queen elizabeth world tour 1954

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Milestones of a Monarch: The Commonwealth Tour of 1953-1954

The story of how Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne—that she went up a tree a princess and climbed back down a queen—and the aborted tour of Australia and New Zealand by way of Kenya that had to be postponed is well-documented. But what of her first official tour as The Queen?

In late 1953, The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh embarked on a Commonwealth Tour that would see them visiting 13 Commonwealth realms, travelling over 44,000 miles, and making her the first Monarch to visit Australia and New Zealand.

The Queen and Prince Philip began the Commonwealth Tour on 24 November 1953 in Bermuda, arriving in Jamaica the next day. From there, The Queen and Prince Philip departed Jamaica on 27 November and arrived in Fiji on 17 December.

A tour of Fiji and Tonga ensued from 17-20 December before the couple arrived in New Zealand, making her the first Monarch to visit the realm.

The Queen and Prince Philip spent Christmas in New Zealand, with The Queen recording her Christmas message from Government House in Auckland. She said: “My husband and I left London a month ago, but we have already paid short visits to Bermuda, Jamaica, Fiji and Tonga, and have passed through Panama. I should like to thank all our hosts very warmly for the kindness of their welcome and the great pleasure of our stay.

“In a short time we shall be visiting Australia and later Ceylon and before we end this great journey we shall catch a glimpse of other places in Asia, Africa and in the Mediterranean.

“So this will be a voyage right round the world – the first that a Queen of England has been privileged to make as Queen. But what is really important to me is that I set out on this journey in order to see as much as possible of the people and countries of the Commonwealth and Empire, to learn at first hand something of their triumphs and difficulties and something of their hopes and fears.

“At the same time I want to show that the Crown is not merely an abstract symbol of our unity but a personal and living bond between you and me.”

The Queen and Prince Philip were in New Zealand until 30 January 1954, arriving in Australia for an eight-week tour on 3 February. According to the State Library of New South Wales, in their 58 days touring Australia, they visited 57 towns and cities.

After leaving Australia on 1 April, The Queen and Prince Philip travelled to the Cocos Islands, arriving on 5 April.

From 10-21 April—The Queen’s birthday—they visited Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and on 27 April they visited Aden. The couple then spent the final days of April in Uganda before touring Malta from 3-7 May and wrapping up the Commonwealth Tour in Gibraltar on 10 May.

The Queen and Prince Philip arrived back in London on 15 May 1954 aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, greeting their young children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, at the dock.

The Queen would celebrate her Silver Jubilee in 1977 with another break-neck Commonwealth Tour that saw her and Prince Philip visiting 14 countries including Western Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Canada, the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and Barbados.

In 2002, for the Golden Jubilee, The Queen and Prince Philip visited Jamaica, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. By 2012, the year of the Diamond Jubilee, The Queen and Prince Philip had all but ceased international visits, so members of the Royal Family undertook tours on their behalf.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall visited Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands, Malaysia and Singapore.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex visited Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Gibraltar, and Montserrat. The Princess Royal visited Mozambique and Zambia.

Prince Harry visited the Bahamas, Belize, and Jamaica. The Duke of Gloucester visited the British Virgin Islands, Uganda and Malta. The Duke of York visited India

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Cambridge University Library Special Collections

Royal Tour of the Commonwealth 1953-54

Y3091E/179 The Queen receiving a bouquet of flowers from a Fijian princess, Suva, © Royal Commonwealth Society

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee offers an excellent opportunity to celebrate her devoted service as Head of the Commonwealth, as reflected in the Royal Commonwealth Society Collections at Cambridge University Library. In fact, this began well before her reign, for as Princess Elizabeth she had embarked upon a major Commonwealth tour in 1952, on behalf of her father King George VI, who was too ill to undertake it.  Princess Elizabeth was in Kenya when she received news of her father’s death on 6 February 1952 and returned to Britain. 

Within five months of her coronation in June 1953, however, she set out upon the most ambitious Royal Tour yet seen, flying to Bermuda and, thence to Jamaica, boarding S.S. ‘Gothic’ which was to be her base for the remainder of the tour. After visits to Fiji and Tonga, ‘Gothic’ reached New Zealand on 23 December for a stay of over a month. February and March were spent in Australia and the return journey included Ceylon, Aden, Uganda, and Malta, where the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were reunited with their two children and whence they sailed via Gibraltar to London on the new Royal Yacht ‘Britannia’. 

