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-1L,, AUST ALI( A& Press Statement No.
1 May 1973
ROYAL VISIT 1974
The following statement has been released from
Buckingham Palace today
" The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh have
accepted invitations from the Governments of New
Zealand and Australia to visit those countries in
the first quarter of 1974.
The Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied by The
Princess Anne, will arrive in New Zealand in time
to open the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch on
24 January 1974.
The Queen will arrive by air in New Zealand on
or about Wednesday 30 January to attend final stages
of the Games and perform the closing ceremony on
Saturday 2 February.
At the conclusion of the Games, Her Majesty and
Their Royal Highnesses will visit some other parts of
New Zealand departing in the Royal Yacht BRITANNIA on
or about 8 February.
Thereafter they will visit Norfolk Island and
Papua New Guinea.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will then go
by air to South Australia, Western Australia and the
Northern Territory.
In South Australia their visit will coincide with
the centenary of the University of Adelaide."
My Government and I are delighted that The Queen and
The Duke of Edinburgh have been able to accept an invitation
to re-visit Australia in February/ March next year after the
Commonwealth Games in New Zealand and so soon after their
visit in October for the opening of the Sydney Opera House.
We are also pleased that The Queen and
The Princess Anne will make their first visit to Norfolk
Island the Papua New Guinea.
( The Duke of Edinburgh has previously visited
Papua New Guinea in 1956 and in 1971. He has twice visited
Norfolk Island in 1956 and again in 1968.)
I discussed the prospect of the visit to Papua
New Guinea with Mr. Somare when I was in Port Moresby in
February. He told me that he would be pleased if such a
visit could be made.
Princess Anne however, cannot participate in
the visit to the Australian mainland.
The precise amount of time to be spent in South
Australia and Western Australia has not been determined
though it is unlikely in either instance to exceed three
days. At Darwin The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will
rejoin the Royal Yacht for their departure from Australia.
CANBERRA, A. C. T.