QUEEN AND DUKE TO VISIT N.Z.

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29855, 22 June 1962, Page 10

QUEEN AND DUKE TO VISIT N.Z.

10-Day Tour Next February (N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 21. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will visit New Zealand in February of next year. They will spend about 10 days in New Zealand before going to Australia. This was announced today by Buckingham Palace, and by the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) in the House of Representatives tonight. The Queen and the Duke have visited New Zealand together only once before—in 1953-54. The Duke of Edinburgh was in New Zealand after he opened the Melbourne Olympic Games in 1956. “Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, at the invitation of the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, will visit New Zealand and Australia in FebruaryMarch of 1963,” Mr Holyoake said in the House. “They will spend about 10 days in New Zealand before going to Australia where they will pay a necessarily brief visit to each State. They will be in Canberra during its fiftieth anniversary celebrations.”

Mr Holyoake said members would recall the tremendous warmth and whole-hearted affection with which Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh were greeted throughout New Zealand when they visited the Dominion before.

“Many of us here tonight will remember with affection the splendid occasion when Her Majesty opened the session of our thirtieth Parliament,” he said.

“Visits of this nature from time to time serve to emphasise that Her Majesty is Queen of New Zealand and we are particularly happy that the marvels of modern transport permit Her Majesty to spend some days in this part of the Commonwealth. “I am sorry that I cannot give any information yet regarding the programme of engagements that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will carry out. Details will be made public as soon as arrangements are made final,” he said. The Prime Minister said: “They will certainly receive the same warm welcome that was extended them on their

previous visit and the same spontaneous display of loyal devotion to the Crown and the devotion to the person of the Sovereign that has always been a marked characteristic of the New Zealand people of both races.” There was-a short silence, then loud applause in the House.

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Nash> expressed pleasure at the Prime Minister’s announcement.

He said the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh would receive a great welcome in New Zealand. “We are very proud that Queen Elizabeth is Queen of New Zealand,” he said.