Queen to return if election called

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33433, 15 January 1974, Page 3

Queen to return if election called

(A’.Z. Press Association—Copyright > LONDON, January 13. The Queen's tour of Australia and New Zealand and the Pacific Islands would he affected if (he Prime Minister iMr lleath) called a snap election for February 7 or 14, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said today.

He said the Queen! would need to be in London on polling clay and for a few days afterwards for constitutional procedures. The Queen is scheduled toi (leave London on January 27! and to return on March 23. As her itinerary now! (stands, she would leave New; (Zealand on February 8 and' visit Norfolk Island, the! Solomon Islands, the New’ * Hebrides, and Papua New Guinea before flying to Can- - berra on February 27. 4 Asked to comment on 4 growing speculation that. Mr i Heath would call a poll in - February, the palace spokesFman said: “The Queen does not need to be in Britain for the dissolution of Parliament for an election. Nor need (the Queen be in this country, during an election campaign. But she would—from wherever she was—come back to London for polling day.” If the Queen had to fly back a long way, such as: from New Zealand, she would! ! obviously have to arrive , back at least 24 hours before polling day to allow time to, get over the long flight, the [spokesman added. t The Queen would also It have to be in London for a l “ li

i few days after polling day for constitutional matters related to the formation of a Government after the election, he said. ( But the Buckingham Palace' spokesman said that the! whole matter of a British': (election was still “hypoithetical” at this stage. He declined to speculate ion what arrangements would I be made for the remainder (of the Queen’s tour if she had to fly back to London 'for an early poll. But sources said that if the poll arrangements went smoothly there would be no reason why the Queen would not resume her tour. 1 Alternatively, sources said, 1 the Duke of Edinburgh might ( conlinue the tour without - the Queen. Princess Anne and her hus- 1 band. Captain Mark Phillips, 1 might also continue with their tour arrangements. [ The Princess and her hus- ' I ! |

band are to travel with the Queen and Duke through New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. They are scheduled to fly to Canberra with the Queen and Duke but will fly to Sydney on their own and return to Britain.