did queen elizabeth ever visit guyana

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The Royal Visit of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip to British Guiana in 1966.

The royal visit of her majesty, queen elizabeth ii and prince phillip to british guiana in 1966..

Queen Elizabeth II has just celebrated the 60th year as a monarch.  Here we show a short film of her visit to British Guiana in early 1966: 

DESCRIPTION:

This item is shot in Technicolor.   British Guiana (Guyana).Various shots of the Orinduik Falls in British Guiana. Several shots of large sugar plantation with men working on it. Several long shots of a village, Dogs, chicken, monkeys etc.Several shots of Georgetown, the capital of British Guiana. Royal yacht Britannia in harbour.

Close up shot of Royal Standard. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, arriving on shore and are greeted by the Governor Sir Richard Luyt and wife. Press taking photographs. Several dignitaries presented to the Queen. Queen and Duke driving in the open car through crowded streets, people cheering loudly.

Queen and Prince Philip waving from the balcony of Parliament building. Mass crowd cheering.Queen and Prince Philip unveil portraits of themselves in legislative chamber, dignitaries looking on. Queen and Prince Philip driving in the open car to Promenade Gardens, large crowd cheering.

Various shots of the Queen meeting various dignitaries and their wives at the party at Promenade Gardens.

Train arriving to station in the village of Plaisance, large crowd cheering. Queen, Duke and Prime Minster leaving the train. Calypso band playing. Queen and Duke leaving on the train, they wave, crowd waving and cheering.

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Subject: FW: ROYAL TOUR to BG IN 1966

Long ago, but the video brings back fond memories. I was at the Ministry of Information then. I managed the Press Relations Programme for the visit since there were some 40 British press, TV and radio personnel who came. The Press Centre was set up at Bishops High School. I took the British Press to a visit to Lethem. I was presented, among others, to Her Majesty and Prince Philip at a Press Reception on board the Royal Yacht. And had a great time at the wharf when the Royal Party departed. Peter

This video was the best bit of information that Guyanese Online has provided and spoke volumes. Look at the beautiful and clean Georgetown, the railway, the gardens and the happy faces of our people. I totally enjoyed it. This video was the closing chapter of a great Guyana where the respect for life and quality would spiral down in such a shocking way. The two architects of the tragedy were mentioned and shown. The talk of “Jagan’s PPP and the video of the lurking Forbes Burnham” were ominous and just on the horizon which spelled doomed for this story of “Once Upon A Time in British Guiana”

I met the queen when I way 6 yrs old at Yakusari near school I am Nathaniel Jacob. I wish if someone can send me that photo was a group of my class mates.

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Queen elizabeth ii – a glorious part of guyana’s history.

Published: 29th of September, 2022 by Patrick Carpen

Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II, was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on the 21st of April, 1926 in Mayfair, London, England at 02:40 hours (GMT), while Guyana was still a British colony and was called British Guiana . She ascended the throne of the British Monarchy on the 6th of February, 1952 after the death of her father, King George VI. Her coronation ceremony took place on June 2, 1953 and was the first televised coronation ceremony in history. Queen Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years until her death on September 8, 2022 after which her son, Prince Charles, became King.

In the early 1950s, fueled by greed and the lure of money, a handful of Guyanese politicians started to persecute the British Empire, fighting for Guyana’s Independence and the end of colonial rule. The two chief ringleaders in the movement were Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham and Dr. Cheddi Jagan. Their freedom fighting activities included burning cane fields, smear campaigns against the British, name calling, and instigating public unrest. And the end result of their actions included racial division, violent clashes between the two major ethnic groups, poverty, international isolation, economic stagnation, starvation, and mass migration. Yet, Burnham and Jagan are hailed as great heroes, sons of the soil, and fathers of the nation for purely racist reasons.

Related: St. Ignatius Secondary School Arts Student Paints Incredible Portrait of Elizabeth 11

I’ll talk more about this later. For now, let’s come back to the topic of the Queen. On the 21st of December, 2007, Queen Elizabeth II broke her great grandmother’s record and became the longest lived British Monarch. On the 9th of September, 2015, she became the longest reigning female Monarch in the world.

On February 4th, 1966, at the start of her Caribbean tour, Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by her husband, Prince Phillip, became the first reigning monarch to visit British Guiana in its 152 years under the British Flag. The then opposition People’s Progressive Party called on its supporters to boycott the Queen’s visit. However, the appeal seem to have fallen on deaf ears as the entire gamut of society turned up to give the Queen an overwhelmingly warm welcome.

