King And Queen Dined Alone

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29909, 24 August 1962, Page 10

King And Queen Dined Alone

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, August 23. King Bhumibol of Thailand and Queen Sirikit dined alone at the Waterloo Hotel, Wellington, tonight after the plan to fly the Royal tour party from Auckland to Christchurch was abandoned. The second plan for their travel south, although worked out in detail in advance, caused much bustle in Wellington to ensure its smooth operation.

Fourteen rooms in an otherwise full house were reserved at the Waterloo Hotel for members of the Royal party and officials, with a suite for the King and Queen in order to change from the ceremonial clothes of their Auckland departure. The manager of the hotel (Mr I. H. Roberts) was warned of the change of plan about 2 p.m. He confirmed with his chef that one of his finest a la carte menus was scheduled for dinner.

the departure of the steamerexpress, Rangatira. unduly. They were welcomed aboard the ferry by Captain W. H. Millward and by the general manager of the Union Steam Ship Company (Mr F. K. Macfarlane). Cabins in th? Rangatira for the 74 members of the official party were reserved by the company against the possibility of a change in plan. Two of the de luxe suites on B deck were prepared for the King and Queen. Another was for the Queen’s lady-in-waiting. Princess Rangsit, and a fourth for the New Zealand Ambassador to Thailand (Sir Stephen Weir) and Lady Weir. These cabins, panelled in honeysuckle, plainly furnished and carpeted, comfortable but not luxurious with twin beds and tapestried easy chairs, were decorated with spring flowers. Sorted Baggage

The King and Queen dined alone after they had arrived at the hotel at 6-45 p.m. It was reported that they were not put out by the change of plans and were anxious to dine as speedily as possible in order to avoid delaying

For more than two hours this afternoon R.N.Z.A F. officers and men sorted some 250 pieces of baggage Into the cabins and baggage rooms. About 600 other passengers later went aboard the ferry. The chief steward. Mr G. Lyall, consulted with the company’s management and the tour director about providing breakfast aboard for about half of the Royal tour party.

Among the passengers dislodged from their cabins in the Rangitira was the Minister of Civil Aviation (Mr McAlpine) on his way to open the new Christchurch Fire Station on behalf of the Prime Minister. Mr McAlpine was booked for de luxe suite P, occupied by the King. Among the delicate decisions faced today by the Royal tour organisers was the timing for putting Plan B into operation for getting the party to Christchurch without losing contact with the baggage that had been dispatched from Auckland in earlier aircraft.

The baggage party had to be held at Wellington in spite of the possibility that it might have been able to land later at Christchurch. Plan A, for air travel all the way, was abandoned early in the afternoon when the certainty that the tour and its luggage would arrive in the same city receded. The quiet arrival of the King and Queen at Rongotai. which itself was near marginal and where about 300 persons braved cold, heavy rain to watch, contrasted with the hours of uncertainty and speedy' arrangements that preceded it. Cars, whose chauffeurs had been standing by since lunch time, had to be rushed to the airport.

Special ground crews waited at Ohakea and Paraparaumu in case of diversions there.