first royal visit to australia

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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.   

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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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Royal Romance

The Royal Romance exhibition examined Australia's passionate response to Queen Elizabeth II's first visit in 1954. The tour was a high-point of royal adulation in Australia. It was one of the nation’s last great pre-television events.

Royal Romance was previously on show at the National Museum of Australia from February to October 2004.

In our collection

1954 Royal Tour of Australia

On 3 February 1954 the royal barge pulled into Farm Cove, Sydney. The newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II stepped ashore, becoming the first reigning British monarch to visit Australia. Australians responded passionately to the young Queen, turning out in their millions to catch a brief glimpse of their sovereign.

For the next 2 months, until her departure from Fremantle, the Queen's visit provided Australians with a chance to celebrate and demonstrate their loyalty. Almost three-quarters of the Australian population took advantage of the opportunity, seeing the Queen at least once during the visit.

Royal Romance takes a look back on this, the most celebrated of royal tours. Decades later the passionate response of Australians to the Queen's 1954 visit requires some explanation.

Changing role of the monarchy

The royal tour by the Queen in 2000 attracted considerable interest, but not the mass excitement of her first visit. In 1954 Australians overwhelmingly supported remaining a constitutional monarchy.

By the 1990s the mood had shifted to the point where becoming a republic was the focus of major public debate. While Australians rejected the 1999 referendum proposal for Australia to become a republic, the proposal revealed a fundamental shift in Australia's attitude to the monarchy.

In developing Royal Romance , the National Museum explored the response of Australians to the Queen, why some people were so infatuated with her 50 years ago and whether we have fallen out of love since. The exhibition also examined the role of the monarchy as the living embodiment of Australia's British heritage. It explored the link between the Crown and the people and the way in which the Queen can become part of our daily lives even though she lives half a world away.

Australia on show

The 1954 Royal Tour of Australia provided Australians with a chance to celebrate their country’s achievements and potential. What the Queen was shown, and the mass display of loyalty by the Australian people who turned out in such numbers to see her, has even greater significance when viewed in the social, political and economic context of the times.

Australia on parade

During their 2-month stay in Australia the Queen and Prince Philip were shown a bewildering variety of people, places and products.

Australia was displayed as a youthful and vigorous place, a land of endless resources and possibilities. There were displays of youngsters en masse in most major cities. Children danced, sang, performed gymnastics and presented flowers to the Queen.

The royal couple met servicemen, Indigenous people, civic dignitaries and sportsmen; attended garden parties, horse races at Randwick and Flemington, a cricket match in Adelaide; and a surf lifesaving carnival in Sydney. They visited rural Australia, metropolitan Australia, sailed the waters of the Great Barrier Reef and visited the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains.

Industry and resources

The postwar shift from production to consumption was only just beginning in Australia. Increasing numbers of women were returning to the workforce and adding to households’ disposable income. The public imagination was still dominated by images of Australia as a land of resources and Australia was still an economy based heavily on primary industry.

In Newcastle the royal party visited the steel foundry and met with workers. At Dubbo, the itinerary included a pastoral review with woodchopping demonstrations and sheep shearing contests. In Victoria the Queen and Duke met workers at the brown coal mine at Yallourn.

The Duke visited the rocket range at Woomera to see the latest in Anglo-Australian rocket technology. Although signs of Britain’s decline as a world power were already evident, most people were happy to ignore them. The explosion of the Anglo-Australian atomic bomb at Maralinga was not only seen to have put Australia on the modern technology map, but also confirmed Britain’s role as one of the few nuclear powers on the globe.

Commemorative ceremonies

The Queen also visited war memorials. In 1954 veterans from the First and Second World Wars were joined by veterans from the Boer War and Sudan Campaign. In Melbourne the Queen opened the forecourt of the Shrine of Remembrance, while the Melbourne Cricket Ground was the scene of a display by massed ex-servicemen.

Queen Elizabeth also opened the third session of Parliament in Canberra.

Queen on show

During the 1954 royal tour, Australia was on show, but so too was the Queen. In political terms, the particular relevance of the Queen’s first visit was set by the Statute of Westminster, issued in 1931.

Prompted by the governments of Canada and South Africa, the Statute gave the Dominions of the British Empire the chance to establish themselves as independent nations of equal status to Britain. This formal independence changed the role of the Crown, which now became the foremost symbol of unity among the independent peoples of the British Commonwealth.

However, successive Australian governments did not see fit to ratify the Statute until 1942, when British power east of Suez had collapsed at Singapore and the fear of Japanese invasion gripped the Australian nation.

Official war artist Ivor Hele was commissioned to paint the Queen opening the third session of the 20th parliament on 15 February 1954. An artist with a strong sense of history and a talent for portraiture, was ideally suited for the commission.

Show of loyalty at a time of conflict

The 1954 visit gave Australians the chance to reaffirm their connections with Britain and for Britain to witness scenes of loyalty from Australia. These fulsome expressions of loyalty must have provided great comfort for some in London who feared that Australia was being lost to the Americans and may have given some illusory hope that the British Empire was still a force in world politics.

Two years later the Suez crisis underlined the loss of British power and highlighted American ascendency. From that point on, Britain and Australia were clearly subordinate allies of the United States in the Cold War confrontation between communism and capitalism.

That conflict was something that the Queen didn’t see during her tour, but it was widely present in Australian society. Chifley’s Labor government had crushed the striking miners of New South Wales in 1949 and Menzies tried, unsuccessfully, to outlaw the Communist Party of Australia in 1951.

Although this attempt failed in the short-term, the communist issue split the labour movement, ensuring that the 1950s are popularly remembered as a period of Menzies-inspired conservatism.

The 1954 tour was a high-point of royal adulation in Australia. It was one of the nation’s last great pre-television events.

Despite the continuing relevance of the constitutional monarchy in Australia’s political system, the royal tour in 2000 generated far less enthusiasm. It is difficult to imagine a visit of the scale, excitement and fervour seen in 1954, occurring in today’s Australia.

Exhausting itinerary

The Queen’s tour was comprehensive and she visited every state and territory, except the Northern Territory, from her arrival on 3 February to her departure on 1 April. The royal party was based in major cities for most of their stay, but made numerous side trips to other locations.

New South Wales Sydney: 3–18 February, Newcastle: 9 February, Lismore: 9–10 February, Casino: 10 February, Dubbo: 10 February, Wollongong: 11 February, Bathurst: 12 February, Katoomba: 12 February, Lithgow: 12 February, Wagga Wagga: 13 February.

Australia Capital Territory Canberra: 13–18 February.

Tasmania Hobart: 20–23 February, Wynyard: 23 February, Burnie: 23 February, Ulverstone: 23 February, Devonport: 23 February, Cressy: 23–24 February, Launceston: 24 February.

Victoria Melbourne: 24 February – 9 March.

South Australia Mount Gambier: 26 February.