Y3011E/49 Camel troop parading for the Queen and Prince Philip, Aden

The Royal Commonwealth Society and its local branches were closely involved in the organisation of the Royal Tour, and its library preserves a fascinating collection of photographs, invitations, programmes and other souvenir items documenting its many events. To view on-line catalogues of the archives please see: 

http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=EAD%2FGBR%2F0115%2FY3011EEE  

http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=EAD%2FGBR%2F0115%2FRCMS%20320

12 comments

I was on board HMS Sheffield which escorted SS Gothic half way across the Pacific from Jamaica where we handed over escort duties to a RNZN Cruiser. I had recently been in the Royal Navy detatchment which marched through London at the Queen’s coronation, before that I was on board HMS Liverpool in the Mediterranean where the Princess Elizabeth visited frequently to be with Prince Philip and she always came aboard Liverpool for Church services with her sister Princess Margaret.

My Dad, John Marks, was in the Med at that time and Chaplain on the Liverpool. I would be grateful for any recollections, photos or contacts to follow up.

Dear David,

The RCS has a large collection of ephemera relating to the Royal Tour, RCMS 320, which you would be very welcome to consult, https://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=EAD%2FGBR%2F0115%2FRCMS%20320 I’d also suggest getting in touch with the Royal Archives, which may be able to help, https://www.royal.uk/archives

Can I suggest a DVD of this important tour be made which has never been equalled. Including film footage. Regards Tony worsfold

Thank you for your excellent suggestion!

In 1952 the ‘Gothic’ was in Tilbury Docks preparing for a voyage to Australia to bring, the then Princess Elizabeth, back following her world tour, curtailed due the depth of George VI. The vessel was rescheduled to return to Cammell Laird in Birkenhead to have the Royal accommodation returned to its original state. My father was agent for Shaw Savill Line and sailed back on her to Liverpool with my mother and myself.

Greetings Do any of you have photos of the flags that were on the SS Gothic when the royals toured the Pacific? In particular the flag that was flown in the front of the ship. I believe it was called the United tribes flag

Hi Kyla, There may be some delay due to COVID restrictions at the library, but I will have a look and let you know if there are any photos showing the flags on ‘Gothic’. It might be worth asking the Royal Archives too, https://www.royal.uk/archives John

I was a crew member on Gothic for the Royal Tour in 1953/54.

The flag on the bow of Gothic was the Shaw Savill Company flag

My father James Ewing was a crew member on the Gothic for Royal tour, sadly he just passed away on the 7th April 2022.

I was on the deck of the Troopship Fowey as the S.S Gothic returned to Southampton.,awaiting the order to remove berets and give three cheers to Her Majesty. The Fowey was dwarfed by the liner.and as soon as it passed the wash,swayed our ship.At that moment the guy next to me was very sea sick and fell down. I was ordered to join the party that took him to the sick bay.And there he stayed until we arrived at Gibraltar where he was taken ashore. Earlier we had been billeted in the same hut at the Transit Camp when he displayed his Charles Atlas physique by doing countless Press-Ups. When he was taken away on a stretcher,he was a broken man.

Did the Queen visit Kenya on her tour? We are interested in finding a photograph of a friend who presented a bouquet to the Queen in Naivasha some time in the 1950s. Thanking you for your help.

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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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Rare footage of Queen Elizabeth's 1954 visit to Lismore finally screened

Rare footage of Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Lismore in 1954 has been shown in public for the first time. 

Key points:

• Queen Elizabeth II visited Lismore in 1954
• Rare footage of the event was recently discovered
• It was screened on Thursday for the first time

The 16-millimetre film was rediscovered by staff at the Richmond River Historical Society as they cleaned and stored their wares in the wake of this year's catastrophic floods.

Australian Cinematography Museum owner Richard Harris paid to have the images digitised and was delighted with the results.

"It's fantastic to find anything old that's in good condition, and that's what it was," he said.

"It's even in colour ... which I just couldn't believe."

Mr Harris screened the historic footage at the Kyogle Cinemas on Thursday.

He said it was appropriate, because that was how people got to relive events in the days before television.

"News reels were a big thing," Mr Harris said.

"People didn't just go to the cinema to watch a movie, they went to get the news."