On the first day of the 1966 visit, the Royal couple went to the Durban Park Race Track in Georgetown to see the running of the Queen’s trophy. That day, the Queen presented the winning trophy to “Maid of Joy” which was owned by Miss Claudette Joseph of Trinidad.

During this visit, she opened the Queen Elizabeth II National Park in Georgetown – which was later renamed Guyana National Park.

Accompanied again by her husband, Prince Phillip, Queen Elizabeth paid her second and final visit to Guyana in February, 1994. This time around however, the Queen received a warm welcome from the People’s Progressive Party which had assumed office since 1992. The photo below shows how cozy the then leader of the PPP/C, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, had gotten with the Royal family. There were no calls for boycott this time around. As the saying goes, “all’s well that ends well.”

The Queen spent the first morning of her 1994 visit touring the Amerindian settlement of Santa Mission. There, she exchanged gifts with the locals, attended a church service, and visited a school and handicraft center. The Queen ended her 4-day visit on Tuesday, 22nd of February, 2022 by laying a wreath for Guyanese soldiers who had died fighting for Britain during the Second World War. That day, hundreds of Guyanese struggled to get a look at the queen at the ceremony at the Commonwealth War Memorial.

At the ripe old age of 96, Elizabeth II reportedly fell ill on September 8, 2022 and was placed under medical supervision at Balmoral Castle. According to a statement from Buckingham Palace, “ Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral. ”

Queen Elizabeth II died the same day at 15:10 hours BST. The cause of her death was recorded as “old age.” On the 19th of September, 2022, having lived a long, meaningful, and glorious life on earth, she was laid to rest at the King George VI Memorial Chapel.

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• |  August 20, 2023
• By Staff Reporter
• -  August 20, 2023

By Francis Quamina Farrier

QUEEN Elizabeth ll of Britain and her husband, Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, while on one of their two visits to Guyana in the 1960s, had the pleasure of travelling on one of the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) trains from Georgetown to Plaisance on the East Coast of Demerara. It was an officially organised event. Hundreds, including students, lined the route to see the Royal Couple. The carriage in which they made that historic journey is now within the compound of the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Georgetown, and is identified as “The Chapel.” There is no note on the carriage stating its part in Guyana’s history and Guyana’s hosting of members of the british royal family in the persons of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll and her husband, Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Previously it was part of the British Guiana fleet of train carriages of the historic Georgetown to Rosignol Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) Train System. Back in the day, hundreds of persons used that service on a daily basis during the colonial era. It functioned well and was always on schedule. It was never late, was my personal experience. In the earlier years of my boyhood, I can readily recall trains which functioned Georgetown-Rosignol and Vreed-en-Hoop-Parika, using steam to power the engines. I can recall seeing the operators stoking the engines with added wood to keep the boilers producing sufficient steam to power those trains. The hissing sounds are still very clear in my memory.

I can recall when diesel trains were introduced. It was a big deal which gave lots of excitement, whether they were passengers or not. Those who worked on the trains in whatever capacity did their jobs in service to the passengers. They realised that they would not have a job without passengers using the service. The trains were always well-maintained; kept very clean at all times. There are still persons of a certain age, who used the train service as youngsters, who can verify the high standard of the T&HD Train Services. With the termination of the T&HD train service in 1972, this carriage was taken into the compound of the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and first used as a Cafeteria for a number of years. Miraculously, it survived the devastating fire that destroyed a major hospital section on May 10, 2010. Finally, this train carriage is now being used as a catholic chapel.

The train service in British Guiana made history since it had the very first trains to operate on the continent of South America. The service commenced in 1848 and operated from Georgetown to Mahaica. During the first few years, the service was exclusively for the transportation of cargo. Later it was upgraded and included passenger sections. The service was well supported by the Upper, Middle and Lower ‘class’ sections of the population. The trains had first, second, and third class accommodation. Passengers of each class paid a different price for their tickets, with the First Class paying the highest and the Third Class paying the lowest price. Some passengers used to cheat the system and travel in a ‘higher’ class in the train than what they had paid for. That was a practice which they never always got away with on a regular basis since there were Inspectors who wore impressive uniforms and stern countenances. They made unexpected checks and went from carriage to carriage, checking passengers’ tickets to ensure they had the right ticket for the train section in which they were travelling.