Victoria Hamilton: 26 February, Flinders: 2 March, Sale: 3 March, Traralgon: 3 March, Yallourn:3 March, Warragul: 3 March, Benalla: 5 March, Shepparton: 5 March, Echuca: 5 March, Rochester: 5 March, Bendigo: 5 March, Castlemaine: 5 March, Maryborough: 5 March, Ballarat: 6 March, Geelong: 6 March, Warburton: 6 March.

Queensland Brisbane: 9–18 March, Bundaberg: 11 March, Toowoomba: 11 March, Cairns: 12 March, Townsville: 13 March, Mackay: 15 March, Rockhampton: 15 March.

New South Wales Broken Hill: 18 March.

South Australia Adelaide: 18–26 March, Whyalla: 20 March, Port Lincoln: 20 March, Woomera: 22 March, Renmark: 23 March, Mildura: 25 March.

Western Australia Kalgoorlie: 26 March, Perth: 26 March, Busselton: 30 March, Albany: 30 March, Northam: 31 March, York: 31 March, Fremantle: 1 April.

Facts and figures

The 1954 tour was a high-point of royal adulation in Australia. It is difficult to imagine a visit of such scale occurring in today’s Australia. Here are some interesting facts and figures from the 1954 Royal Tour:

• 510,000 pounds sterling approximately in total contributed by the federal government
• 500,000 miles travelled by the cars of the Royal Visit Car Company
• 200,000 pounds sterling contributed by the federal government for the use of the yacht  Gothic
• 200,000 people filled the streets in the city of Sydney when decorations for the royal tour were illuminated for the first time
• 20,000 cars trapped in the gridlock that choked the city of Sydney when decorations for the royal tour were illuminated for the first time
• 10,000 miles travelled by the Queen
• 57 hours spent by the Queen in aeroplanes
• 35 flights by the Duke
• 33 flights by the Queen

Road travel

• 2,000 road miles travelled by the Queen
• 207 car journeys made by the Queen
• 130 hours spent by the Queen in motor cars

Food usage aboard Gothic

• 10,000 cartons of canned fruit from Shepparton
• 5,000 cartons of tomato juice
• 3,237 bags of milk powder
• 1,500 cases of canned meat

Public engagements

• 100 speeches made by the Queen in towns and cities she visited
• 5 engagements per day

13 Feb 2011

Collectorfest: a right royal celebration.

• Download Collectorfest: a right royal celebration audio file (29.5 MB)
• View transcript

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The Queen and us: Australia’s long relationship with Elizabeth II

Her 1954 visit was the first to Australia by a reigning monarch and while the country has changed, respect for Elizabeth had largely remained

I t was scorching hot on the Dubbo oval when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the western New South Wales town on 10 February 1954. A large crowd turned out to see them. Students stood in rows with their teachers. The pageantry had been months in the planning but it was the heat that Kate Crawford, then a primary school student, remembered most.

Crawford and her classmates donned a special uniform for the occasion and waited on the oval, “standing in the scorching heat for hours”, while town dignitaries hosted the young Queen in a specially constructed podium in the shade.

There was not much time for sightseeing. In their 58-day tour, the first Elizabeth had made since her coronation and the first visit by any reigning monarch to Australia, the royal couple visited 57 towns and cities, including every capital city except Darwin.

They were greeted upon arrival in Sydney harbour by a crowd of 1 million people – more than half the city’s population at the time. It was the first televised event in Australian history. Newspaper coverage described “unprecedented chaos in transport movement” as hundreds of thousands of people lined the route taken by the royals and stopped traffic. It was, the Muswellbrook Chronicle proclaimed the next day, an “unofficial holiday”.

The tour was the single biggest event planned in Australia to date. More than 100,000 schoolchildren were recruited, in their uniforms, to hear the Queen speak and the NSW education department issued a souvenir exercise book for the royal visit.

In the northern Victorian town of Mildura, the Sunraysia Daily reported at the time, about 200 people fainted from the heat while waiting for the Queen and Prince Philip to arrive.

An estimated 7 million Australians – 70% of the population at the time – turned out to see the 27-year-old monarch at some point in the tour. The Queen, in turn, seemed fond of Australia – even Queensland, which had presented her with 500 cases of tinned pineapples for her wedding in 1947 , was included on the lengthy itinerary.

It was the first of 16 visits the Queen made to Australia during her 70-year reign. Three generations of Australians have memories of standing on tippy-toes, in their crispest school uniform, to catch a glimpse of Her Majesty.

The visits got shorter and the crowds smaller as time passed and Australia’s relationship to the monarchy and the British empire changed. But even as the Commonwealth fell out of favour, the Queen herself remained popular – for the most part.

She was the patron of 27 Australian organisations, including the RSL, the Scouts and the Royal Melbourne hospital. Her eldest son, King Charles III, attended two terms at an Australian boarding school, the Timbertop program at Geelong Grammar.

Her visits were a mix of royal pomp and acute awkwardness. In 1988, she stood alongside the then-prime minister, Bob Hawke, a staunch republican, to watch the running of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Their political differences were overcome by a shared love of horse racing.

In 1999 Australia doubled down on its commitment to the crown: 55% of voters, asked at a referendum whether they would support appointing an Australian head of state, voted no.

In 2011, at the time of Queen Elizabeth’s last visit to Australia, the actor Hugh Jackman remarked : “Even the republicans, the ones in Australia who want to see Australia move on, still have great respect and love for the Queen. I’ve never heard anyone say different.”

In 2019, the former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who led the Australian Republic Movement (ARM) in the lead-up to the referendum, said a new campaign should not be staged until Queen Elizabeth’s reign had come to an end .

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, a longtime supporter of making Australia a republic, has created the office of assistant minister for the republic after his Labor government was elected in May. Its election platform included support for an Australian head of state and Albanese told a 2019 dinner hosted by ARM that “a modern Australian republic is an idea whose time has come”.

Still, on the occasion of her platinum jubilee, Albanese said Australia held Queen Elizabeth “in respect and affection” and joked that his own birth may have been delayed by his mother’s determination to see the Queen on her 1963 tour. But he added that the nation was “no longer what it was at the dawn of [Elizabeth’s] reign”.

“No longer parent and young upstart, we stand as equals,” he said.

During the seven decades of her reign, Australia went from a proud vassal of the British empire to an independent nation in all but name that began to reckon with its colonial beginnings.

In 1970, at the bicentennial of the arrival of Captain Cook on Australian shores, protesters threw wreaths into Botany Bay where the Queen was sailing in her royal yacht to watch a reenactment of British soldiers firing muskets on the Gweagal people.

The protests and petitions continued for the next five decades and in 1999 a delegation of senior Aboriginal figures met with the Queen in Buckingham Palace, the first Aboriginal people to do so since 1793.

Last month, Victorian senator Lidia Thorpe, a Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab-Wurrung woman, was asked to apologise after referring to the Queen as a coloniser while making her oath to parliament .

Criticism was not confined to the royal family’s colonial legacy. The release in 2020 of the palace letters – the correspondence between Buckingham Palace and the governor general Sir John Kerr about the dismissal of the prime minister Gough Whitlam in 1975 – led to the Queen being accused of political interference, even though Kerr had carefully not informed the palace directly of his decision until after it was done, to protect the Queen.

