queen elizabeth ii first royal tour

The Queen of travel

Queen Elizabeth II 1926 - 2022

Queen Elizabeth II leaves Fiji during a royal tour in February 1977. Serge Lemoine/Getty Images

The Queen of travel Journeys of a lifetime

By Francesca Street and Mark Oliver, CNN September 13, 2022

S he was traveling the moment she ascended to the throne, and for much of the next seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II criss-crossed the world. Newly married and still just a princess, Britain’s future monarch was in Kenya with husband Prince Philip in February 1952 when she learned of her father’s death and her new regal status.

During her reign she would visit more than 120 countries, witnessing first-hand the revolutions in global travel that shrank the world as her own influence over it diminished.

The Queen lived through the advent of the Jet Age, flew supersonic on the Concorde, saw regimes change, countries form and dissolve, the end of the British Empire and the rise of globalization.

Here are some of the most memorable travel moments from her 70 years as monarch.

November 24-25, 1953

Less than six months after she was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, Queen Elizabeth set off on her travels again. Her debut official state trip was an epic six-month tour of the Commonwealth -- the alliance of nations which were once British colonies. Traveling by air, sea and land she visited several countries, accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. First stop was the North Atlantic island of Bermuda, a British territory she would visit a further four times during her reign. The trip would go on to include stops in Jamaica, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Cocos Islands, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Aden (now part of Yemen), Uganda, Malta and Gibraltar.

December 19-20, 1953

At Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in June 1953, Queen Salote Tupou III of the Polynesian kingdom of Tonga won over the British public when she sat, rain-soaked, in her open carriage. They also took an interest when Elizabeth returned the visit later in the year. The two queens enjoyed an open-air feast, watched Tongan dancers and admired a tortoise that legend said was presented by explorer Captain James Cook to the King of Tonga in 1777.

December 23, 1953 – January 30, 1954

New zealand.

The Queen voyaged to New Zealand during the Antipodean summer of 1953-4. Over the course of the trip, it’s estimated that three out of every four New Zealanders got a glimpse of her. In preparation for the Queen’s visit, some New Zealand sheep were dyed in the UK flag colors of red, white and blue. The Queen returned to the country nine times over the years, including in 2002 as she marked half a century on the throne.

April 10-21, 1954

Ceylon (now sri lanka).

A visit to Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, coincided with the Queen’s 28th birthday. She visited the city of Colombo where crowds joined together to sing her “Happy Birthday.” She also visited the central city of Kandy, where she watched a procession featuring a reported 140 elephants and met local chiefs.

April 8-11, 1957

The Queen had visited France as a young princess, but her first state visit as monarch was a glamorous affair. She attended the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris, visited the Palace of Versailles, and dined at the Louvre with then-President Rene Coty. The Queen also laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe and visited the Scottish Church of Paris.

October 17-20, 1957

United states.

Having met President Harry S. Truman in Washington in 1951 during a visit before ascending to the throne, Elizabeth was no stranger to America when she arrived on her first trip as Queen. Her 1957 visit marked the 350th anniversary of the first permanent British settlement on the continent, in Jamestown. The monarch attended a college football game at the former Byrd Stadium in Maryland where she watched the home team lose to North Carolina. She met with President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the White House and later traveled to New York, where she and Prince Philip drove through the streets and admired panoramic views of the city from the Empire State Building.

February 1-16, 1961

The Queen and Prince Philip visited Pakistan in 1961, arriving in the port city of Karachi after completing a visit to India as part of a wider tour of South Asia. She drove through the streets of Karachi in an open-top car, before going on to visit Lahore, where a torchlight military tattoo took place in her honor and Prince Philip played in a game of polo.

February 26 to March 1, 1961

In Nepal, the Queen inspected troops in Kathmandu and met Gurkha ex-servicemen in Pokhara. The monarch rode on an elephant and visited the Hanuman Dhoka Palace complex in Kathmandu. She took part in the rather grim spectacle of a tiger hunt although didn’t shoot any animals herself. She instead recorded the experience on cine camera – a recording device that she often carried with her on her earlier foreign trips.

March 2-6, 1961

The Queen visited pre-revolution Iran at the end of her 1961 South Asian tour. Hosted by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, she toured ancient monuments including the ruins of Persepolis, once a capital of the Achaemenid Empire, later declared a World Heritage Site. She also saw Sheikh Lotfollah mosque in Esfahan and admired collections of the Archaeological Museum of Iran.

May 5, 1961

Vatican city.

In 1961, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to visit the Vatican. Dressed all in black, the Queen had an audience with Pope John XXIII, also attended by Prince Philip. She returned to the Vatican three more times during her reign, meeting Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis.

November 9-20, 1961

Bombing incidents in the capital Accra left officials worried about the safety of the Queen’s visit to Ghana but, after deliberation, UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan confirmed it would go ahead. During the trip, the Queen famously shared a dance with Ghana’s then-president, Kwame Nkrumah. At the height of Cold War uncertainty, this seemingly innocuous moment was seen as significant in ensuring Ghana remained affiliated to Britain and not the USSR.

May 18-28, 1965

West germany (now germany).

The Queen’s visit to West Germany and West Berlin was viewed as a symbolic gesture of goodwill in the post-World War II landscape. It was the first royal trip to German territory for more than 50 years and photographs such as one of the Queen and Prince Philip in a car driving past the Brandenburg Gate had symbolic resonance.

November 5-11, 1968

Queen Elizabeth became the first reigning British monarch to visit South America when she landed in Brazil in late 1968. During the trip, the Queen wore a striking jewelry set made of Brazilian aquamarine, gifted to her in 1953 by the Brazilian president and added to over time. The monarch also attended a football match between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and presented the winner’s trophy to Brazilian footballer Pele.

October 18-25, 1971

On the first of two trips to Turkey -- the second took place in 2008 -- the Queen visited the Gallipoli peninsula to remember the Allied soldiers who died there during World War I. The monarch also explored the ruins of the ancient Greek empire city of Ephesus. A media highlight of the visit came when she was photographed leaping ashore from a barge, after disembarking from her ship, the Royal Yacht Britannia.

February 10-15, 1972

Accompanied by Prince Philip and daughter Princess Anne, the Queen was greeted on arrival in Bangkok by a carpet of flower petals. The monarch was given a golden key to the city of Bangkok, attended a state banquet and visited Bang Pa-In Palace, the Thai royal family’s summer residence, north of the capital.

October 17-21, 1972

The Queen’s visit to Yugoslavia was her first trip to a communist country. The Central European country no longer exists -- the areas that the Queen visited are now part of Croatia. During her trip, she met Yugoslav political leader Josip Broz Tito and traveled on his famous Blue Train.

February 15-16, 1974

New hebrides (now vanuatu).

The Queen and Prince Philip visited the Pacific island archipelago of Vanuatu, then known as the New Hebrides, in 1974. It’s said the royal couple’s visit to Vanuatu may have strengthened the belief among some locals on Tanna island that the Duke of Edinburgh was a divine being.