The screening attracted a small but enthusiastic crowd, including Lismore man Andrew Davies.

"You could feel the excitement, you cold sense it," he said. 

"You could actually feel it just by seeing how the people were reacting."

Richmond Valley resident Grace Coughlan was impressed by the crowd of thousands who lined the streets in 1954 despite heavy rain, which led to a major flood just days after Her Majesty's departure from the region.

"Everyone must have been there," she said.

"In the rain, dealing with kids everywhere, so excited and so happy just to have a quick glimpse of the Queen."

Lismore historian Helen Trustum was eight when the Queen visited the region, but said it was a time she would never forget.

"We all had flags and things and we were all excited about it," she said.

"Because really, to see the Queen?

"We'd never, ever think we'd see the Queen, but she was that close to us."

Richmond River Historical Society member Maxine Darnell said if there was a silver lining to be found after the floods, it was the history that had been rediscovered by museum staff.

"There have been a few really bright spots," she said.

"A few wonderful items that we've found." 

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• Cast & crew

A Queen's World Tour

This is a documentary covering Queen Elizabeth II's World Tour or, at least, the portion through the Fiji Islands, the Friendly Islands and New Zealand. The Queen attends some festivals in h... Read all This is a documentary covering Queen Elizabeth II's World Tour or, at least, the portion through the Fiji Islands, the Friendly Islands and New Zealand. The Queen attends some festivals in her honor in Fiji and in the Friendly Islands, where she is entertained by Queen Salotte an... Read all This is a documentary covering Queen Elizabeth II's World Tour or, at least, the portion through the Fiji Islands, the Friendly Islands and New Zealand. The Queen attends some festivals in her honor in Fiji and in the Friendly Islands, where she is entertained by Queen Salotte and in New Zealand where she attends some Maori rituals.

• Oxley Hughan
• Prince Philip
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• March 2, 1954 (United States)
• United Kingdom
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• Eine Königin reist um die Welt
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• Runtime 1 hour 24 minutes

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Commonwealth royal tour, 1953-1954.

• PDF Generating
• Collection Overview
• Collection Organization
• Container Inventory (empty)

Scope and Contents

The principal part of the collection is a set of programmes and guides prepared for the different legs of the Royal Tour. These are supplemented by related correspondence and papers compiled by the Royal Empire Society and others. The collection is in English with the exception of one item in English and Arabic.

• Creation: 1953 - 1954

Conditions Governing Access

Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact [email protected]. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).

Biographical / Historical

On 23 November 1953 Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh left London for a tour of the Commonwealth. The Royal party visited, in order, Bermuda (24-25 November), Jamaica (25-27th), Panama (29-30th), Fiji (17-19 December), Tonga (19-20th), New Zealand (23 December-30 January), Australia (3 February-1 April), Cocos Islands (5th), Ceylon (10th-21st), Aden (27-28th), Uganda (28-30th), Tobruk (1 May), Malta (3-7th) and Gibraltar (10-11th), returning to London on 15 May 1954. The longest part of the tour was spent in Australia, where the party visited New South Wales, 3-13 February, 18 February and 18 March; Tasmania, 20-24 February; Victoria, 24 February-9 March 1954 and 25 March; Queensland, 9-18 March; South Australia, 26 February and 18-26 March; and Western Australia, 26 March-1st April.

2 archive box(es) (2 boxes) : card/paper

1 envelope(s) (1 envelope)

Language of Materials

Additional description, immediate source of acquisition.

The provenance of the collection is unknown.

This collection level description was created by RAS.

Originator(s)

Related names.

• Elizabeth, II, 1926-2022 (Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) (Person)
• Philip, b, 1921 (Duke of Edinburgh, consort of Queen Elizabeth II) (Person)
• Adan (governate)
• Adan (inhabited place)
• Africa (continent)
• Asia (continent)
• Australia (nation)
• Bermuda (dependent state)
• Cocos Islands (dependent state)
• Darnah (province)
• Europe (continent)
• Fiji (nation)
• Gibraltar (dependent state)
• Jamaica (nation)
• Libya (nation)
• Malta (island)
• Malta (nation)
• New Zealand (nation)
• North and Central America (continent)
• Oceania (continent)
• Panama (nation)
• South Yemen (region)
• Sri Lanka (nation)
• Tonga (nation)
• Tubruq (inhabited place)
• Uganda (nation)
• Yemen (nation)

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Repository details.

