CROWD WELCOMES PRINCE

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33446, 30 January 1974, Page 3

CROWD WELCOMES PRINCE

A crowd of about 400 was on No. 6 wharf at Lyttelton yesterday morning to see the arrival of the frigate, H.M.S. Jupiter, and more particularly its communications officer, Prince Charles.

The Prince is known aboard the ship at Lieutenant Charles Windsor.

The first glimpse the crowd had of Prince Charles was as he was watching the berthing from the bridge. A few minutes later he walked the length of the ship, calling “Good morning” to the cheering onlookers. Later Prince Charles, in civilian clothes, left the Jupiter, refused the use of the two Government cars drawn up alongside, and walked through the crowd to the Royal yacht Britannia on No. 4 wharf. The crowd followed him. Some people, with cameras, raced ahead to obtain photographs. When approaching the Britannia, he broke his purposeful stride to walk over to a group to enquire how far the port was from the city. On being told the distance—and that the journey was not long by bus—Prince Charles replied: “What, you don’t have a rail strike here, too, do you?” Soon he was on board

the Britannia to be greeted by his father, Prince Philip.

The Minister of Electricity (Mr McGuigan) arrived at the port at 10.30 ajn. to welcome Prince Charles. He was driven to the Britannia, and spent 10 minutes aboard. It was mild but overcast as the Jupiter slipped between the moles at 9 a.m. From the ship could be heard the faint skirl of a piper, playing on the top of the bridge. This was not a concession to Royalty being aboard. The piper was Lieutenant - Commander B. Mosdel. die Jupiter’s weapons-elec-tronic officer, who makes a habit of playing the pipes as the frigate approaches harbour. By the time the Jupiter had berthed the sun had broken through and the waiting crowd was swollen by many Australians from the cruise ship Marco Polo, tied up at the next wharf. Once the Royal crew member had left, the Jupiter’s sailors were busy getting the ship ship-shape for its stay at the port as a member of the Royal Squadron. Many of them were looking forward to seeing something of the events at the Commonwealth Games.