February 24-March 1, 1975

On her first of two visits to Mexico, the Queen toured ancient sites -- including the pyramids of Uxmal, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monarch also received local crafts, met school children and attended a banquet. While she was driven through Mexico City, the Queen was showered in confetti.

February 17-20, 1979

Saudi arabia.

In 1979, the Queen became the first female head of state to visit Saudi Arabia, on a tour of Gulf States. At Riyadh Airport, she was met by King Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, pictured. The outfits she wore on the trip were carefully designed in accordance with Saudi Arabia’s conservative dress code for women. The Queen arrived on a British Airways supersonic Concorde aircraft and during the visit attended camel races and toured the National Museum.

October 26-27, 1982

The Queen visited Tuvalu, a group of nine islands in the South Pacific, in 1982. Upon arrival, the Queen and Prince Philip were carried in a flower-filled canoe from sea to shore. Thirty years later, in 2012, Prince William visited Tuvalu with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, who drank a coconut from a tree planted by Queen Elizabeth on this 1982 visit.

February 26 – March 6, 1983

On a star-studded trip to the United States, the Queen toured the 20th Century-Fox studios in Hollywood with then-First Lady Nancy Reagan and met Frank Sinatra, who she’d previously met in the 1950s, at a party given in her honor. The Queen and Prince Philip also visited Yosemite National Park in California, pictured.

November 10-14, 1983

The Queen returned to Kenya in 1983 for a state visit. When she was there 31 years previously, she'd learned that her father had passed away and she had become Britain’s reigning monarch. In 1983, the Queen and Prince Philip revisited the Treetops hotel, pictured, where they were staying at the time she was told the news.

October 12-18, 1986

The Queen’s trip to China was the first -- and, so far, only -- state visit by a British monarch to China. With Prince Philip by her side, the Queen visited the Great Wall of China, pictured, as well as the Forbidden City in Beijing.

October 17-20, 1994

In 1994, in another royal first, the Queen visited Russia. Over the three-day trip, the Queen met Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, pictured here with the monarch outside St Basil’s Cathedral, as well as Russian President Boris Yeltsin. The Queen also attended the Bolshoi Ballet. In her traditional Christmas Day speech broadcast later that year, the Queen reflected on how times had changed, noting she “never thought it would be possible in [her] lifetime” to attend a service in Moscow’s famous cathedral.

March 19-25, 1995

South africa.

In 1994, after apartheid ended, South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth as a republic. The following year, the Queen traveled there, in a visit designed to renew ties between the two countries. The Queen met with President Nelson Mandela, pictured, and presented him with the Order of Merit.

October 12-18, 1997

The Queen visited India for the third time in 1997, her first public engagement since Princess Diana’s funeral just weeks before. The trip marked 50 years since India’s independence from Britain. Most memorably, the monarch visited the site of the Amritsar massacre, also known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, of April 13, 1919. She also expressed regret at a state banquet in New Delhi for the “distressing” episode in which British soldiers gunned down hundreds of unarmed civilians. The gesture was seen by some as inadequate. “The Queen is doing everything she can to make India like her. But so far it does not seem to be working,” wrote the UK’s Independent newspaper at the time.

October 4-15, 2002

The Queen visited Canada many times. In 2002, her trip to the North American country coincided with her Golden Jubilee festivities, celebrating 50 years of her reign. During the trip, the Queen attended an ice hockey game between the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks, and dropped the ceremonial puck.

March 11-16, 2006

The Queen visited Australia 16 times as Head of State. In 2006, she traveled to Melbourne to open the Commonwealth Games. She was greeted by a welcoming party in Canberra, visited the Sydney Opera House, attended a Commonwealth Day service in St. Andrew’s Cathedral and toured Admiralty House, the Sydney residence of the Governor-General of Australia.

May 17-20, 2011

The Queen’s trip to Dublin was the first time a British monarch had set foot in the Irish Republic since its 1922 independence. At Dublin Castle the Queen delivered a well-received speech on the history of Anglo-Irish relations. In County Tipperary, she also toured the medieval Rock of Cashel, pictured, once a seat of power for Ireland’s ancient kings.

November 26-28, 2015

From 1949 to 1951, before she was Queen, Elizabeth and Prince Philip lived in Malta. In 2015, the monarch paid her last visit to the island, touring the Grand Harbour in a Maltese fishing boat and waving to members of the British Royal Navy.

United Kingdom

In the later years of her reign, the Queen cut back on foreign travel, passing on the mantle to the younger royals. In more recent years, royal tours have also been looked at with more skeptical eyes, as Britain reckons with its colonial past.

While she didn't travel abroad in the later years of her reign, the Queen continued to vacation in the UK. Most notably, the Queen’s ties with Scotland remained strong throughout her reign and her residence there, Balmoral Castle, was a favorite refuge. It was at Balmoral that the Queen died on September 8, 2022.

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SNAPSHOT: The 1954 Royal Tour

Princess Elizabeth was en route to Australia, via Kenya, when she received news in February 1952 of the premature death of her father, 56-year-old King George VI. She hastily abandoned her trip but visited Australia two years later as the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II, the first and only reigning British monarch ever to do so. That 1954 visit was the first of 16 royal tours by the Queen to Australia but was, by every measure, the most successful – and resoundingly so. Royal fever gripped the postwar nation, which seemed to fall, en masse, under the spell of the young queen. During the two-month sojourn it’s estimated that more than 7 million Australians – 70 per cent of the population – attempted to see Elizabeth and her consort, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

In Sydney, 1 million residents reportedly thronged the harbour foreshore and lined the city streets, waiting for hours just to glimpse the royal couple following their arrival on 3 February 1954 at Farm Cove aboard the royal barge.

During the following 58 days, the pair visited 57 towns and cities across the country on an exhausting program of public engagements and community and sporting events. They saw natural wonders such as the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains and the Great Barrier Reef, and watched surf carnivals and gymnastics displays. They met Indigenous leaders, war veterans, farmers and factory workers and hordes of schoolchildren. Australia presented itself as a confident and vigorous young nation with seemingly boundless resources. It was forward-looking while still valuing its strong bonds with the motherland.

It wasn’t until the Queen’s next tour, in 1963, that Prime Minister Menzies famously quoted the poetic phrase “I did but see her passing by, and yet I love her till I die”. But he was already feeling effusive in 1954, and avowed his most profound and passionate feelings of loyalty and devotion to the throne in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald .

Formal celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – 70 years on the throne – the first British monarch to reach such a milestone, will take place in the UK across the long weekend 2–5 June 2022. Among the events and celebrations here in Australia, the Queen’s Jubilee Program is providing up to $15.1 million in grants to eligible groups and organisations for community-based tree-planting programs.

For more information, see The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022 .

All photographs by Max Dupain/Courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales

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Follow in the footsteps of the queen’s first commonwealth tour: 11 countries the queen visited.

Queen Elizabeth II's first Commonwealth tour in 1953 and 1954 still holds the record as the longest Commonwealth tour to date. Here are 11 places Queen Elizabeth II visited...