Part of the Cambridge University Library Repository

Collection organization

Commonwealth Royal Tour, 1953-1954, GBR/0115/RCS/RCMS 320. Cambridge University Library.

Cite Item Description

Commonwealth Royal Tour, 1953-1954, GBR/0115/RCS/RCMS 320. Cambridge University Library. https://archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk/repositories/2/resources/358 Accessed May 06, 2024.

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Hear ye! Hear ye! It's 1954 and Her Majesty is coming!

By Anne Scheu, Engagement Officer, State Library of Queensland | 4 February 2022

Queen Elizabeth ll and Prince Philip waving to crowds, Bundaberg, Queensland, 1954. Acc 30171 Clifford Potter Photographs, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Image number: 30171-0033-0001  

On 6 February 2022, Elizabeth II became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms, and the Commonwealth. 

Featured below are digitised images and collections of the John Oxley Library showing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during her first tour of Queensland in 1954.  The photographs captured by newspaper journalists, commissioned photographers, and ordinary citizens, illustrate our enthusiasm for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and the interest that followed her everywhere she went.     This blog post is a record of her visit as a young monarch, reflecting our Queensland experience of her visit at the time.  

Her Majesty’s popularity is supreme…  During her first royal tour of Queensland in March 1954, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was accompanied by her husband His Royal Highness Prince Phillip, The Duke of Edinburgh. HRH Queen Elizabeth II captured the hearts of the Queensland people. Following the austerity and impact of the Second World War (1939 – 1945) and the death of her father King George VI in 1952, our nations’ fascination with the Royal family was significant. We greeted Queen Elizabeth II with open arms on her first official tour as the new monarch. 

Queen Elizabeth II rides in a Rolls Royce during her visit to Brisbane, 1954. 7032 Kahlert collection of colour slides, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Image no: 7032-0001-0048

Queen Elizabeth II addresses the crowds in Mackay, during her tour to Australia, 1954. APU-63 Royal Visit 1954 Photograph Album, Image number APU - 63-0001-0001

Large crowds line the streets as the royal entourage drives past, Queensland, 1954, 30171 Clifford Potter Photographs digitised images, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Image number 30171-0030-0001

Elizabeth was so popular with the people of Queensland they came out in their thousands, lining the streets for an opportunity to see her drive past or attending formal events where she was the honoured and most distinguished guest.   Adoring crowds hoped for the opportunity to shake her hand, give her a posy of fresh flowers or to engage in a short conversation with her as she walked by. 

Queen Elizabeth ll with Mrs Gair at City Hall for a women’s reception, Brisbane, Queensland, 1954, 30171 Clifford Potter Photographs, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Image number: 30171-0001-0032

Daily newspapers filled their columns with royal updates and ‘tiny details,’ describing events on the Queen’s schedule. On 17 March on one these occasions, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was greeted by more than 3,000 women who attended a reception for her in Brisbane’s City Hall, accompanied by Mrs Gair, wife of the Queensland Premier, The Honourable V. C. Gair. Representatives from 18 women’s organisations were presented to the Queen and another 130 organisations carried flowers and bouquets as floral tributes to give to Her Majesty. These were later distributed among various hospitals in Brisbane.  

A colour slide image of the highly decorated streets in Brisbane during the 1954 Royal tour of Queensland by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 30541 Brisbane Royal Visits 1954 and 1959 colour slides, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Image number: 30541-0001-0025

Gardams Silk Store in Queen Street, Brisbane, prepares for the royal visitors in 1954. Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Negative no: 193601

The Story Bridge decorated with lights for the royal tour in 1954, 30541 Brisbane Royal Visits 1954 and 1959 colour slides, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Image no: 30541-0001-0035

Streetscapes identified as the official route for the motorcade were highly decorated and festooned with colourful flags and banners. In the 50s, many business houses displayed signage and billboards on exterior façades, welcoming the young Queen to our state.   In the case of Rockhampton …” hardened and cynical men found themselves waving hats and cheering…” Pg 8   An overseas correspondent travelling with the Royal party observed… “The more I see of it the more I feel that Queen Elizabeth is satisfying some human urge across the face of the whole Western world... the mystique of her sovereignty acknowledged so emotionally is no doubt the basis of this appeal.” 