Buckingham Palace denied the Queen had a role in Whitlam’s dismissal and said she had demonstrated “support for Australia” throughout her reign but maintained the letters should not have been released.

“While the royal household believes in the longstanding convention that all conversations between prime ministers, governor generals and the Queen are private, the release of the letters … confirms that neither Her Majesty nor the royal household had any part to play in Kerr’s decision to dismiss Whitlam ,” a statement released at the time said.

Had the letters been released earlier, the Queen’s popularity in Australia may have cooled. By 2020, with Queen Elizabeth in her 90s, the public response was muted. Elizabeth had been queen for longer than most Australians had been alive: she was immovable.

Albanese, speaking after news broke of the monarch’s death , said Australia had lost a “wise and enduring presence”.

“Through the noise and turbulence of the years, she embodied and exhibited a timeless decency and an enduring calm,” he said.

“This time of mourning will pass but the deep respect and warm regard in which Australians have always held for her will never fade.”

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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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In photos: Remembering Queen Elizabeth's royal visits to Australia

Remembering the Queen's visits to Australia

When Queen Elizabeth II arrived on Australian shores in 1954, it was an historic moment for Monarch and country.

The almost month-long tour, alongside husband the Duke of Edinburgh, would make her the first reigning monarch to tour the country.

It would be her first of 16 Australian visits.

As the world mourns a history-making leader , scroll through the gallery to learn more about the Queen's Australian tours – and see the last ever photo taken of the monarch on our shores.

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1954: The Queen's first Australian tour

On the morning of February 3, 1954, the Queen stepped off the royal barge in Sydney Harbour.

On the day, The Sydney Morning Herald reported an estimated one million people lined the city streets and the shallow harbour inlet of Farm Cove.

A further half a million flooded other vantage points around the harbour.

On the day of the Queen's arrival into Sydney, an ice cream salesman told The Herald he expected to make "one pound an hour for the next few days".

One pound back in 1954 would be worth an estimated $16.40 in today's money.

The Queen's visit would be documented in Australia's first colour feature length documentary film.

"The film was shot by a total of 16 cameramen, capturing her visits to each state capital and many regional areas over her two-month official visit," the National Film and Sound Archive said in a statement on its website.

Former editor-in-chief of The Australian Women's Weekly Deborah Thomas says the reception to the Queen's arrival proved she had "movie-star glamour".

"[She was] a rock star, essentially, the biggest celebrity to have ever arrived on our shores," Thomas tells 9Honey .

That landmark visit would give 75 per cent of Australia's population an opportunity to see the Queen in person over a two months.

The Queen wore her coronation gown when she opened the Australian parliament on February 1954.

Her Majesty had been crowned at Westminster Abbey, in London, almost a year earlier, on June 2, 1953.

Former Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt and his wife, Zara, were in London for the formalities.

Holt shared his observations from the historic day in letters obtained by the NAA.

“The oddest incident in the whole ceremony was the appearance, just before the Queen’s procession arrived and after the other royal processions had moved through, of two aproned maids - one pushing a hand operated carpet sweeper around the Throne area, and the other doing her bit of cleaning, broom in hand," he wrote.

The Queen, in her royal finery, attending a state banquet in Canberra alongside then-prime minister Robert Menzies.

On her first trip, Her Majesty visited every Australian capital city and 70 regional tours.

She is pictured here in Newcastle, NSW.

During the tour she would deliver 100 speeches.

The Queen endured 57 hours across 55 flights during the tour, the National Archives of Australia (NAA) found.

There was reportedly no delay on the tour or any baggage lost.

The Queen travelled more than 3000km in cars on the trip.

This equated to 120 hours on the road with 207 separate trips.

One of the stops on the royal tour was Whyalla in South Australia, where she and The Duke greeted well-wishers.

1963: The Queen returns

In 1963, the Queen returned for her second Royal Tour of Australia.

The popularity of the monarch is clear in this photo of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh driving through the crowds in a Land Rover at the Bushman's Carnival in Brisbane.

During the tour, Queen Elizabeth met with then-Australian Prime Minister Menzies.

This time it was at the official Jubilee celebrations in Canberra.

1970: The 'walkabout' tour

In March 1970, the Queen returned to Australia for her third tour.

The Queen and Duke were joined on this tour by children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

The tour would last 34 days and was historic for a single decision by the Queen to do a 'walk-about'.

She first exited a car and greeted crowds on the New Zealand leg of the tour.

Royal expert Victoria Arbiter told Talking Honey the royal visit in 1963 had been a little lacklustre, so aides were tasked with jazzing things up a bit.

"They were going to New Zealand as well, so William Heseltine who was the Queen's private secretary at the time - the only Australian to hold the position," Victoria said.

"He was the one put in charge, he was the jazzmaster."

She said after discussing options with authorites in New Zealand they came up with the idea the Queen would alight from her car ahead of the destination and then she'd meet the regular people.

"Not just wave and offer a handshake to dignitaries," Victoria said.

It was such a success, the royals continued with a 'walkabout' in Sydney.

1973: The Queen opens 'The House'

In 1973, the Queen returned to Australia for the official opening of the new Sydney Opera House.

On that day, the awaiting crowds consumed 96,000 meat pies, one tonne of hot dogs, 2000 gallons of fruit juice and 150,000 cups of instant coffee.

1974: The royal tour cut short

The Queen visited Australia a year later in 1974 to open the nation's parliament in Canberra.

Unlike previous trips, which were weeks long, the Queen's 1974 tour was cut short as the UK faced economic crisis.

In February that year, then-UK Prime Minister Prime Minister Edward Heath called a snap election.

It is the Queen's constitutional role to appoint a new British Prime Minister.

The outcome of the election resulted in a hung parliament, the UK's first in 45 years.

1977: The royal train and $100m worth of treasures

In 1977, the Queen toured Australia as part of her Silver Jubilee.

During this tour, Her Majesty purposely visited South Australia and Western Australia.

The visit to the two states would be her first in 14 years, with official duties cutting short her 1974 trip.

To mark the Queen's Silver, the Royal Silver Jubilee Exhibition Train Jubilee travelled 11,250 kilometres throughout Australia hauling an estimated $100 million worth of treasures .

These included the bullet that killed Lord Nelson, Queen Elizabeth I's gloves and Princess Anne's wedding dress.

1980: The 'anniversary tour'

In 1980, the Queen and Prince Philip Duke arrived back in Australia.

The royals returned to open the new High Court of Australia in Canberra.

She also met with entertainers, including comedian Paul Hogan and the late singer Olivia Newton-John, after they performed in a Royal Charity Concert at the Sydney Opera House.

While in Melbourne, Her Majesty marked the 10 years since the first royal 'walkabout'.

"I still remember vividly the novelty and excitement of that occasion," she said in a speech .

"Since then we have walked, talking with the people, through many cities all over the world, but nothing could be more heart-warming than to be back again among a Melbourne crowd."