The Queen was the most well-travelled Monarch and her legacy of exploring the world started her first year of taking the throne, with her first commonwealth tour taking place between 1953 to 1954. The tour still holds the record as the longest commonwealth tour to date and in nearly six months, the Queen travelled some 44,000 miles across the West Indies, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Asia. Here are 11 countries that she visited.

The Queen visited St Peter's Church in Bermuda (Shutterstock)

The Queen’s first ever Commonwealth tour started in Bermuda in November 1953. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh only spent 24 hours in the country but made the most of their time, visiting St Peter’s Church and the capital city of Hamilton. The Queen went on to visit the country more times during her reign including in November 2008 when she visited alongside her husband to celebrate Bermuda’s 400th anniversary.

Kingston, Jamaica (Shutterstock)

From Bermuda, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh went to Jamaica where notable moments included the royal couple waving from an open Land Rover to thousands of onlookers at a rally in Sabina Park in Kingston and attending a dinner at King’s House. While her first visit saw the Queen only spend a day in Jamaica, she had the time to slow down and see more of the country on future visits, going to Jamaica a total of six times between the years of 1953 and 2002.

Navala village in Fiji (Shutterstock)

The next stage of the Queen’s journey took almost a month as she departed Jamaica on the 27th November and arrived in  Fiji  on 17 December. It was the first time a British Monarch had set foot on the island. Upon arrival, the Queen was presented with a bouquet of flowers from a child Fijian princess. A welcoming ceremony then took place in Albert Park in Suva, Fiji’s capital where people gathered to see the Queen. During her time here, the Queen enjoyed numerous cultural performances including traditional dancing, singing and ceremonies.

It was the first of many visits to Fiji, with other members of the royal family following in the Queen’s footsteps including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2012 and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018.

Royal Palace in Nuku'alofa on Tongatapu island, Tonga (Shutterstock)

Next on the tour was a 400-mile flight to Tonga. Here, the Queen met the Tongan royal family in the capital, Nuku'alofa. During her time here, Queen Elizabeth II paid her respects at Tonga’s war memorial and later tucked into a feast of whole roast pigs, roast chickens, yams and tropical fruit alongside thousands of guests. The banquet took place on a low, long table with the Queen sitting on the floor along with the other guests.

5. New Zealand

Aukland's skyline (Shutterstock)

In December 1953, the Queen became the first monarch to visit New Zealand , and spent Christmas in the country, giving her traditional Christmas Day message from the Government House in Aukland where she spoke about the travels she had been enjoying, thanking her ‘hosts very warmly for the kindness of their welcome and the great pleasure of our stay”. This would be her first of many visits to the country where she is called Kotoku, Maori for the white heron which is a rare but cherished bird in New Zealand. During her many visits over the years, the Queen made a point of travelling widely throughout the country and meeting local New Zealanders from all different walks of life, listening to their stories and seeing their customs and traditions first-hand.

6. Australia

Sydney (Shutterstock)

From New Zealand, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh journeyed to Australia, another place where the monarch would continue to visit regularly throughout her reign, forging a personal relationship with the country. On that very first visit, the Queen started in Sydney before enjoying tours alongside her husband of the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales , Victoria, Queensland , South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.

7. Cocos (Keeling) Islands

A pristine beach on the tiny Cocos (Keeling) Islands)

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are a remote territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean which inspired the setting of Jurassic Park, and today, the group of islands is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Queen arrived here on 5 April for a brief visit during which time she enjoyed a special welcome dance and was presented with model boats.

8. Sri Lanka

Kandy, Sri Lanka (Shutterstock)

The next stop was Sri Lanka   (then called Ceylon) where the Queen wore her coronation gown to open Parliament in Colombo. During her time in the country, Queen Elizabeth also enjoyed a train ride to Kandy, a tour of the city of Anuradhapura, a visit to Polonnaruwa (where the remains of the royal ancient city can be seen) and the green and hilly city of Nuwara Eliya.

Kazinga National Park was enamed Queen Elizabeth National Park in Her Majesty's honour (Shutterstock)

After Sri Lanka, the Queen continued her journey to Uganda where her main engagement was opening of the Owen Falls hydro-electric scheme. The Queen didn’t return to the country again until 2007 when she was greeted by thousands of cheering Ugandans that came out and lined the streets. During her time, she toured Kazinga National Park which was later renamed Queen Elizabeth National Park in her honour.

Valletta, Malta (Shutterstock)

The Queen’s first Commonwealth tour may have been the first time Her Majesty visited Malta  as Queen, but it was not her first ever time on the island. In fact, she had lived on the Mediterranean island between 1949 to 1951 while Prince Philip was stationed in the the navy. It is believed these are some of the Queen’s happiest years. The couple visited again in 1967, in 2005 and in 2015 which marked the royal couple’s last trip abroad together.

During that Commonwealth visit in 1954, the Queen started in the capital city of Valetta and paid her respects at the War Memorial.

11. Gibraltar

The rock of Gibraltar (Shutterstock)

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were reunited with their two children in Malta and the family sailed together to Gibraltar  to conclude the Commonwealth tour on the 10 May. This was the monarch’s first and only visit to the rock of Gibraltar. During her time here, Queen Elizabeth II visited Elliot’s Monument and planted a tree in the Almeda Gardens.

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A look back at Queen Elizabeth II's best royal tour moments

The late Queen Elizabeth II arguably broke the mould when it came to royal tours abroad. Though such visits are commonplace among the royal family nowadays, the late monarch was the first Queen to ever travel the world so extensively in an official capacity, thanks to the serious advancements in travel during her reign.

This means that Elizabeth travelled to more countries abroad in an official capacity than any other royal Queen (or King) before her – in fact, it’s reported that the Queen undertook more than 200 royal visits abroad during her 70-year reign, visiting almost all of the countries in the Commonwealth at least once, and many of them numerous times.

To celebrate her many royal visits, we take a look at Queen Elizabeth's best tour moments ever; from moments of levity and fun amid serious duties, to historically and politically significant visits. These are 32 of the Queen’s best royal tour moments from across the decades.

32 of Queen Elizabeth II’s best royal tour moments

Her first commonwealth tour with philip.

One of the Queen's best royal tour moments was undoubtedly her biggest tour ever, which took place just a year after becoming monarch.

After her coronation in 1952, the Queen and Prince Philip embarked on a mammoth tour of all of the Commonwealth nations at that time, which took place across six months between November 1953 to May 1954. In that time, the monarch and her husband visited countless different places within the West Indies, Australasia, Asia and Africa, and covered an enormous 44,000 miles travelling.

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Her tour to Kenya as a Princess - when she became Queen

The biggest moment of any of the Queen’s international tours occurred when she and Prince Philip were in the midst of a royal tour of Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The couple made the trip in place of Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, who was considered to be too unwell to travel.

The royal couple were enjoying a brief respite from their duties when they stopped for a few days holiday at a quiet lodge (now known as the Treetops Hotel), around 100 miles from Nairobi.