Pennants featuring Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Prince Philip were  created as souvenirs of the 1954 royal visit to Fitzroy Shire and Rockhampton, Queensland. 27472 Souvenir of Royal Visit to Fitzroy Shire 1954, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.    

The Cairns Centre of the QATB received a certificate of appreciation for their assist with the Royal visit, 13 March 1954. Photo courtesy of Cairns Historical Society

Among other items in the John Oxley Library is a collection of significant memorabilia and brochures. Mrs Isabell (Bell) McLean Hines kept her personal invitation to the State Reception, Parliament House on 9 March 1954 as well as the official program. A photograph in the collection shows the marcasite necklace and bracelet she wore on the occasion.  

Invitation, formal directions and program for the Royal visit and State Reception, March 1954. 7360 Royal Visit 1954 Memorabilia 1954. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

These occasions were regarded as very special. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was expected to attend many state receptions throughout the Commonwealth. At the 1954 State reception in Brisbane, guests were given written guidelines to avoid mis-information and the Premier and the Chief Secretary’s Department asked everyone to read the instructions carefully.

A String Ensemble drawn from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra performed several works throughout the evening and Miss Mavis Brown, a pupil of the Dutton Park Opportunity School, aged 13 years at the time, presented Her Majesty with a bouquet in the form of the Queensland Coat of Arms (1893) .

‘ Glittering State event ’ Brisbane Telegraph (Qld. : 1948 – 1954) Wed 10 March 1954, Pg 17

Newspaper cuttings of Queen Elizabeth’s arrival in Brisbane, March 1954, OM95-37 1954 Royal Visit Cutting Books. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

View more of Queen Elizabeth’s 1954 visit to Queensland captured on home movies and amateur film digitized through the Reel Rescue program and assistance given by donors and the Queensland Library Foundation.

• 32102 /21 Len Pass collection
• 3031/23 Doug Perrins Motion Pictures 1929-1996
• 31434 / 1 William Henry Endres – Brisbane, Toowoomba and Warwick
• 31434 /2 William Henry Endres – Queen Elizabeth II leaving Eagle Farm

In coming weeks, we will post two more blogs showcasing HRH Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Queensland in 1963 and a collaborative blog showcasing her visit to regional Queensland in 1970. State Library of Queensland thanks the Queensland GLAM community (Gallery, Library, Archive and Museum) for sharing their local stories and photographs of the visit.   

Read more blogs about HRH Queen Elizabeth II and her visits to Queensland

• Queen Elizabeth II in Queensland - multiple blogs
• Queen Elizabeth II – History in Pictures
• Queen Elizabeth II’s first visit to Queensland (published in 2014)
• Ahoy! Ahoy! – Her Majesty returns in 1963!

@slqld Flickr Commons (photographs from our collections)

• 1954 Royal Tour
• 1954 Royal Tour – Queensland on show

Anne Scheu, Collections Engagement, Queensland Memory, State Library of Queensland

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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.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that the National Archives' website and collection contain the names, images and voices of people who have died.

Some records include terms and views that are not appropriate today. They reflect the period in which they were created and are not the views of the National Archives.

The 1954 royal tour

A royal visitor.

On 3 February 1954, the steamship Gothic arrived in Sydney Harbour, carrying the first reigning monarch to visit Australia – Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip. In just under 2 months, the royal couple would travel around Australia by train, car, and plane. They would visit almost every capital city except Darwin, and 40 country towns. Among the revellers, children turned up en masse to view the royal couple, and some even participated in official events. 

A tremendous task

In Sydney, an estimated 120,000 children and their teachers gathered in Centennial Park, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and the Sydney Showgrounds. The Herald reported transporting the students took 80 trains, 209 trams and 214 busses. At the SCG, students were organised into concentric circles so that the royal couple’s Land Rover could pass within 24 feet (7.3 metres) of most of the children. The children were issued coloured streamers attached to short sticks called ‘wavers,’ which came to life at 11:40 am when the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh entered the cricket grounds. An enthusiastic roar accompanied the rush of excitement. 

Similar gatherings took place in other large cities. For example, a children’s pageant was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The pageant included children from 6 to 18 years of age, marching, performing callisthenics, and maypole dancing while wearing colourful costumes. As the grand finale, the children formed the word ‘WELCOME’, and the Queen and Duke boarded a Land Rover so that they could drive among the performers. At this point, some exuberant children broke free of their ranks, swamping the royal car and briefly stalling its progress. Finally, the amused Duke ordered them to clear the way.