1981: Bouquets for a Queen

In 1981, the Queen travelled to Melbourne for the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

She also toured Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia.

1982: A royal 'jam'

In 1982, the Queen opened the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane.

During one moment of their visit, the Duke of Edinburgh joked with athletes "but we should have gone out that way" when Australian athletes forced the royal car to do another lap of a stadium.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh at the Closing Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane.

16 visits over 57 years: reflecting on Queen Elizabeth II’s long relationship with Australia

Associate Professor of English, Flinders University

Disclosure statement

Giselle Bastin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Flinders University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

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“Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth” has died. Given her advanced years, this has long been expected, yet it still seems incredible this woman who has been Australia’s queen for the duration of most Australians’ lives is no longer with us.

While the focus of the formalities and ceremony of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II will centre on London and the UK, there is no doubt it will be keenly observed by many Australians.

The queen liked Australia and Australians. She came here 16 times throughout her reign and was, famously, on her way to our shores in 1952 when she learned her father had passed on and she was now queen.

Her visits to Australia – from her first in 1954 through to her last in 2011 – offer a snapshot of the changing relationship Australians have had with their sovereign and with the monarchy.

An enthusiastic nation

The queen’s 1954 tour took place during a time described by historian Ben Pimlott as the age of “ British Shintoism ”. Deference to the Crown was paramount in Britain and the Commonwealth, and many Australians were madly enthusiastic about their queen.

After her arrival at Farm Cove in Sydney on February 3 1954, Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to set foot on Australian soil. The royal tour lasted nearly two months and consisted of a gruelling schedule taking in visits to every state and territory apart from the Northern Territory.

During the tour, the queen greeted over 70,000 ex-service men and women; drove in cavalcades that took in massive crowds; attended numerous civic receptions; and opened the Australian Parliament in Canberra. The tour saw Elizabeth travel 10,000 miles by air and 2,000 miles by road – including 207 trips by car and by appointed royal trains.

It is estimated as much as 75% of the population saw the queen and Prince Philip during this tour.

No Australian prime minister has ever had a reception on this scale or exposure to so many of the country’s citizens.

A “new” and prosperous country

During her first two tours in 1954 and 1963, the Australia laid-out for display for the queen was depicted as having gone from being a small colonial settlement to a thriving economy that had ridden to prosperity “ on the sheep’s back ”.

The queen was treated to endless displays of sheep shearing, surf carnivals, wood chopping, whip cracking, and mass displays of dancing and singing by school children. Federal and state dignitaries, mayors and civic leaders from across the political divide jostled to meet and be seen with her; the country’s florists were emptied of flowers for the hundreds of bouquets presented to her by dozens of shy, nervous school children nudged gently forward by awe-struck parents.

During the early tours, Aboriginal Australians were kept at a discreet distance. Apart from a demonstration of boomerang and spear throwing, the closest the queen came to experiencing anything of Indigenous Australian culture was a ballet performed by the Arts Council Ballet titled Corroboree, with no Aboriginal dancers but dancers with blackened faces.

During the 1970 visit, the queen witnessed the re-enactment of Captain James Cook’s arrival at Botany Bay, with Cook and his crew meeting “the resistance of the Aborigines with a volley of musket fire”.

By 1973, Indigenous Australians were given a more significant role in the royal tours. Aboriginal actor Ben Blakeney, one of Bennelong’s descendants, gave the official welcome during the opening of the Sydney Opera House, and the then unknown actor David Gulpilil was among those performing a ceremonial dance.

Invited guest, not ruler of the land

As early as the 1963 tour, the nation-wide royal fervour had dimmed a little. The 1963 visit witnessed smaller crowds and fewer mass public events. When Prime Minister Robert Menzies courted the queen with the now-famous line, “I did but see her passing by, and yet I love her till I die”, the ensuing blushes – including the queen’s own – reflected many Australians’ growing sense of embarrassment at public displays and unquestioning expressions of deference.

Despite this, Menzies’ displays of public ardour saw him being granted The Order of the Thistle shortly after, a bestowal which must surely remain the envy of some subsequent prime ministers.

The 1977 Silver Jubilee and 1988 Australian bicentenary visits perhaps marked the end of a period of royal tours as overt celebrations of Australia’s ties to Britain. This new flavour of tours positioned the sovereign as an invited guest to an independent, modern and multi-cultural nation.

On her 10th tour in 1986, the queen returned to sign the Australia Act , which brought to an end the ability of the UK to create laws for Australia.

Her role as our sovereign subtly transformed from cutting ribbons and opening Parliament to signing the documents that slowly, by degrees, contributed to the cutting of Australia’s ties to the UK and the Crown.

A question of the republic

By the 12th tour in 1992, the cost of the queen’s visits to Australia were increasingly scrutinised by a public feeling largely indifferent about the royal family. The prime minister of the day, Paul Keating, was seen not so much as an entranced liege lord revelling in the opportunity to see his sovereign “passing by” as one who instead – unthinkingly – committed an act of lèse majesté by placing his bare hand on the royal back and waist as he guided her through the crowd.

The gloves, it seemed, were coming off.

The queen made it clear in her last visits to our shores that whether or not Australia should become a republic was a decision for its own citizens to make. Her official announcement after she learned of the result of the 1999 Republic Referendum confirmed this:

I have always made it clear that the future of the Monarchy in Australia is an issue for the Australian people and them alone to decide, by democratic and constitutional means. … My family and I would, of course, have retained our deep affection for Australia and Australians everywhere, whatever the outcome.

In the last decades of her life, the queen retained the affection of many. Her popularity seemed to grow in line with Australians’ increased disenchantment with their home-grown political leaders: the former prime ministers Malcolm Turnbull and Julia Gillard are right to have sensed that any discussion about an Australian republic would have to wait until after Elizabeth II’s death.

Queen Elizabeth II reigned across seven decades and her tours to Australia served as a marker of Australia’s changing relationship with the Crown as well as with its own colonial past and national identity.

Almost certainly, Elizabeth II’s reign as the stalwart, loyal, dutiful, and most cherished and admired of “Glorianas” is one we are unlikely ever to see again.

Correction: the article previously stated the queen was on her way to Australia in 1953 when she learned of her father’s death. This has been corrected to 1952.

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Queen Elizabeth II in WA 1926 -2022

Queen Elizabeth ll was the first reigning monarch of Australia to travel the country, first visiting WA in 1954, with her last visit in 2011.

She captured the hearts and minds of everyone in our state, with more than 25 000 school children gathered from Fremantle to Guilford when she left Perth for her visit to Albany.

Below we have a gallery of images of Queen Elizabeth ll visiting Western Australia. A video of Queen Elizabeth ll and Prince Philip touring Western Australia in 1954. A list of catalogue items including photos, ephemera and maps relating to all of Queen Elizabeth ll visits to WA.

Video of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visiting W.A. in 1954

Watch this video on the SLWA catalogue .

Catalogue items

Digitised photos.