However, it was here that the then-Princess Elizabeth learnt of father’s passing on 2nd February, meaning that she would be taking the throne at the age of just 25. Due to how remote the location was, the news of King George's passing took some time to reach Elizabeth and Philip, and it's reported that the young Princess was one of the last people within the hotel to find out about his death. 

Her first royal tour to the US as monarch

In 1957, Elizabeth made her very first trip abroad to the United States as the monarch of the United Kingdom. Though she had been to America before, this was her very first trip as Queen. 

During her four-day October visit, she and Prince Philip met the President at the time, Dwight D Eisenhower, at the White House, before making various visits to organisations within Washington DC. She and the Duke of Edinburgh also paid a visit to Williamsburg, Virginia, and New York City, where there was a large parade for the royals on the streets.

This wasn’t the President and Elizabeth’s first meeting, however. President Eisenhower had actually met Elizabeth as a young girl – back when she was Princess Elizabeth – during a meeting with her father King George.

The Queen’s trip to Russia in 1994

In 1994, Queen Elizabeth II made a historic visit to Russia, marking the very first time that a UK monarch had ever visited the country. Making the trip following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Queen was hosted by Russia’s President at the time, Boris Yeltsin, who governed the country from 1991 to 1999. 

During a State dinner, both Elizabeth and the President acknowledged Russia’s troubled past, with Yeltsin explaining in his speech, "For Russia, this visit is the utmost recognition that our country is on the road to democracy."

The Queen concurred, making this statement in her own speech: "You and I have spent most of our lives believing that this evening could never happen. I hope that you are as delighted as I am to be proved wrong."

Queen Elizabeth remains the only UK monarch to have visited Russia during their reign. Charles did visit the country as the Prince of Wales, taking a trip to St. Petersburg in 1994, but has not returned since becoming King.

Her final return to Malta with Philip

In 2015, Elizabeth embarked on her final royal tour abroad, returning to Malta with Prince Philip – an island they had both spent lots of time in during their marriage. While this photo looks fairly unremarkable, it's one of our favourite pictures of the late monarchs because of its back story. 

At the age of 89, the Queen and 91-year-old Philip spent three days on the island during their final visit, attending the 24th CHOGM meeting – where the Queen delivered a speech praising Malta – and meeting people they had known during their time living there.

The Queen and Prince Philip spent a couple of happy years living in Malta as young newlyweds; Philip was stationed there between 1949 and 1951 as a naval officer, and it’s said to be the place where Elizabeth spent some of the most ‘normal’ years of her life, living simply as husband and wife without the pressure of their royal duties back home in the UK. So it seems very fitting that their final trip abroad together was to the place where they spent so many happy years. 

Her meeting with Ronald Reagan in 1983

The Queen had a very close friendship with former President of the United States Ronald Reagan, and further bolstered their relationship during a visit to his and his wife Nancy Reagan’s California ranch in 1983, after first hosting them at Windsor Castle in 1982. 

It was a visit that mixed both personal and professional, as the Queen and Prince Philip stayed in their ranch in the mountains of Santa Barbara, enjoying a few horseback riding ventures around the estate during their few days there.

During her trip to California, the Queen also toured a Los Angeles film studio, attended an official dinner in San Francisco hosted by Ronald and Nancy Reagan (where she delivered a speech), toured the Bay area in the Royal Yacht Britannia toured Yosemite, and visited Stanford University.

Her historic visit to India in 1961

Queen Elizabeth’s 1961 visit to India was a highly significant one, as it was the very first visit from a UK monarch following the end of the rule of the British Empire in the country.

The country gained independence in 1947, but prior to this, Elizabeth’s parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother were considered Emperor and Empress of India – titles which ceased to be used following the end of the Empire in India.

As such, Queen Elizabeth’s visit to India in the early 60s was significant, as it was the first time a monarch had visited without being considered as 'head' of the country. During her trip, alongside Prince Philip, she paid a visit to the Taj Mahal and to New Delhi, and attended the annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. She also met with Mother Theresa, whom she presented with an honorary Order of Merit. 

Her meeting with Nelson Mandela

In 1995, Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by Prince Philip, made her first official visit to South Africa as monarch – though she had visited previously in 1947, before she became Queen. The Queen was unable to take any visits to the country before the 90s, due to the ongoing apartheid there. 

However, in 1995, Queen Elizabeth and Philip were invited by President Nelson Mandela to visit once again. Though the pair had met in Zimbabwe five years prior, this trip was the first time that Mandela had officially hosted the monarch. The visit was just a year after Mandela had been elected as President, so it was certainly a significant moment to see the meeting of two highly revered public figures.

Her trip to the races in 1970 in Sydney

Queen Elizabeth II indulged in one of the greatest passions in her life during a trip to Sydney, Australia, when she visited the Randwick Racecourse in April 1970 alongside Princess Anne.

She first visited the racecourse during her 1954 visit to the country, during which they named a race after her, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

During her second visit in the 70s, the horse Panvale won with 100/1 odds, and the apprentice jockey riding him, Peter Cook, won his first race as a jockey. To celebrate, the Queen presented Peter with his winning trophy, and appeared delighted at his early success in a sport she loved so much.

Riding an elephant in 1961 in India

During her 1961 trip to India following the breakdown of the British Empire, Queen Elizabeth II showed off her adventurous streak, opting to ride on top of an elephant in Jaipur. 

She rode the elegantly decorated elephant within the courtyard of the royal palace, alongside Sir Man Singh, the Maharajah (Prince) of Jaipur at the time. To ensure she was dressed appropriately, the Queen is seen in the picture were a regal gold outfit. What a picture!

Her tour with Princess Anne and Prince Charles in Australia

In 1970, the Queen, Prince Philip, the then-Prince Charles and Princess Anne undertook a hugely popular tour of Australia, which coincided with the centenary of Captain James Cook’s sailing of the Australian coat in 1770. 

The royal foursome drew huge crowds during the weeks-long tour, and toured around both Brisbane and Queensland whilst there, visiting the James Cook University, Green Island, the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Mount Isa and many more. While they carried out many engagements as a family, they also spent some time visiting organisations on their own; the Queen and Prince Philip, for example, visited the town of Longreach without their two eldest children.

A banquet on the floor in Tuvalu

In 1982, the Queen and her husband paid a visit to the island country of Tuvalu, in the South Pacific – the country formerly known as the Ellice Islands.

The couple spent two days in Tuvalu, during which they enjoyed a feast of traditional local dishes at a banquet which saw them seated on the floor and wearing floral headpieces; a rather unusual sight for the usually very formal Queen and her husband. 

During their trip, the royal couple also ceremonially installed a piece of concrete at a future Parliament building. To mark the visit, a range of commemorative stamps were issued by the Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau. Since that visit, both King Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales have visited Tuvalu too.

Meeting crowds in New Zealand in 1977

The Queen was seen beaming from ear-to-ear on a walkabout during an official visit to New Zealand in 1977, which was made to mark her Silver jubilee and 25 years since her accession to the throne. 

The Queen was accompanied by her husband the Duke of Edinburgh for this tour – and interestingly, the schedule they undertook actually mirrored that of the tour they took in 1953-1954, when Elizabeth first came to the throne, as an homage to her 25th year on the throne.