'OUR QUEEN'

The formation of words by children in tableaux performances occurred across Australia. In Brisbane and outside of Parliament House, they formed the phrase ‘OUR QUEEN.’ At the Wayville Showgrounds in Adelaide, they formed the word ‘LOYALTY’ and at Manuka Oval in Canberra, ‘WELCOME.’  Throngs of people, keen to catch a glimpse of the nation’s sovereign, greeted the royal couple everywhere they travelled. Their journey and activities were meticulously recorded and compiled by film director Colin Dean and his team. The footage formed the first colour full-length feature film made in Australia. Included is a section devoted to the children’s contribution to the celebrations, capturing the young audience's enthusiasm. 

The Queen in Australia (feature film)

The aftermath

While the effort to put on these displays was enormous, time spent with the children was extremely short. Although the royal couple were only in Canberra for 4 full days, the Queen's schedule was unrelenting. It included opening Parliament, unveiling the Australian-American Memorial, opening Union House at the Australian National University, and laying a wreath and planting a tree at the Australian War Memorial. They also attended Manuka Oval for the children’s welcome, only to depart 30 minutes later. 

Records held by the National Archives include detailed communications, maps, and diagrams used in the organisation of royal events. The day was likely exhausting for the young participants, with many students arriving at the events hours before they were due to commence. A photo from our collection shows exhausted muddy revellers, slightly dishevelled yet still clutching and waving their commemorative flags.   

More stories from the archives

Seventy not out

In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II marks her ‘platinum jubilee’ – the seventieth 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.

Driving the royals

Making sure the 1950s and 60s royal tours of Australia ran on time at every destination was a fleet of Commonwealth cars and their drivers.

Prince Philip in Australia

A treasure trove of records from the National Archival collection document Prince Philip's many visits to Australia.

The Royal Daimler Project

Help tell the Australian story

Remembering the 1954 Royal Tour

by Catrina Vignando on 18 February, 2014

In February, 60 years ago, HRH, Queen Elizabeth II, came to Australia. It was 1954, a mere five months after her coronation and the first tour by a reigning monarch.

The Queen’s Royal visit was a two-month journey across Australia. An estimated 75% of Australia’s population were able to catch a glimpse of the young Queen as she travelled to 57 cities including regional centres such as Cairns, Lismore, Shepparton, Whyalla and Kalgoorlie.

Her extensive itinerary was aided by the use of very sturdy vehicles that included six Royal Daimlers. These vehicles were specifically commissioned for the Australian Tour. One of these cars, a 1948 Daimler landaulette, now resides at the National Museum of Australia.

As part of the 60th anniversary of the Royal tour, the National Museum has embarked on the Royal Daimler Project restoring this car to its former glory.

Celebrate this anniversary of the Royal visit by helping us to make the Royal Daimler fit for a Queen again.

We need your help to raise $60,000 towards the conservation of the vehicle. To make your donation on our website

Watch out for more Royal gems as over the next few months we will feature more Royal memorabilia from the National Historical Collection at the NMA.

We would love your thoughts and comments on Australia’s Royal romance. Are we just as taken by the Royals as we were in 1954?

Published by admin

View all posts by admin

A Queen's World Tour

Prince Philip (Self) Queen Elizabeth II (Self)

Oxley Hughan

This is a documentary covering Queen Elizabeth II's World Tour or, at least, the portion through the Fiji Islands, the Friendly Islands and New Zealand. The Queen attends some festivals in her honor in Fiji and in the Friendly Islands, where she is entertained by Queen Salotte and in New Zealand where she attends some Maori rituals.

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• UK/Spain News
• Opinion & Analysis

Queen’s 1954 visit to Gibraltar remembered

The Queen, accompanied by Sir Joshua Hassan, at the Assembly Rooms where she attended a luncheon given by the Legislative and City Councils in her honour.

Some 68 years ago, Queen Elizabeth II visited Gibraltar on May 10, 1954, for the first and last time during her reign, before her death on September 8.

She was joined by Prince Philip and her children Prince Charles and Princess Anne, then just four and three years old. 

According to the Chronicle’s front page on May 11, 1954, “From every home a flag, from every street and lane a cheer” was how the people of Gibraltar welcomed Queen Elizabeth II.

