ROYAL VISIT TO N.Z. IN 1949 ANNOUNCED

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25437, 8 March 1948, Page 7

ROYAL VISIT TO N.Z. IN 1949 ANNOUNCED

King, Queen, And Princess. Margaret Coming MAY TRAVEL IN BATTLESHIP VANGUARD (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, March 6. Their Majesties the King and Queen, with Princess Margaret, will visit New Zealand and Australia early in 1949. This has been announced from Buckingham Palace. • T ? e d l - he announ cement is: “In response to a suggests 11 . b Z t IS Prin ? e Ministers in New Zealand and Australia His Majesty has graciously consented to visit these countries in the early part of 1949. His Majesty will be accompanied bv the Queen and Princess Margaret. ” ' Reuter s Court correspondent says that the invitations to Their Majesties to make the visits came a few weeks ago. Their Majesties will make the journey by sea. Neither the departure date nor the duration of the tour has yet been decided, but it would appear that the tour will last about four months. It is expected that, subject to naval requirements, Their Majesties will travel in the battleship Vanguard, in which they visited South Africa in 1947. The wording of the official statement, which puts New Zealand before Australia, may mean that the Royal party will visit New Zealand first, travelling by way of the Panama Canal.

It is understood that, although all such details are only in the earliest stages of discussion, the King’s Flight, which, under its captain. Air Commodore E. W. Fieldin, was used in South will again be used for covering great distances in New Zealand and Australia.

His Majesty’s absence will again involve the setting up of a Council of State under the Regency Act to carry out the Royal functions while he is absent. Princess Elizabeth, with the Duke of Gloucester, would be a member of this council.

Their Majesties, as the Duke and Duchess of York, visited New Zealand and Australia in 1927. This, however, will be the first visit of a reigning Sovereign to either Dominion. His Majesty, under the Statute of Westminster, is King separately of New Zealand and Australia.

This will be Their Majesties’ fourth great overseas tour and their third as King and Queen. When their Majesties visited Canada and the United States in 1939, plans for them to sail in the battle-cruiser Repulse were cancelled because of a state of emergency in Europe. Their Majesties instead made the outward voyage in the Empress of Australia, returning in the Empress of Britain.

SIGNIFICANCE OF' TOUR

For the Royal tour of South Africa, the 43.000-ton Vanguard had a complement of 110 officers and 1715 men, including 180 marines and 12 Sea Cadets: rne Royal Family’s accommodation was in the afterstructure of the shelter deck. This is normally the quarters of the Admiral and his staff. The Boy al suite was entirely self-contained and it had its own galley. Some of the furnishings were specially made, and some came from the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert. Times” in a leading article says; "The memory of Their Majesties’ Dominions tour in 1927 is of the happiest. but the 1949 visit will possess a far greater significance. His Majesty is now King of New Zealand and King of Australia. In his person he provides a link between the United Kinga jl d - the Dominions, and ‘his rnme Ministers in Australia and New suggested the visit. Princess Margaret’s charm has

made an impression upon the people of South Africa.

“Princess Elizabeth, who will have duties to perform at Home in Their Majesties’ absence, and the Duke oi Edinburgh must await another chance to enjoy the traditionally warm-heart-ed welcome of the New Zealanders and Australians

“Occasions like these throw a new light on the twentieth century functions of the Crown, The worth of the Monarchy has not been so widely acknowledged as it is to-day for at least a century and a half. It is not only because of the new relation between the Crown and Australia and New Zealand, not only because of the great personal esteem which warms loyalty to the present rule, but also because the Monarchy, in its peculiarly British and democratic form, has weathered, with growing success and strength the storms of modern politics, that Their Majesties and their daughter are sure of a most enthusiastic welcome on the other side of the world.”