Everywhere the pair went they were greeted with adoring crowds lining the streets, ensuring it was a special moment for the royal couple.

Her significant tour of Sudan

During a time of significant political turmoil and unrest within the country, Queen Elizabeth took the time to pay an important visit to the Republic of the Sudan in February 1965.

It was a significant move due to the unrest there at the time, which many thought might make it dangerous for the UK monarch. However, it appears the Queen gladly spent a few days there and was greeted with a warm welcome, with crowds of onlookers lining the streets to say hello. 

She spent part of her time on state duties whilst there, whilst also squeezing in the chance to explore some of her interests during the trip. For example, she spent her first day at the Khartoum racecourse, before then visiting the construction of the Roseires dam. She also visited the Gezira irrigation project in Medani, which had been set up by the British government some decades earlier.

Receiving local crafts in Mexico in 1975

The Queen made two trips to Mexico during her reign, and the first took place in 1975. She toured across Yucatán, Mexico City, Oaxaca, Guanajuato and Veracruz in the space of a week, and took in a whole range of sights and activities during that time.

She and Philip arrived on the royal yacht and headed straight to Mexico City. Whilst there, they had a meeting with former President Luis Echeverría and his wife, María, before heading to Oaxaca city. While there, they spent some time in the local markets being shown creations from locals. It’s even reported that they purchased a few items themselves!

Visiting a newly-unified Germany in 1990

The Queen paid a significant visit to Germany in 1990, shortly after the unification of East and West Germany as a result of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall.

The Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, signalling the end of the Cold War and the Soviet Union, which had occupied Germany for years. East and West Germany were officially unified on October 3, 1990, and the Queen visited towards the end of that month, at the tail-end of the political unrest.

While the Queen was largely welcomed in West Germany and had visited that area on previous tours, she met with a slightly more tense reaction when she visited Dresden in former East Germany, which had experienced more of a difficult relationship with the United Kingdom.

When she poked fun at Justin Trudeau

During her 2015 trip to Malta, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, delivering a speech to everyone gathered there. Before the meeting, the monarch and various heads of the other Commonwealth countries gathered for a State dinner, during which the then newly crowned Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, made a speech introducing Her Majesty.

During his speech, he noted that he was the 12th Canadian Prime Minister the Queen had seen during her reign – a comment which prompted a hilarious response from the lady herself. She opened her speech by saying, "Thank you, Mr Prime Minister of Canada, for making me feel so old!"

Dancing in Ottawa in 1951

It was rare to see Queen Elizabeth being anything less than formal, such was her important royal role as monarch. 

However, in 1951, before she was Queen, she let her hair down during a royal tour of Canada with Prince Philip; her very first visit to the country. 

During a private dance event at Ottawa’s Government House in between other official duties, the then-Princess Elizabeth was seen square dancing with her husband, wearing relaxed and informal American clothing. 

The event was strictly invitation only, and largely included people from the Canadian government and their guests – but the pictures are certainly a brilliant memory of a more informal Elizabeth on a royal tour. Tony Griffin, an attendee at the event, recalls that the royal couple's dancing came quite naturally. He said that they "caught on very quickly, due in part to the pair's knowledge of Highland Dancing."

Kicking off a hockey game in Slovenia

In 2008, the Queen and Prince Philip paid a visit to Central Europe, embarking on a days-long tour of Slovakia and Slovenia in October of that year.

One of the best moments was during the couple’s last day of their visit to Slovakia when they attended an ice hockey game between Guildford Flames and the Aquacity Poprad.

Not only did the monarch look chic in a hat and a coat with a faux fur lining, but she also kicked off the game by ceremonially dropping the puck, alongside Slovakia’s Prime Minister.

Visiting Finland in 1976

Queen Elizabeth II looked happy and enthusiastic on a 1976 visit to Finland - her very first visit to the country.

She was joined by Prince Philip for this tour and as ever, it was a busy one. The couple toured the country’s capital of Helsinki and also spent time strolling around a Finnish forest. Elizabeth and her husband were officially hosted by the President at the time, Urho Kekkonen, and enjoyed an official dinner at the Presidential Palace one night, and an evening at his summer residence, too.

Waving from the royal yacht in Kuwait

Prince Philip and the Queen delighted crowds in Kuwait when they visited the country in February 1979. 

Though the pair arrived via plane (a Concord no less), they also had the Royal Yacht Britannia on hand as they travelled on their three-week tour of the Gulf.

One of the most iconic images of this royal tour is the pair waving from the deck of the royal yacht at the start of the tour in Kuwait. The royal yacht was also where they hosted the Emir Of Kuwait at the time, Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, for a dinner reception. This moment was historic for another reason too; it was the very first time in history that a British monarch had visited the country.

On a boat in Funafuti, in Tuvalu

On the Queen and Elizabeth’s trip to Tuvalu in October of 1982 – their first royal trip to the island nation – the couple travelled there and back in the Royal Yacht Britannia, which they also used to move around the island.

But the yacht was unable to dock in the shallow water around Tuvalu, so the couple were required to be transported from the yacht to the shore and back, giving us one of the best Queen Elizabeth tour moments ever. The Queen and Philip were transported on a fleet of canoes that had been elaborately decorated by the locals, with the monarch in one and her husband in another. What a great moment!

Drinking from a coconut in Kiribati

Philip and Elizabeth made sure to get stuck into the local culture when they visited Kiribati in the South Pacific in 1982. 

It was rare to ever see the Queen (or her husband) eat or drink anything while in view of the public on royal tours, so it was quite the moment to see the royal couple enjoy a sip from a coconut as part of their welcome ceremony in Tarawa, Kiribati. The couple enjoyed their drinks as they watched some traditional dancing from locals.

A visit to the Vatican to meet the Pope

The Queen visited a total of five different popes during various royal tours across her lifetime, but she arguably had a special connection with Pope John Paul II. 

One of the most significant royal tour moments of the monarch’s life was when she visited the Vatican in Rome in October 2000. The Pope and the Queen, two of the biggest figureheads of the Catholic religion, shared a private conversation before exchanging gifts in Pope John Paul II's private office in the Vatican City. Before this, she had spent time at the Vatican with Pope John Paul II back in 1980, when she also delivered a speech in front of him and members of the clergy within the room.

Relaxed in Bahrain

A brilliant image of Queen Elizabeth on one of her countless royal tours is when she was captured looking relaxed whilst leaning across a chair to talk to the Emir of Bahrain at the time, Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, whilst the pair were taking in a day of horse racing and camel racing. The picture was taken during Elizabeth and Philip’s tour of the Gulf between February and March of 1979. 

The image shows the monarch looking informal and engrossed in her conversation; a somewhat unusual picture of the Queen, as she was often seen in more formal positions, be it sat upright at a state dinner, or stating up for an audience with a Prime Minister.

On tour with King George, Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother

One of the biggest royal tours of Queen Elizabeth II’s life was her 1947 tour alongside her parents, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and her sister Princess Margaret. It was the first time that the immediate royal family had undertaken a royal tour together as adults, and the then-Princess Elizabeth even celebrated her 21st birthday during that tour, making it a very special trip indeed.