The event was called one of the “greatest days in Gibraltar’s history” which saw crowds of Gibraltarians line the streets waiting to catch a glimpse of the Queen. 

The two-day visit to Gibraltar was part of the Royal Tour that saw Queen Elizabeth travel to various Commonwealth countries including Australia and Bermuda. 

Security checks at the frontier tightened during the Queens visit with a “close examination” of all 12,000 men and women that resulted in many workers two hours late. 

Queen Elizabeth was just 27 years old when she visited the Rock and had held the title for under a year, with her coronation in June 1953. 

The tour was a time for the young Queen to make herself known throughout the globe and was known as the “twentieth century Queen” at the time. 

During her visit to Gibraltar Queen Elizabeth had a “heavy programme” of ten ceremonies in 13 hours. 

Her Royal review of 3,000 servicemen from the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, at North Front reportedly saw some 15,000 spectators cheer the Queen. 

A Royal Gun Salute of 21 guns was fired and all participating removed their headdresses and gave “three vociferous cheers”. 

The Royal visit also saw no Spanish demonstrations across the border. 

The Chronicle reported how the Military Governor of Algeciras, General Cuesta Monereo, told Reuters he would “make sure” there would be no demonstrations during the Queen’s visit to the Rock. 

The Queen also visited General Eliott’s Monument and, alongside her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, planted a tree in the Alameda Gardens. 

Queen Elizabeth travelled to Gibraltar on HMS Britannia and within 15 minutes her first job on the Rock was to open and rename Reclamation Road to Queensway. 

From there her packed schedule starting at 10am saw the Queen review the Combined Services and then drive through Gibraltar greeting crowds of people. 

Within the next four hours from 12pm to 4pm, the Queen visited the City Council Waterworks, the Convent, the Assembly Rooms, the Eliott Memorial and the Victoria Stadium. 

She dined for lunch at the Convent and presented the ‘Queen Elizabeth Cup’ at the Victoria Stadium to the captain of the winning team. 

At 4.10pm, it was time teatime for the Queen at the Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club. 

After a 50 minute tea she returned to her Royal Yacht Britannia, leaving later on for a three hour dinner at the Convent. 

The next day the Queen visited the Upper Rock laid the foundation stone of the now defunct Colonial Hospital. 

She used a silver trowel and declared the stone “well and truly laid”, according to the Chronicle. 

She was also shown a model of the new hospital and, with the Duke of Edinburgh, signed the visitors’ book. 

Her final visit was to Catalan Bay. 

The Queens 1954 message during a lunch at the Convent:

“It is a great pleasure for my husband and me to be here together for the first time in Gibraltar.” 

“The Rock in famous in history for three things: for its inviolable strength as a fortress, for the loyalty of its people and for the important strategic part it had played on so many different occasions.” 

“It gives me, therefore, particular satisfaction to be attending this Luncheon given jointly by you, as the official and the elected members of the Government of Gibraltar, and to see here together the Governor and his senior officials, the representatives of the people, and the heads of the Services.” 

“I thank you warmly for your most loyal and welcoming address and for the beautiful picture which you have presented to me. I am very glad that the person chosen on this occasion to deliver the address and the gift should be both the senior elected member of the Legislative Council and the Chairman of the City Council.” 

“This occasion may be regarded as a landmark in your history and it indicates a determination to go forward in the future in partnership and in amity for the good government and sure safekeeping of the Colony and Fortress of Gibraltar.” 

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• Newspapers & Gazettes
• The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) View title info
• Sat 7 Feb 1953 Prev issue Next issue Browse issues
• Page 1 Prev page Next page Browse pages
• ROYAL TOUR ITINERARY ANNOUNCED FOR 1954 Prev article Next article Browse articles

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• Abstract Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will visit Australia from February 3 to April 1, 1954, it was announced in a broad outline of the royal tour itinerary released by the Prime Minister's Department to-day.
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The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Sat 7 Feb 1953, Page 1 - ROYAL TOUR ITINERARY ANNOUNCED FOR 1954

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Royal Tour 1954 - Places to be Visited

Royal Visit 1954 – Cover of bound volume of "Maps of Queensland and Places To Be Visited", c 1946 to 1954.

This document was ranked #109 in the Top 150 exhibition.

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