• Perth decorated for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, 1952
• Royal visit arrival at Perth Airport, 1954
• The 1954 royal visit to Perth
• Streets decorated for the royal visit to Perth, 1954
• Royal visit arrival at Kalgoorlie, 1954
• Royal visit arrival at Northam, 1954
• Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh driving past a highland pipe band at the Busselton Showgrounds, Western Australia, during the 1954 Royal Tour
• Ceremonial arches decorate St George's Terrace, Perth for the visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II, 3 April 1954
• Perth decorated for the Royal Visit, 1954  
• Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip travel through Claremont during their visit to Perth, 18 March 1954
• Royal visitor’s tableau for Flower Day, 1954
• Garden Party at Government House, 1954
• William De Neefe painting 'Governor's Ball for Queen Elizabeth II visit to Australia' in Perth, March 1954
• Radios and record players in Nicholson’s window display for the 1954 Royal Visit
• Decorative street lighting for 1962 Royal Visit and the Empire and Commonwealth Games
• The 1963 royal visit to Perth
• Queen Elizabeth II at an Investiture Ceremony in the Government House Ballroom 7 October 1981
• Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh leave Perth, 9 October 1981
• Queen Elizabeth II officially reopening Forrest Place after a major refurbishment, 1988.
• Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Perth for CHOGM, 28 October 2011

List of ephemera items related to the 1963 Royal Visit.

List of maps and plans relating to the Royal Visit of Queen Elizabeth II, to Western Australia, 26 March to 1 April 1954.

Physical Photographs

Physical photos yet to be digitised which you can request to view in the Leah Jane Cohen Reading Room .

• A street in Perth with decorations for the royal visit of Queen Elizabeth II who is just visible in the back of a car
• Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visit Western Australia, 1954
• Royal Visit, 1977 and Big Bell Gold Mine, 1937
• The Big Aussie Barbecue, the final event of CHOGM, on The Esplanade, Perth, 30 October 2011

Relive Prince Charles and Princess Diana's 1983 Royal Tour of Australia and New Zealand, in Photos

The couple's iconic trip features in season four of The Crown .

The Prince and Princess of Wales touched down in the relatively remote Alice Springs. According to a People article from the time, the locale was chosen "precisely because it had never received royalty on such a grand scale."

Diana famously refused to leave her young son behind, as had been the royal custom for overseas tours up to that point.

For the most part, Prince William stayed with his nanny at Woomargama Station, a working sheep ranch where Ronald Reagan had once stayed. Charles and Diana visited with him frequently throughout their tour.

No trip to Australia is complete without a kangaroo, and the royal couple were able to spot one early on in their trip.

As is still the case, a large part of royal tours involves meeting with fans and glad-handing the public.

The royal couple hiked Ayers Rock during their stay in Australia's Northern Territory. ( The Crown cast was spotted recreating this same scene on location in Spain in 2019 .)

The Prince and Princess met with Australian Prime Minister. Bob Hawke and his wife, Hazel, in front of Canberra's Government House.

Diana chose a pink dress by Bellville Sassoon, one of her go-to labels, and a hat by John Boyd for a walkabout in front of the Sydney Opera House.

Charles places his hand on Diana's back as the approach the crowd of local fans.

The Princess wore a bright blue belted gown by Bruce Oldfield to a gala at Sydney's Wentworth Hotel.

The couple dressed to the nines and busted out their royal orders for a state reception in Hobart, Tasmania.

Diana famously loved to dance.

Charles and Diana show a little PDA during an engagement.

The duo wave from a balcony in Adelaide, Australia. Diana is wearing an Arabella Pollen suit and John Boyd hat, which pair well with her stylish bouquet.

The Princess of Wales opted for a red and white color palette during an appearance in Renmark, Australia.

Charles and Diana wave to the crowd during a walkabout in Perth. The Princess's hot pink Donald Campbell dress pairs well with a matching John Boyd hat.

Some of the younger locals get a chance to speak with the royals.

A young girl hands Diana a flower as she and Charles ride through Bunbury's Hands Oval sports ground.

Diana went full '80s in a ruffled Catherine Walker gown and pearls to attend a concert in Melbourne.

The Prince and Princess stage a photo opp in front of a highly photographable model pineapple at the Ginger Factory in Yandina, Australia.

Chloe is a News Writer for Townandcountrymag.com , where she covers royal news, from the latest additions to Meghan Markle’s staff to Queen Elizabeth’s monochrome fashions ; she also writes about culture, often dissecting TV shows like The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and Killing Eve .

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King Charles expected back in Australia despite cancer diagnosis

In early February, it was revealed that King Charles III is still “hopeful” that his planned visit to Australia in October 2024 will go ahead, despite his recent cancer diagnosis. 

“We continue planning, but we’re not at any stage to confirm timing or dates because it’s the first week of the King’s treatment. It certainly remains the case that he’s hopeful it will go ahead,” a Palace source divulged to The Telegraph .

Now, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed Australia is preparing for a possible visiting from King Charles this year.

WATCH NOW: King Charles meets with British Prime Minister Liz Truss. Article continues after video.

“The King has shown his compassion for Australians affected by recent natural disasters, just as Australians have shown compassion and support for the King following his cancer diagnosis,” Mr Albanese said.

“The King, Queen and members of the Royal Family are always welcome in Australia. My Government is engaging with States and Territories on options for a possible Royal visit.”

Speaking with the Sydney Morning Herald  in early December 2023, a government insider hinted that the King would be joined by his wife, Queen Camilla.

“King Charles is planning to visit Australia and New Zealand in October,” they shared at the time. 

After months of speculation, in January 2024, a government spokesman told The Australian that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese “enjoyed a warm relationship with the King” and was looking forward “to welcoming His Majesty later this year.”

The tour would likely coincide with the bicentenary of the NSW Legislative Council and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which will take place in Samoa on October 21st. 

Held bi-yearly, the CHOGM brings together 56 developed and developing nations from across the Commonwealth. 

It is currently unclear if the King will visit Australia prior to or following the meeting, and where else he may visit apart from Sydney. 

That exciting news came just days after Camilla’s food critic son Tom Parker Bowles shared that Australia was on the agenda for the royal couple with local press. 

“He’s coming next year, I think,” he told both The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald  in December 2023, adding that he “didn’t really know” any further details. 

“There’s always a royal tour somewhere. I always assumed that Australia was a very important place to visit.”

A potential visit down under was discussed prior to Charles’ ascension to the throne after his mother’s passing in early September 2022, with the President of the NSW Legislative Council Matthew Mason-Cox.

The new monarch appears to favour Australia after visiting 16 times since 1966. But it will be King Charles’ first visit since 2018 for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

His royal visit will mark an important occasion as it will be the first time a reigning King has visited Australia following Queen Elizabeth’s passing.

A reigning monarch has not visited our shores since Queen Elizabeth’s trip in October 2011 which was dubbed as her ‘farewell tour’ by royal watchers. The late Queen opened the new Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, right next to the former Royal Children’s Hospital she opened in 1963.