The foursome visited an enormous 400 cities during this tour covering over 10,000 miles mostly by train. It was also the first State visit abroad from the royal family since 1939, as a result of the lack of travelling that was possible during the Second World War.

It was also on this tour that Princess Elizabeth made her now iconic speech from the grounds of Government House in Cape Town, South Africa. To mark her 21st birthday, she delivered the now world-famous line: "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service."

Inspecting a guard of honour in Trinidad

On a royal tour of the Caribbean in 1996, the Queen inspected a guard of honour at the Teteron Barracks in Trinidad, a military base that formed part of Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force.

The image is strikingly similar to many taken in the UK. The Queen would often inspect UK military troops during important milestones, such as the annual Trooping the Colour celebrations.

The Queen’s visit to Trinidad & Tobago formed part of a larger, and very busy, Caribbean tour, in which she and the Duke of Edinburgh stopped in Saint Kitts & Nevis, the Bahamas, Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Montserrat, and many more.

Taking a photo in Sri Lanka

Though most of her life was spent in front of the camera, on the rare occasion, Queen Elizabeth II was seen taking photographs of her own during her royal tours. One such occasion was during an October 1981 trip to Sri Lanka.

During this trip, the Queen was photographed taking a snap on her Canon Sure Shot 110 camera, one of her many beloved cameras. It wasn’t clear what she was taking a photo of, but the aim of the trip – the second of three she made during her reign – was to visit the construction of Sri Lanka’s Victoria Dam, Sri Lanka’s largest hydroelectric project, which was constructed by a UK firm.

A serious fashion moment with Anne in Vienna

In 1969, the Queen, Prince Philip, and their only daughter, Princess Anne, undertook a visit to Austria. The family started their tour in Vienna, where they visited the Spanish Riding School, took in a Horse Show, and attended a glamorous Gala Reception held by the Austrian President at the time, Franz Jonas.

But arguably the highlight of the proceedings in Vienna was when Anne, the Queen and Philip hosted a Return Banquet for the Austrian President. For the special evening, both Anne and her mother coordinated brilliantly in some fantastically glamorous outfits and tiaras.

While Anne wore a seriously chic white gown and tiara, the Queen matched her daughter in a stunning green ensemble, and the glittering Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, making for an iconic fashion moment.

Her final visit to Canada in 2010

Queen Elizabeth undertook her final tour of Canada in 2010, and it was an important visit, as Canada was the country the monarch visited the most throughout her 70-year reign.

It’s estimated that she undertook 22 different royal tours of Canada, one of the member states of the Commonwealth, so it was fitting that it was one of her very final visits abroad at the age of 84. 

But despite being in her 80s, she and Philip’s trip to Canada was no less busy than usual! They visited between June and July, meaning they were there for Canada Day, a day of annual celebrations. In fact, it was the seventh time the Queen was in the country for Canada Day. In a speech on Parliament Hill that day, she highly praised the country, saying, "This nation has dedicated itself to being a caring home for its own, a sanctuary for others and an example to the world."

Her 1986 visit to China

Queen Elizabeth II was the very first UK monarch to visit China in 1986, and it was considered to be an important visit in bolstering relations between China and the United Kingdom.

During the trip, the Queen and Prince Philip were shown numerous important sites in China, including the Great Wall, as well as the Forbidden City in Beijing. She also visited the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an. This remains the only visit to China from a serving British monarch; Charles and William have both visited the country previously, but not (of course) as the UK monarch.

An important trip to Ghana

The Queen visited Ghana in November 1961, just a few short years after becoming monarch, and was greeted warmly as she attended a range of engagements there.

Her entire trip to Ghana was an important one, as it is claimed that the monarch was keen to visit to ensure that Ghana remained in the Commonwealth. The trip was even featured in the Netflix series , The Crown .

The Queen's visit also resulted in one of the best pictures of Queen Elizabeth II on a royal tour ever taken, which saw her welcomed into the Kumasi Sports Stadium during one engagement under an enormous colourful umbrella.

The Day The Queen Came to Chicago: Photos From Elizabeth II's 1959 Visit

Published september 8, 2022 • updated on september 8, 2022 at 3:07 pm.

On July 6, 1959, as part of a larger 45-day trip through the Canadian provinces and four of the five Great Lakes, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip made a brief 14-hour visit to Chicago, the first visit by a reigning British monarch to the city.

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Milestones of a Monarch: the start of the walkabout

Royal walkabouts have created some of the most iconic moments in history, whether that’s a special hug or a royal going out of their way for a special interaction. Believe it or not, as common as they are now, the royal walkabout didn’t actually start until the 1970s.

In previous tours, people could only catch a glimpse of a visiting royal as they drove by in cars. In 1970, Her Majesty The Queen changed that when she decided she wanted to say hello to the crowds. From there, the walkabout was born.

The first walkabout happened during a royal tour of Australia and New Zealand alongside Prince Philip. The new activity allowed royals the chance to meet a greater number of people and not just officials and dignitaries who they were scheduled to meet with. In Queen of the World , a documentary on The Queen, The Princess Royal reflected on the start of the walkabout: “We never shook hands. The theory was, you couldn’t shake hands with everybody, so don’t start.”

“So I kind of stick with that, but I noticed others don’t. It’s not for me to say that it’s wrong, but I think the initial concept was that it was patently absurd to start shaking hands. And it seems to me that it’s become a shaking hands exercise rather than a walkabout, if you see what I mean, so that it has changed.”

The practice is common on visits abroad but soon became part of royal engagements in the UK.

In a 2016 documentary in honour of The Queen’s birthday, the Duchess of Cambridge said: “ There’s a real art to walkabouts, everybody teases me in the family that I spend far too long chatting. I still have to learn a little bit more and to pick up a few more tips, I suppose.”

While the world gets intimate photos and videos from people who are lucky enough to greet the royals on their walkabouts, there is one popular thing they aren’t allowed to do. The Royal Family is notoriously banned from taking selfies, but that hasn’t stopped a few members from partaking in a few selfies.

With the global health crisis easing, it is likely we will see more walkabouts as the year goes on.

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Past Royal Tours

Members of the Royal Family have made several official and personal tours of Canada over the years, further strengthening the bond between the Crown and Canada.

2022 Royal Tour

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited Canada from May 17 to 19, 2022 to mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

Private and official tours since 1953

History buffs will enjoy going back in time for a look at past monarchs who toured Canada from 1786 to 1951 .

Throughout her 70-year reign, The Queen made 22 official tours of Canada, more than any other Commonwealth country. She made her first tour as Princess Elizabeth in 1951 with her husband, The Duke of Edinburgh. She travelled to all regions of the country and was a constant presence in the lives of Canadians, witnessing growth and significant change in Canadian society.

