5000 At Royal Church Service

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32258, 30 March 1970, Page 1

5000 At Royal Church Service

(New Zealand Press Association) PAIHIA, March 29. About 5000 people gathered at the Waitangi Treaty House grounds this morning to see the Royal Family attend an open-air church service conducted by the Bishop of Auckland (the Rt Rev. E. A. Gowing).

The Royal yacht Britannia anchored off Waitangi about 7 aan. today after the Royal Family had spent two days sunbathing and swimming at a secluded Northland beach.

The Royal Family came into Waitangi by barge, escorted by about 50 small craft.

The Queen was dressed in a jacket of'printed shantung in lemon, navy and white. Princess Anne was dressed in a blue and white checked outfit. They were met at the treaty house grounds by the Minister of Lands (Mr Maclntyre), who presented Bishop Gowing. Earlier this morning the Bishop had boarded the Britannia to conduct a Communion service. The weather at Waitangi was hot and ambulancemen

j were kept busy treating fainting cases. In his sermon, Bishop Gowing said that love and compassion were needed at all levels of society, both at home and international spheres. “We have to believe in the victory and power of love,” he said. The Duke of Edinburgh read the second lesson. After the church service the Royal Family went into the treaty house, where the Queen presented to the Waitangi Trust a 9ft 6in by 6ft portrait of Queen Victoria. It is a copy of a portrait painted in 1853 by Winterhalter. The painting will be on permanent loan from the Royal collection. The Queen’s press secretary (Mr W. Heseltine) said the Royal Family had spent an idyllic two days anchored off Mimiwhangatangata Beach. They spent their time picnicking ashore and swimming on both days.

Prince Charles and Prince Philip both tried their hand at surfing. Both used boards and did not try anything spectacular because neither was very experienced, Mr Heseltine said. The Royal yacht left Waitangi shortly after the Queen and the Duke went back on board. It is expected that the yacht will anchor this afternoon on the way to Auckland and the Royal Family will have another taste of the brilliant Easter weather before they leave for Australia tomorrow. Prince Charles and Princess Anne, in a surprise move, sailed from the Bay of Islands on board H.M.N.Z.S. Waikato, the escort frigate. They rejoined the Britannia later this afternoon. The Waikato and Britannia will berth independently at Auckland tomorrow morning, and the frigate will bid farewell to the Royal yacht with a “steam past,” with the crew “manning ship.” They will line the rails on the upper deck and cheer the Queen. On board the Britannia today officials from Australia were preparing the Queen for her tour there, which will start tomorrow.