Queen Elizabeth II made Australian history in 1954 after becoming the first reigning monarch to visit, and she continued to visit another 16 times.

The news of King Charles’ visit follows speculation that Prince William and Kate Middleton could be returning to Australia after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed he hoped to host the couple and their children at some point in the not-so-distant future.

WATCH NOW: The Royal Family appears on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after King Charles has been crowned. Article continues after video. 

Prince William reportedly wants to take his family to some of his grandmother’s favourite places.

“It’s been a year of upheaval for the children, and the family are looking to make some happy memories and take them on a big adventure,” says a palace insider.

“William and Kate loved their first tour to Australia in 2014, which was where baby Prince George undertook his first public engagements.

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Everything you need to know about the royal visits of 2024

I t’s a most exciting time when reigning monarchs come together, and apart from a coronation or royal wedding , a state visit is often one of the rare occasions we get to see the extravagant displays of the monarchy.

According to the official Danish royal website , a state visit is carried out by members of a royal family. It aims to establish and strengthen the social and commercial relationships between the two countries.

While it may be business as usual for them, we can’t help but look on in awe at the elegance and poise that these working royals show while performing their official duties.

Continue reading to keep up to date with the latest state visits between royals.

The Danish royals visit Norway, May 2024

On the second stop of their first tour since their ascension to the throne, King Frederik and Queen Mary arrived in Oslo, Norway.

The royals were greeted by Queen Sonja and King Harald V of Norway upon their arrival, as they disembarked the Dannebrog.

Other senior royals to welcome the Danish couple were Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway.

On day one Queen Mary and Frederik’s schedule saw them attending the Bird Room of the Royal Palace where they exchanged gifts and posed for an official portrait to commemorate the state visit.

Following this, an official welcome ceremony was held to commence their visit. The pair then attended a ceremony at the National Monument, met with the President of the Norwegian Parliament Masud Gharahkhani, then ended at Oslo Science City where thet were suited up and shown the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory.

That evening, Their Majesties were joined by other senior Norwegian royals and dignitaries at a gala dinner. The event was made extra special with May 14 marking the 20th anniversary of their marriage.

Queen Mary dazzled in a lavender evening dress that was a reworked Birgit Hallstein Couture gown she first wore in 2015 to the wedding of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden.

The next day, the pair were joined by Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit as they travelled by subway to walk the Ulsrudvann Lake.

The foursome then met with Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and other parliamentarians at Akershus Fortress and finished the afternoon with a walk along the harbour in Oslo as they observed the Norwegian-Danish solutions for future urban spaces, as well as sustainable and community architecture.

The Danish royals visit Sweden, May 2024

King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark embarked on their first royal state visit since their ascension to the throne

The reigning couple arrived in Sweden on May 6 and were greeted by Their Majesties, Queen Silvia and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden as they disembarked the royal Barge Vasaorden.

Sweden marks the couple’s first state visit in a larger tour of the Northern region. Queen Mary and King Frederik will stop in Norway from May 14-15, followed by the Faroe Islands and Greenland in June and July.

During their visit, Queen Mary and King Frederik met with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and other parliamentary officials. They also took some time to attend the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology, where they spoke with a group of astronauts including Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen.

To commemorate the historic occasion, a white-tie banquet was held at Stockholm Palace. The royals took the opportunity to bring out their most formal attire, along with their personal collections of dazzling royal jewels.

On their final day, King Frederik planted a young apple tree in front of the Nordic Museum, while Mary symbolically watered the sapling.

The Spanish royals visit The Netherlands, April 2024

Queen Letizia joined her husband King Felipe VI of Spain on a state visit to the Netherlands from April 16-18.

The royal pair were fondly greeted with an official welcoming ceremony by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. The foursome are known to share quite a close friendship, and spirits seemed to be high during their stay.

As usual for an official state visit, a banquet was held in Amsterdam at the Royal Palace on the first evening. While the event was held in honour of their guests, it marked another historical moment for the Dutch Royals as their eldest child, Princess Amalia, made her State Banquet debut.

The following day consisted of the Queens visiting mental health and community groups, and the Tuschinski Theater for the 10th anniversary of the Spanish Film Festival in Amsterdam. Meanwhile, the Kings attended a soccer match at the Johan Cruyff Foundation for children with disabilities.

The four reunited on the final day at the Straat Museum for street art and graffiti, for an official reception offered by the King and Queen of Spain to the Netherlands.

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg visit Belgium, April 2024

In April of this year, the Grand Duchesse Maria Teresa and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg made a three-day state visit to Belgium from April 16-18.

The Grand Ducal couple were welcomed by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium at the Royal Palace before setting off on their rather full agenda.

Their schedule began at the Grand Place and City Hall where they waved from the balcony and mingled with the crowds.

Of course, the Belgian royals pulled out all the stops with a lavish gala at the Palace of Laeken on the first evening. Both the Grand Duchess and Queen dazzled in historical jewels and tiaras, and the Grand Duke and King in their official uniforms.

The four made official visits to political and community organisations as well as stopping in at the Palais du Prince Eveque, to sign the golden book.

Upon their departure, the Grand Duchesse and Grand Duke of Luxembourg farewelled the growing crowds at the Place Saint-Lambert.

The post Everything you need to know about the royal visits of 2024 appeared first on The Australian Women's Weekly .

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The Royal Australian Mint, Deakin, is temporarily closed to visitors while we continue our refurbishments. See you again in Spring 2024. Find out more .

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2024 Six-Coin Proof Year Set is a gift fit for The King

As the Royal Australian Mint gets ready to release its King Charles III 2024 Six-Coin Proof Year Set, CEO Leigh Gordon has minted the final proof coin to be included in a first-of-its-kind gift for The King.

The proof base metal set containing all six Australian standard coins featuring His Majesty’s effigy will head to Buckingham Palace from the Royal Australian Mint as a gift for King Charles. It follows the tradition of the Palace receiving the first issues of new coins, with Prince Philip having received the first full set of decimal coins bearing the effigy of The Late Queen Elizabeth II, when he opened the Mint in 1965.

Also being released is the highly anticipated King Charles III 2024 Six-Coin Uncirculated Year Set.

Mr Gordon said it was the first time in the Royal Australian Mint’s 59-year history that it changed the Monarch on its full suite of legal coins.

“The Change of Monarch was a significant undertaking that involved multiple stakeholders including the Royal Mint in Wales, the Australian Government and Buckingham Palace,” Mr Gordon said.

“The production of the coins also required design, engineering and production expertise at the Royal Australian Mint to ensure the coins were manufactured effectively across all denominations, sizes and metals.”

The King’s effigy replaced the late Queen’s on the obverse of coins late last year.  Queen Elizabeth II reigned from 1952 until her passing in 2022, making it the first time in 70 years that Australia’s coins feature the effigy of a King, rather than a Queen. 

“The new $1 coin is now in circulation and the 5c and $2 rolls were recently released,” Mr Gordon said.

“Next Tuesday will be a momentous occasion for Australia. The King Charles effigy will be available on all six circulating coins.”