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A history of the Royal Family on tour in the Caribbean

By Rebecca Cope

Next month, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are thought to be embarking on their first royal tour in two years, visiting the Caribbean. It will be the first time that the couple have visited many of the Commonwealth nations there, having previously been to Australia and New Zealand, as well as the US and Canada. The trip is part of a planned charm offensive during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year, with the young and charismatic duo set to showcase their unique brand of modern royalty. 

The Caribbean has always been an important destination for royal tours. Indeed, the Queen is currently still head of state in 15 countries around the world, half of which are in the Caribbean, so it is unsurprising it is such an important destination for the Royal Family. 

Her Majesty's first visit was in her Coronation year, 1953, highlighting just how important she regards these nations as being. In that year, she travelled first to Bermuda and then to Jamaica. She did not return until February 1966, when she took on a more all-encompassing tour of Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, British Guiana, Dominica, Antigua and Turks and Caicos. She made the trip again in 1975, taking in Bermuda, the Bahamas and Barbados, returning once more in 1977. She visited twice more in the 1980s, and once in the 1990s, with her last trip being in 2009 to Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda. 

Since then, she has handed the baton of royal travel on to the next generation, including her son, Prince Charles, and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, who have visited several times together in 2017 and 2019. The heir to the throne's last trip was just last December, when he bore witness to Barbados becoming a republic. 

Prince Harry, pre-Megxit, was also dispatched to the Caribbean. He undertook a tour to Jamaica in 2012, famously racing Usain Bolt, and in 2016, undertook a two-week, seven-country trip in honour of the Queen's 90th birthday (where he met with Rihanna in Barbados). 

Scroll down for a visual history of the Royal Family's tours to the Caribbean to date.

Queen Elizabeth II socialising with people during her visit in Bermuda, 1953.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth in Jamaica, 1953. 

Crowd waiting for the arrival of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in Jamaica, 1953. 

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh leave the House of Assembly in Hamilton, Bermuda, during a six-month tour of the Commonwealth nations, November 1953. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Queen Elizabeth II at a reception given by Forbes Burnham (1925 - 1985), the Prime Minister of Guyana, in Georgetown, British Guyana, during a royal tour of the Caribbean, 7th February 1966. Prince Philip is at centre, left, while Burnham and his wife Viola are at centre, right.  

Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Saint Kitts during a royal tour of the Caribbean, February 1966. 

Prime Minister of Guyana, Forbes Burnham and his wife Viola (left) with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (right) in Georgetown, British Guyana,  1966.

Queen Elizabeth ll and the Duke of Edinburgh drive among the crowds during the Royal Tour in the Bahamas in 1977.

By Harriet Johnston

By Isaac Bickerstaff

By Plum Sykes

Queen Elizabeth ll picks up a mango as she tours a market in the British Virgin Islands in October of 1977. 

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh arriving in the Bahamas, 1985. 

Prince Charles visiting a refuge for abandoned children in Trinidad, 2008.

The Duchess of Cornwall, Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Prince Charles and Hazel Manning pose for a photograph at the Prime Minister's residence on the first day of a three day tour of Trinidad and Tobago in 2008.

The Duchess of Cornwall and the Prince of Wales play the steel pans at The University of the West Indies St Augustine Campus on the second day of a three day tour of Trinidad and Tobago in 2008.

The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles visit the Volcano Observatory at Soufrie Volcano in Little Bay, Montserrat, 2008.

Prince Harry races Usain Bolt at the Usain Bolt Track at the University of the West Indies in 2012.

Prince Harry visits the Sir McChesney George High School during the third day of his tour of the Caribbean in 2016. 

Prince Harry arrives for the unveiling of the dedication to The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy and Arbour Day Fair at Queen Victoria Park Botanical Gardens on the third day of an official visit to St John's, Antigua and Barbuda in 2016.

Prince Harry and Rihanna attend a Golden Anniversary Spectacular Mega Concert at the Kensington Oval Cricket Ground in Bridgetown, Barbados on day 10 of an official visit to the Caribbean in 2016.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall attend a reception at Government House in Nevis, St Kitts, in 2019. 

Prince Charles with Resa Layne, Barbados Head of Protocol, at a reception hosted by the President, in Bridgetown, Barbados, in 2021.

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70 Remarkable Photos From The Queen’s Seven Decades Of Royal Tours

By Kerry McDermott

“I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.” So said Princess Elizabeth in a speech to the Commonwealth, broadcast on the radio from Cape Town as she marked her 21st birthday in 1947. A mere five years later, she ascended the throne following the death of her father, King George VI, and the young Queen promptly set about making good on her promise. In November 1953, she embarked on a Commonwealth tour that covered 44,000 miles, spanned the West Indies, Australasia, Asia and Africa, and lasted until May the following year.

By Hayley Maitland

By the time she stepped back from international travel in 2016, leaving her children and grandchildren to take up the mantle of representing the monarchy overseas, Her Majesty had visited every one of the 54 Commonwealth nations besides Cameroon and Rwanda, many on multiple occasions. Beyond that, the Queen dined with Presidents Eisenhower, Ford and Bush at the White House, swapped her signature paintbox brights for traditional black to meet with Pope John Paul II in Vatican City, and became the first British sovereign to visit China in 1986.

Following King Charles III’s accession to the throne, the notion of the traditional royal tour will continue to evolve. But his mother’s remarkable legacy of soft diplomacy is a feat that will never be repeated. On the first anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, revisit 70 vintage photographs from the late monarch’s many overseas tours, below.

A young girl greets the Queen at the quayside in Fiji. 

Jordan, 1984

The Queen is greeted by Queen Noor and King Hussein of Jordan in Amman. 

Jamaica, 1953

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip depart Jamaica for Panama during their extensive tour of the Commonwealth. 

Uganda, 2007

The Queen visits the Mildmay Centre For AIDS Orphans in Kampala. 

The Queen snaps a picture in Muscat. 

Australia, 1982

The Queen stops for a chat with Dorothy Kennish, 99, during a walkabout in Brisbane. 

Nigeria, 1956

Her Majesty in Lagos in the closing stages of the Royal Nigerian Tour. 

The Queen and Nancy Reagan chat as they make their way into a concert in Long Beach, California. 

By Elise Taylor

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From sporrans to chandeliers: King Charles and Queen Camilla weigh up new royal warrants

A year after coronation, firms that were under patronage of Queen Elizabeth II or former Prince of Wales reapply, while others get in on act

On first glance the list of prestigious brands reads like the wedding gift registry of a wealthy eccentric.

Moët & Chandon is one of eight acceptable champagnes for the ice bucket on the (Steinway) piano. The fashion stakes are high, too, with the posh trenchcoat purveyor Burberry , the Savile Row tailor Gieves & Hawkes, and Lamont Sporrans for when only Highland dress will do.

But on closer inspection a more practical bent emerges: Crystal Light Chandeliers to “solve all your chandelier worries”, Asbestos Removals and Event-A-Loo. Then the list starts to make sense – these are the hundreds of suppliers required to keep a castle or two running smoothly.

However, the list of near 750 companies who hold royal warrants granted by either the late Queen Elizabeth II or King Charles when he was Prince of Wales is undergoing a shake-up. A warrant becomes void after the death of the grantor, an event that sets in train a massive review that requires companies to reapply so they can continue boasting they provide their goods or services “by appointment to” a senior royal.

