ROYAL VISIT TO CHRISTCHURCH

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31043, 26 April 1966, Page 1

ROYAL VISIT TO CHRISTCHURCH

Friendly And Quiet Welcome

The people of Christchurch and Canterbury gave the Queen Mother a friendly but quiet welcome on her two-day visit to the city on Saturday and Sunday.

The Royal yacht Britannia sailed into Lyttelton harbour on Saturday morning where the port’s vessels were decked out for the occasion and large crowds of sightseers in cars and on foot were waiting to welcome the Royal visitor.

The Queen Mother, who would have opened the new Christ-church-Lyttelton road tunnel in 1964 if her planned visit to New Zealand had not been postponed, drove through the tunnel to attend the public welcome in Victoria square. 1 More than 5000 persons 1 were waiting to greet her 1 there, and thousands more : had lined the long route from ' Lyttelton. The Mayor of ' Christchurch (Mr G. Man- 1 ning) recalled in his address 1 the Queen Mother’s previous * visit to the city in 1958 and ’ told her that citizens of the 1 city were proud to call England “home.” t

Promising to convey these sentiments to the Queen, the Queen Mother praised the province for its achievements and progress, and expressed her regret that she had been unable to open the “magnificent” new road tunnel.

The Queen Mother was Obviously moved by the gift of a specially-made greenstone brooch which the Mayor presented to her from the city. Before she left Victoria square for the drive to the Addington Raceway, the Queen Mother watched 1100 children, dressed in the uniforms of 12 youth organisations, march past the dais. Her Majesty watched five races at the New Zealand

Metropolitan Trotting Club’s Royal meeting on Saturday, and presented the trophy for the Royal Easter Cup race to Mrs D. G. Nyhan, owner of Lordship. Private Reception She left at 4 p.m. and returned to the Royal yacht, where a private reception was held for 200 of the province’s leading citizens at 6 p.m. Christchurch Cathedral was crowded with a speciallyinvited congregation when the Queen Mother arrived to attend Matins at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Two Ministers of the Crown, the Minister of Transport (Mr McAlpine) and the Minister of Finance (Mr Lake), and the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk), all of whom live in Christchurch, attended the service.

: Hundreds more did not get , into the Cathedral but waited ■ beside the barricaded eni trance to see the Queen Mother arrive. Many stayed throughout the service and watched her leave again and drive off for a brief visit to Princess Margaret Hospital on her way back to the Britannia. On Sunday afternoon the Queen Mother made a private visit to Mr R. E. Adair’s Inglewood Stud at Ohoka, driving through streams of Sunday drivers to get there. She was there for about an hour, then made her journey back to Lyttelton. The Royal yacht was cheered by thousands of well-wishers as it slowly steamed out late on I Sunday evening. (Other Reports, Page 3.)