Royal tour itinerary

Press, 26 December 1985, Page 2

Royal tour itinerary

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will spend three days in Nelson and Christchurch during the nine-day Royal visit to New Zealand which will begin on February 22. The Royal couple will spend half a day in Nelson on Friday, February 28, before flying to Christchurch where they will stay until Sunday, March 2. The itinerary, which was announced by the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, on Tuesday, includes "walkabouts” in Christchurch and Nelson, a garden party, a Youth in Action Day, and a dinner party and reception in Christchurch.

The Queen and the Duke will arrive at Nelson Airport on Friday, February 28, at 12.15 p.m. A walkabout will begin at 12.40 p.m. They will name Queen Elizabeth II Drive, and attend a civic luncheon at the D.B. Rutherford Hotel at 1.15 p.m. The Royal couple will arrive at Christchurch Airport at 3.45 p.m. A 20minute walkabout in Cathedral Square and Worcester Street will begin at 4.10 p.m. On Saturday, March 1, the Queen and Prince Philip will attend a Youth in Action Day at Queen Elizabeth H Park from 10.15 a.m. to 11.15 a.m., and an hour-long

garden party in the Botanic Gardens, starting at noon. At 1 p.m. Prince Philip will visit Peacock Springs. A dinner party will be held aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia at 8 p.m., followed by a reception aboard the yacht at 10 p.m. The Royal Marines will beat retreat at

11 p.m. On Sunday, March 2, the Royal couple will arrive at Christchurch Airport at 12.10 p.m. for a farewell ceremony. They will leave for Australia at 12.30 p.m. The Britannia will serve as. a base for the Christchurch and Auckland visits. The Royal couple will stay at Government House while in Wellington. The Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay, said that the Christchurch City Council welcomed the inclusion in the Royal tour programme of the garden party in the Botanic Gardens.

The party will be held on the Archery Lawn. A limited number of invitations would be extended to members of the public, he said. Sir Hamish said that people interested in attending should make written application to the council’s Associate Town Clerk before Monday, January 20. A

ballot may be needed to decide who will receive invitations.

Considerable scope was available for the public to attend the Youth in Action function at Queen Elizabeth II Park. The programme, which will include the leading youth groups of Canterbury, will be announced in January. Mr Lange said the itinerary emphasised opportunities for the Queen and Prince Philip to meet, and be seen by, as many people as possible. They will arrive in New Zealand at Auckland by British Airways TriStar from Katmandu on Saturday, February 22. While in the North Island they will visit Napier, Hastings, and Wellington. Prince Philip will visit also New Plymouth.

The Queen will open Parliament on Wednesday, February 26. Her other engagements in Wellington include a meeting of the Executive Council and Privy Council, and an investiture.

The Royal couple will attend the rededication of the Carillion at the National War Memorial and the Queen will take part in police centennial celebrations at the Police College,

Porirua. Prince Philip will undertake a number of solo engagements while in the North Island. He will present the Prince Philip Design Award and the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Collar for greyhound racing in Auckland; open the Marine and Freshwater Life Gallery at the National Museum in Wellington; open the synthetic petrol plant at Motunui; and present Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards in Wellington.

North Island walkabouts will be held in Auckland, Napier, and Wellington. Other public functions include a schoolchildren’s gathering at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, and a Maori reception in Hastings.

Mr Lange said that the visit was regrettably brief and it was not possible for the Queen and Prince Philip to travel throughout New Zealand.

“However, the itinerary and programme reflect Her Majesty’s wish to meet and be seen by as many New Zealanders as possible, given the time constraints imposed by an already hectic and exhausting travel programme,” he said.