podcasts. If you're enjoying the show, consider checking out another series from cbc. One I really like is called Caitlin's Baby. It's a wild tale about a pregnant young woman in crisis who takes dozens of birth workers. Or doulas through an escalating series of disasters. One by one, the doulas struggle to support her and grieve with her and even save her life as they're led down a distressing path. And then the truth comes out. You can find it along with all other CBC podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. For more CBC Podcasts, go to CBC CA Podcasts.