Both the King Charles III 2024 Six-Coin Uncirculated Year Set (RRP $40) and the King Charles III 2024 Six-Coin Proof Year Set (RRP $150) will be available on Tuesday, 21 May:

• EQL ballot (closes Tuesday 21 May at 8.30am) Enter ballot here.
• Mint Coin Shop (Canberra Museum and Gallery location) from 8.30am
• Mint Contact Centre on 1300 652 020 from 8.30am
• From participating authorised distributors

Registration for the ballot is now open and closes at 8.30am on Tuesday, 21 February at 8.30am. The draw will take place immediately following the ballot and successful entrants will be notified by email. To register for the ballot, visit the Mint at www.ramint.gov.au .

As the first full set of coins featuring King Charles III’s image on the obverse, these coin sets will be a highly prized addition to any coin collection.

About the Royal Australian Mint

The Mint is an award-winning, world class Mint and a global leader in the mint industry. The Mint produces circulating coins for Australia and other countries; collectible and investment coins for domestic and international customers; and custom-made medals, medallions and tokens for individual or corporate clients. The Mint is also a national cultural institution that educates millions of Australians and international visitors on the history of Australia’s decimal currency, and the significance and value of coins.

Coin design

2024 Six-Coin Proof Year Set His Majesty King Charles III

2024 Six-Coin Uncirculated Year Set His Majesty King Charles III

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Danish King Frederik and his Australian-born wife visit Sweden on their first official trip abroad

From left, Sweden’s Queen Silvia, Denmark’s Queen Mary, Denmark’s King Frederik X and Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf stand, at Skeppsbron, in Stockholm, Sweden, Monday, May 6, 2024. Denmark’s King Frederik X has arrived in Stockholm, accompanied by his Australian-born wife Queen Mary, as he embarked on his first official visit abroad as new Danish monarch. (Jonas Ekströmer/TT News Agency via AP)

CAPTION CORRECTS BYLINE Denmark’s King Frederik X is welcomed by Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, on arrival, at Skeppsbron, in Stockholm, Sweden, Monday, May 6, 2024. Denmark’s King Frederik X has arrived in Stockholm, accompanied by his Australian-born wife Queen Mary, as he embarked on his first official visit abroad as new Danish monarch. (Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Denmark’s King Frederik X, foreground, stands by Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, with Denmark’s Queen Mary and Sweden’s Queen Silvia, in the Hall of State at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, Monday, May 6, 2024. Denmark’s King Frederik X has arrived in Stockholm, accompanied by his Australian-born wife Queen Mary, as he embarked on his first official visit abroad as new Danish monarch. (Fredrik Sandberg//TT News Agency via AP)

CAPTION CORRECTS SOURCE Denmark’s King Frederik X, left and Queen Mary, are welcomed by Sweden’s Queen Silvia, centre right and King Carl XVI Gustaf, upon their arrival, at Skeppsbron, in Stockholm, Sweden, Monday, May 6, 2024. Denmark’s King Frederik X has arrived in Stockholm, accompanied by his Australian-born wife Queen Mary, as he embarked on his first official visit abroad as new Danish monarch. (Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

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COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s King Frederik X arrived in Stockholm on Monday with his Australian-born wife Queen Mary, as they begin their first official visit abroad as new Danish monarchs.

The 55-year-old Frederik was proclaimed king on Jan. 14 after his 83-year-old mother, Queen Margrethe II, who was Europe’s longest-reigning monarch, abdicated.

In the Swedish capital, Frederik and Mary were first greeted by Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel, who boarded the Danish royal yacht Dannebrog.

They then took the gilded Swedish Royal Barge to shore and were welcomed there by King Carl XVI Gustaf, Sweden’s longest-reigning monarch, and German-Brazilian-born Queen Silvia.

The welcome also included a cannon salute and music by Sweden’s Royal Guards, lined up on the quay at the foot of the Swedish royal palace.

Relations between the two royal houses are close. Frederik’s grandmother, Queen Ingrid who died in 2000, was a Swedish princess.

The May 6-7 visit includes meetings with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kirstersson and the speaker of the Swedish Parliament. A visit to a military facility is also scheduled.

Danish government members also accompanied the royals, among them Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.

Danish monarchs, whose roles are ceremonial, traditionally travel to other Scandinavian countries first. Although Frederik had a solo visit to Poland in January , it was planned before his mother’s surprise New Year’s Eve abdication.

Later this month, Frederik and Mary will travel to Oslo, where they will be greeted by King Harald V and Queen Sonja.

Frederik’s mother was t he first Danish monarch to voluntarily relinquish the throne in nearly 900 years, causing the Nordic nation to experience its first royal succession in more than a half century.

Denmark’s monarchy traces its origins to 10th century Viking king Gorm the Old, making it the oldest in Europe and one of the oldest in the world.

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King Charles unveils his first portrait since coronation at Buckingham Palace 

Britain’s  King Charles III unveiled a new portrait of himself at Buckingham Palace Tuesday.

The portrait, painted by British artist Jonathan Yeo, is the first official portrait of the king to be completed since his coronation, according to the royal family's X account.

In a video, Charles pulled a black covering, unveiling the large red portrait alongside Yeo. The king, 75, is wearing a Welsh Guards uniform in the piece and holding a sword. A butterfly hovers over his shoulder.

In a statement shared by the Royal Family, Yeo said he started working on the portrait when the king was still the prince of Wales, and that it "evolved as the subject’s role in our public life has transformed."

"I do my best to capture the life experiences and humanity etched into any individual sitter’s face, and I hope that is what I have achieved in this portrait," Yeo said. "To try and capture that for His Majesty The King, who occupies such a unique role, was both a tremendous professional challenge, and one which I thoroughly enjoyed and am immensely grateful for."

This isn't the first portrait Yeo has worked on for the Royal Family. Yeo completed paintings of Charles' father, the Duke of Edinburgh , in 2008, and his wife, Camilla , the then-Duchess of Cornwall, in 2014.

The portrait of Charles will eventually be exhibited in Draper's Hall in London.

The unveiling of the portrait comes two weeks after Charles returned to public duties following his cancer diagnosis a little over three months ago. Last month, Buckingham Palace said that the king’s medical team is “very encouraged” by the progress of his recovery but did not disclose any further details.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Nigerian visit is a reminder of how much the House of Windsor could have used them

Analysis Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Nigerian visit is a reminder of how much the House of Windsor could have used them

Prince Harry and Meghan's 72-hour visit to Nigeria has attracted a level of publicity Buckingham Palace has been sorely lacking of late.

The photographs of the former royals taking part in a casual volleyball game, accepting flowers from a little girl and visiting local schools to promote mental health awareness made headlines around the world over the weekend .

Prince Harry drew praise over a heartfelt speech about the importance of "acknowledging bad days ", and photographers snapped pictures as he accepted an invitation to sit and throw the ball around with army veterans wounded in battle against the country's Islamist insurgency.

His wife's instinctive sartorial choices were also avidly followed by royal and non-royal watcher s alike, as was her special connection to the country she called "home".

