The Press SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 1966. Our Royal Visitor

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31042, 23 April 1966, Page 16

The Press SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 1966. Our Royal Visitor

When the Queen Mother is welcomed to Lyttelton and Christchurch. this ■ morning the warmth of her reception will have a twofold origin. As a member of the Royal Family she is a special envoy who, on behalf of the Queen, represents the centre of the Commonwealth and can accept in a more intimate way than other envoys expressions of loyalty to the Crown. Her Majesty is also welcomed because of the enduring affection which she herself has won from the peoples of many lands. The citizens who declare their loyalty and respect at the public ceremonies or who appear in the streets to see their visitor and show their pleasure at her presence among us will be paying no merely formal duty. The grim years of Hitler’s war are not yet so remote that New Zealanders have forgotten how King George VI and Queen Elizabeth not only shared the perils and sorrows of the “blitz” with their subjects but, by their personal example of courage and confidence, inspired these very qualities in their subjects throughout the Commonwealth and Empire. Young people who, during this Royal tour, see', hear, or even perhr.ps meet the Queen Mother will better understand just why this gracious and charming lady has won a secure place in the affections of the older generations. In peace, as in war, Her Majesty has been in a very real sense a leader of her people. She has been tireless in her efforts to promote the interests of the Commonwealth; and the numerous and exacting tours which she has undertaken at the invitation of the various Governments have been a steadying and unifying influence in these times of restlessness and change.

Individual members of the Royal Family, as in no previous generation, have exerted a variety of influences in creating an image of Britain and the Commonwealth which it would be impossible for the Monarch alone to achieve. This tour is part of a family effort, diverse, personal, and often far-reaching. It is the diversity of personality that now surrounds the Crown that allows this tour to be different from others while fulfilling the same purposes. The tour has been arranged with a minimum of formal occasions and, it is to be hoped, for the satisfaction of Her Majesty in seeing New Zealand and New Zealanders as they usually are. The tour has so far lacked none of the festive air that has accompanied previous Royal tours; and its different .quality has meant that the real interest in our visitor and genuine affection for Her Majesty may be shown on a more personal level and against a more accustomed background. However much a host—a family or a nation—desires to impress a popular visitor, it is best to open the door with a friendly, sincere, and unpretentious welcome. Christchurch will try to do this today and has cause to do it well.