A year on from King Charles’s coronation – and despite the recent health setbacks in the royal family, including the monarch’s cancer diagnosis – this extensive undertaking, which is managed by the Royal Warrant Holders Association, is well under way

King Charles is said to be “looking through” applications from the 172 holders of warrants he granted when he was Prince of Wales who wish to obtain one from him as king now. The decisions on these are expected by the end of this month.

Then the focus moves on to the 578 holders of warrants issued by the late queen, which range from the high-end grocer Fortnum & Mason to the late Queen Mother’s favourite tipple, Dubonnet. Application packs for a warrant from the king have already been issued, with answers due in the autumn.

For companies eager to get in on the act and – for the first time gain the patronage of Queen Camilla – completely new applications for warrants from the king and queen (who is becoming a grantor) are supposed to open this month. However, the awards will not be made until 2025.

The history of the royal warrant can be traced back to medieval times, when competition for regal favour was intense. The process was formalised by the 15th century but it wasn’t until the 19th century it took off as a means to promote British business around the world. Queen Victoria granted 2,000 warrants during her 63-year reign.

Craig Beaumont, the chief of external affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses, said companies had told the trade body they were “proud to display the royal arms” and it was an asset to those selling overseas.

The Essex jam maker Wilkin & Sons, which is behind the Tiptree brand, has applied for a warrant from the king in the hope of keeping a long tradition alive. It received its first warrant from George V in 1911 and subsequent monarchs have continued the tradition.

Scott Goodfellow, the company’s joint managing director, said that a royal warrant “has, for us, always been the best indicator of quality and service and this is recognised by customers both at home and across the globe”.

Warrants are only granted to individuals or companies that provide paid-for goods or services to the royal household for at least five years. They are allowed to use the appropriate royal arms on everything from their packaging and advertising to their premises and vehicles. A warrant is usually granted for up to five years and reviewed in the year before expiry.

It is hard to gauge how much of sales fillip a royal stamp of approval is, with previous analysis suggesting it could be worth up to 5% of turnover. For British companies selling overseas there is particular excitement about the bankability of younger royals, with Prince William issuing his warrant from next year.

Chris Jones, the managing director of Corgi Hosiery in Carmarthenshire, Wales – which makes luxury socks for humans rather than the late queen’s favourite breed of dog – hopes to hear back soon as to whether King Charles will turn the award he granted as Prince of Wales into a king’s warrant.

“The warrant is very important to our business, especially in export markets like China and Japan,” Jones said. “It is seen as a mark of top quality and is something we have on our socks that nobody else has.

“When we are meeting new retailers it is something that gives them confidence that we make a quality product, and stores like carrying products that carry the warrant.”

However, the royal seal comes with strings attached, one of which is discretion. Roughly 20 to 40 warrants are cancelled each year, with a similar number of new ones granted. Benson & Hedges, for example, had its royal warrant revoked in 1999 with the official reason “a lack of demand in royal households”.

More recently, the lingerie retailer Rigby & Peller lost its warrant in 2018, supposedly because the company’s director June Kenton revealed details of her work with the royals in her book Storm in a D Cup .

If that is the case, warrant holders should tread carefully as the book is light on royal underwear intrigue. The biggest revelation to emerge from her first bra fitting with the late queen was the sovereign’s concern that it might rain and that she was due to host a garden party. (Although Kenton did also reveal giving posters to Diana, Princess of Wales for her sons to put up in their rooms at Eton.)

The warrant review triggered by the queen’s death is said to have caused nervousness in some quarters, with fashion brands in particular said to be concerned they would not be able to satisfy the king of their environmental credentials. There has always been a sustainability requirement but applicants report having to set out what their business is doing to work towards net zero.

“It’s good the warrants are being reassessed,” one applicant said. “Some big UK brands no longer manufacture here, so I expect they will lose their warrants, which is right. It should only be for proper UK companies.”

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King Charles attends Royal Windsor Horse Show, following in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth

• Friday 3 May 2024 at 8:31pm

Royal Editor

In 2022 the late Queen attended her last ever Royal Windsor Horse Show – an event she had been to every year without fail since it started in 1943, ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship reports

If you remember the Platinum Jubilee of the late Queen, you’ll recall that there were a number of major public events to mark her historic milestone as Monarch .

But, given her increasing frailty at the time, there was only one event Queen Elizabeth was able to attend for the entire duration – the Royal Windsor Horse Show .

And it is this same event that King Charles was able to attend on Friday evening following his doctors giving him the green light to return to public duties .

Her horses are now his horses of course - so the King has a very personal reason to be here.

And it’s also an event very much in his backyard, in the private grounds of the Windsor Estate, just a few steps from the Castle.

When I think back to this same moment in 2022, we had no idea if Queen Elizabeth would be able to attend.

In fact, even the event director and the TV programme broadcasting the show did not know for sure.

So we sat in the stands and waited to see if she’d be well enough to attend.

Queen Elizabeth did arrive in the showground and I remember very well how the crowds responded – full of admiration and respect for their long-serving Queen.

We did not know it at the time, but this would be the only event of her Platinum Jubilee that she made in full.

Later that year, in June, she had to cancel her attendance at St Paul’s Cathedral, the concert at Buckingham Palace and the Epsom Derby.

This is the Royal Rota - our weekly podcast about the royal family, with ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship and Producer Lizzie Robinson

She would only be able to make it to the Buckingham Palace balcony at the end of the bank holiday weekend.

In 2022 the late Queen would also attend her last ever Royal Windsor Horse Show – an event she had been to every year without fail since it started in 1943.

They had installed a lift for her so that she could make it to the Royal Box. She was unable to climb the stairs.

And even though we were told she would only be there for a short time and she would likely leave early, she didn’t.

She stayed for the whole evening, and drove around the parade ground at the end of the night to thank the crowds for their support.

Later that summer, Queen Elizabeth relocated to Balmoral Castle where she died on September 8.

So to have the Sovereign’s flag fly once again above the showground this year was a proud moment for the director, Simon Brooks-Ward.

He recalled to ITV News how he was waiting for the signal in 2022 that the Queen wanted to leave – but, as he said: “the handbag was never picked up and the Queen seemed to be enjoying herself”.

When the crowd reacted to her arrival that evening, Mr Brooks-Ward said: “the hairs on the back of my neck went up and I felt a little sting in the eyes, I have to confess!”

On Friday, the King received a warm hug at the show from his niece , Zara Tindall, as he caught up with close family he has not seen properly during his cancer treatment.

And he was also joined in the Royal Box by his brother and sister-in-law, Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

It’s a welcome sign that the King’s treatment is going well , although royal sources caution that there are always ups and downs for patients undergoing procedures to combat cancer.

The next big events awaiting the doctors’ approval are the D-Day commemorations in Britain and France and Trooping the Colour, the King’s official birthday parade – both in June.

But for now, at least, King Charles can attend an event with members of the public which his mother loved so much.

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