The lightning-quick tour of Nigeria was intended to champion mental health for young people and promote the Invictus Games, an international sporting event founded by Prince Harry back when he was still firmly within the royal fold.

Nigeria became the first African country to take part in the games last year, with General Christopher Gwabin Musa OFR, the country's highest-ranking military official, extending an invitation to the prince this year to help raise its profile.

But it wasn't a royal tour, it couldn't be. Not after the duke and duchess' decision in 2020 to step back as senior working members of the royal family.

After failing to reach a compromise over a hybrid working model, the couple traded in their lofty titles for the chance to earn a private income, swapping the rigid spotlight of the United Kingdom for carefree California.

Four years later, the British high commissioner in Nigeria was at pains to stress this point, releasing a statement that the couple's visit was in a private capacity and "not an official one".

"They are not representing the work of His Majesty's government on this visit," Richard Montgomery told the News Agency of Nigeria .

It did not prevent the three-day spectacle from making the news locally and within the country Harry and Meghan once considered home.

Some of this attention could not be helped given the stark absences of other senior royals in the public eye in recent months due to illness.

The couple, whether they intended to or not, have demonstrated in their Nigeria stopover, the gap they could have filled had they stayed on as working royals.

And given how small that circle is at the moment, perhaps they have also showed how helpful that would have been.

According to author and former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown, the visit has drawn recollections of the position the duke and duchess once occupied.

"After all the trashing of Harry ... actually when I saw him and Meghan in Nigeria, I had a nostalgia," she told the BBC.

"I felt this is what could have been, these two — who are enormously appealing to the public, and who are very good at it — were out there in Nigeria looking very attractive and being appealing people. And what a pity it is they've gone"

In her view, the couple's sleek visit was a reminder of the grim realities looming over the slimmed-down royal family and the "Harry-shaped hole in the monarchy".

The importance of a royal tour

Royal tours by their very nature are filled with pomp and ceremony and are considered to be an important part of making the public believe in the power of the monarch.

One of Queen Elizabeth II's favourite mantras was that royals "have to be seen to be believed".

Since medieval times, a monarch's highly orchestrated trips around the country or (in more recent times) the globe has provided their subjects with proof of life and reinforced the magic of the palace.

The late queen was a firm believer in the importance of these public voyages, embarking on dozens throughout her reign after first coming to the role of monarch while on a royal tour.

As the story goes, she was more than 7,000 kilometres from home on a five-month visit of Africa and Australia when she went up a tree a princess and came down a queen.

But in the 21st century, the pageantry of these events is offset by greater scrutiny from a wary public and a sceptical media throng.

Stephen Bates, the former royal affairs writer for the Guardian, writes that press teams that accompany royals on these visits do so now if three conditions are met.

"There may be some newsworthiness to them …; second, to view the royals at close range in a way that’s not normally possible — to see what they are like in person, maybe even speak to them; and third, to test the water for their popularity," he wrote for the Guardian.

Last year, King Charles reportedly began planning the largest-ever series of official tours across the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and other countries.

Those rumours were soon confirmed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in February, when he revealed discussions were underway for the king's visit Down Under .

There had been speculation his trip might fall alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa in October.

However, the king's cancer diagnosis and treatment have thrown these plans into question.

Both King Charles III and Princess Catherine have limited their public engagements since announcing they would be recovering from procedures in January.

The king returned to in-person royal duties in late April , after more than seven weeks away from the spotlight, but his public appearances are still being worked out.

"The pacing of the king's program will be carefully calibrated as his recovery continues, in close consultation with his medical team," a Buckingham Palace statement released last month said.

The government has confirmed there are still plans underway for an Australian visit, though it is far from certain.

This is not surprising, given the publicity these tours can generate and the pressure they place on the people at the centre of them.

Careful and thoughtful preparations play a key part in the success of a tour.

But, as with all best-laid plans, sometimes they can go wrong.

The Caribbean tour that drew unwanted attention

Kate and William's tour across the Caribbean in 2022 was supposed to be one such highly-planned event.

It was hoped the young couple would win over a new generation of subjects growing increasingly dubious about their heads of state.

But reports at the time indicated the then duke and duchess of Cambridge's efforts backfired after a series of faux pas.

The couple's visit to Jamaica was overshadowed when reports emerged not long after their arrival that the country's government had begun the process of transitioning the nation to a republic.

Photographs of the couple standing in an open-top Land Rover and reaching out to grab the hands of children through a wire fence also gave rise to awkward recollections of the monarchy's colonial past.

Royal commentators described the messaging of that tour as "poor at best" and prompting an overhaul of the Prince and Princess of Wales' PR and communications team.

While Meghan and Harry's three-day Nigeria visit is by no means comparable to the spectacle of a royal tour, it has offered some lessons on the importance of leaning on a sophisticated PR machine.

The duchess  reportedly has one of the most powerful managers in Hollywood working for her after a reshuffle of her management team last year following the couple's high-profile exit from a Spotify deal.

But part of the success of the duke and duchess' Nigeria stopover was also in some of the more genuine moments on display for waiting cameras.

A day after landing, Meghan noted the contrast between her neutral wardrobe and those around her, making a swift decision to update her sartorial choices.

"It has been a whirlwind 24 hours since we arrived," Meghan reportedly told guests at an event.

"And I very quickly got the memo that I need to wear more colour so I can fit in with all of you in your incredible fashion!"

Her authentic connection with the country was also a running theme of the visit, with Meghan telling locals she had recently discovered her ancestry traced back to Nigeria.

While on stage at an event in the country's capital, Abuja, the Duchess of Sussex explained that her first reaction after finding out was to tell her mother.

"Being African American, part of it is really not knowing so much about your lineage and background … ," she said.

After the duchess's revelation, Mo Abudu, the anchor and chief executive of EbonyLife media group, asked the audience to suggest a Nigerian name for Meghan.

Someone shouted "Ifeoma", which means "a treasured thing", while another shouted "Omowale", which means "the child has come home".

Could Harry and Meghan return to royal life?

In the years since the couple left, questions have swirled around what may have happened if the dice of fate had landed a different way.

What if Harry and Meghan were still working royals alongside William and Kate?

What might have happened if the young couple were on hand to pitch in and step up their public presence when other royals were absent?

The questions have taken on more relevance after the King and Princess Catherine's dual cancer diagnoses and subsequent withdrawal from the spotlight.

A glimpse of what might have been played out over the weekend as Harry and Meghan underwent their own "private" tour of Nigeria.

While the photographs made those watching nostalgic, it's unlikely the visit will prompt a request to take on official duties back in London or heal the deep rift between the royal family and the young couple.

What it has done is further highlight the small group of working royals operating now, made smaller after the deaths of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth, and following Prince Andrew's complete removal from royal life.

But if the king's decision not to see his son when he was in London last week — reportedly due to a full programme —  is anything to go by, any suggestions of a return to royal life are being firmly rebuffed.

Even with a smaller circle of people to rely on, it appears as if the royal family has chosen to keep Harry out in the cold.

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