Chch itinerary for Royal visitors

Press, 27 April 1983, Page 20

Chch itinerary for Royal visitors

Fans of Royalty should oe at Christchurch Airport before 4.45 p.m. today if they want to catch a glimpse of the Prince and Princess of Wales at the start of their 20-hour visit to the city. Prince Charles and Princess Diana are due to arrive in Christchurch by Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 727 at 4.45 p.m. after spending the day in Dunedin. Visitors to the airport will probably be allowed on the terminal roof to see the aircraft arrive. Prince Charles and Princess Diana will be met at gate No. 9, outside the main domestic terminal, by the Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon, and Mrs Muldoon. The Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay, and Lady Hay will also be there to welcome the Royal couple, with the Christchurch City Council’s General Manager and Town Clerk, Mr J. H. Gray, and Mrs Gray; the Paparua County’s deputy chairman, Mr W. J. Baker, and Mrs Baker, and the Paparua County Clerk, Mr B. L. Mooar, and Mrs Mooar. Within five minutes of their arrival the Prince and Princess are due to be taken by car to Noahs Hotel. They will be driven east along the front of the terminal building, through the gate at the eastern end of the building, then by way of Memorial Avenue, Fendalton Road, Harper

Avenue, Park Terrace, Rolleston Avenue, Gloucester Street, and Oxford Terrace. At 7.15 p.m., their Royal Highnesses will leave Noahs Hotel by car for Addington Raceway, to attend a night trotting meeting. The 15-minute drive will take them along Oxford Terrace, Durham Street, Tuam Street, Hagley Avenue, Lincoln Road, Wrights Road, and into the raceway. If the weather is fine, the Royal couple will be driven in an open car along the front straight of the track to the birdcage. There they will be met by Mr and Mrs Muldoon, who will present them to the president of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club, Mr M. L. Taylor, and Mrs Taylor, and to the secretary-manager, Mr T. H. Davis. The official party will then be led to the Royal box in the stewards’ members’ stand. At 7.55 p.m. the fifth race, the Windsor Castle Stakes, will be run. After the running of the feature race, the Prince and Princess of Wales Stakes, at 8.30 p.m., the Royal couple will be escorted to the birdcage, where Princess Diana will present the trophy to the owner of the winning horse. At 9.50 p.m. the Royal couple are due to return to Noahs Hotel, where they

will spend the rest of the evening. Tomorrow Prince Charles and Princess Diana will spend almost an hour walking among the people in Cathedral Square. The Royal couple’s day will start at 10 a.m., when they will be met in the

foyer of Noahs Hotel by the Prime Minister, and Mrs Muldoon. They will also be attended by Sir Hamish Hay, and Lady Hay, the Town Clerk, and Mrs Gray. They will then leave the hotel by a Worcester Street door to walk to Cathedral Square. At 10.55 a.m., the Royal couple are due to be driven to the Royal New Zealand Air Force base at Wigram, arriving at 11.15 a.m. Their route will be along Colombo Street, Moorhouse Avenue, Deans Avenue, Blenheim Road, the Main South Road, and Harvard Avenue. They will be driven to the west wing of the officers’ mess, where Prince Charles will change into R.N.Z.A.F. uniform. If the weather is fine, the Royal, couple will be driven in an open car to the parade ground at 11.25 a.m. There they will be met by the

Minister' of Defence, Mr Thomson, Mrs Thomson, and R.N.Z.A.F. officers and their wives. After taking a Royal salute, Prince Charles will inspect the Royal guard. He will return to the official dais to view the R.N.Z.A.F. flying display. People who wish to visit the base for the flying display should enter by the Symes Road-Vickerys Road gate. This gate will be opened at 10 a.m. When the display finishes at noon, Prince Charles and Princess Diana will look briefly at a display of aircraft from the R.N.Z.A.F. museum and will walk among base personnel and their families. Soon afterwards, they will be taken to the officers’ mess for light refreshments, to meet guests and sign the visitors’ book. Prince Charles will unveil a portrait of himself; and Prin-

cess Diana will be presented with a small gift for Prince William, before the Royal couple are escorted to their car to leave for Christchurch Airport at 1 p.m. A number of local schools have accepted invitations to attend and the children will be given a place on the Royal route near the base’s main gate. Prince Charles and Prinicess Diana will be driven to the airport by way of Harvard Avenue, the Main South Road, Riccarton Road, Ham Road, and Memorial Avenue. An R.N.Z.A.F. Boeing 727 will fly them to Auckland. On Friday, the Royal couple will visit the Bay of Islands and attend a farewell function at the Sheraton-Auckland Hotel. They will leave for London at 11 p.m. on Saturday, after a day free from official engagements.