The T&HD trains had a ‘romance’ of sorts to them. The ‘click-clack, click-a-de-clack” of the wheels as they rolled across the small openings between each rail below, was almost like music. That sound was mesmerising and even welcomed by many passengers, especially those who desired to enjoy a nap. As one would appreciate, those who had to make a trip from Georgetown to New Amsterdam, for example, had to rise early, complete what had to be done at home, which many times included preparing a meal and get to the Train Station on Lamaha Street near Thomas Street on time. It was always a long and tiring day for the travellers.

Should the journey be from Georgetown to the West Coast of Demerara, that journey included a Demerara River Ferry crossing, and it was the T&HD Ferry steamer, the MV QUERIMAN that did that service. That was a long time before the Demerara Harbour Bridge was constructed. The dumping of the MV QUERIMAN ferryboat on the Eastern bank of the Essequibo River near Ampa Bay, is considered a disgrace by many of the thousands of Guyanese who it ferried across the Demerara River for many decades. Many feel that it should be moored somewhere convenient as a tourist attraction.

The trains which did the Vreed-en-Hoop to Parika service ran on a smaller gauge track than the Georgetown to Rosignol track. Anyway, as the saying goes, in certain situations, “Size doesn’t matter”, and both services did the job for which they were constructed and put into service; that of getting the travelling public safely and comfortably to their intended destination.

The historic railway systems in British Guiana included Services between Georgetown, the capital city on the Demerara River, and Rosignol on the Berbice River. In those early years, the sixty-plus mile train journey between the two destinations took over six hours. However, that was so, not because they were not bullet trains, but mainly because of the many and lengthy stops between the two locations. The most popular stop between Georgetown and Rosignol was at Mahaica. That was so because there were vendors who sold many popular items, especially snacks such as Fish-and-Bread. Passengers never complained about the length of the journey, since for the majority, that was the only train service they knew, and they had none other with which to make a comparison.

Those who used the train service found it much more comfortable than a journey by road, which was extremely rough in those times. There were many potholes and the roads in those days were not covered with asphalt. They were built with what was known as “red bricks.” Some sections of the public roads had two strips of concrete on which drivers would keep their vehicles to have a better ride. All-in-all, travelling by train was usually the popular choice. On one of her two visits to Guyana, Queen Elizabeth ll of England travelled from Georgetown to Plaisance in the carriage pictured in this article. Maybe it should be a bit of a tourist attraction, especially for English and other Brits.

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A history of the Royal Family on tour in the Caribbean

By Rebecca Cope

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth in Jamaica, 1953. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Chandler Tregaskes

By Harriet Johnston

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Isaac Bickerstaff

By Hope Coke

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Here’s every country Queen Elizabeth II visited in her 70-year reign

From Algeria to Zimbabwe, the Queen visited at least 117 different countries

Photograph: Zoran Karapancev / Shutterstock.com

Queen Elizabeth II, who died earlier today , was probably the best-travelled monarch in history. In her 70 years as UK monarch, Her Maj apparently travelled to at least 117 different countries – and covered over a million miles, according to The Telegraph .

The Queen travelled for loads of reasons, from ceremonial openings to official state visits, but she got around so much primarily because she was head of state for the Commonwealth: a political association of countries that were largely conquered by Britain back when it was an imperial power. RECOMMENDED: How the world is paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

In fact, Elizabeth II wasn’t just the Queen of the United Kingdom: during her time on the throne, she reigned over a total of 32 sovereign countries. Having started her reign in the final years of the British Empire, she ruled over a number of former British colonies as they became independent sovereign states. Many, but not all, later cut ties with the monarchy and became republics.

Queen Elizabeth II reigned, at various points, over Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Ceylon (later Sri Lanka), Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, the Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tanganyika (later Tanzania), Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda and, of course, the UK . She was also proclaimed as queen by Rhodesia, the predecessor to Zimbabwe.

By the time of her death, she was still the queen of 15 countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the UK. She was the Queen of Barbados until November 2021, when the Caribbean nation became a republic.

As you’d expect, the Queen visited all of these places – and plenty more – during her 70-year reign. Here is a full list of all the countries and states the Queen travelled to during her reign, and the dates when she visited.

Algeria (1980)

Antigua and Barbuda (1966, 1977, 1985)

Australia (1953, 1963, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2002, 2011)

Austria (1969)

Bahamas (1966, 1977, 1985, 1994)

Bahrain (1979)

Bangladesh (1983)

Barbados (1966, 1977, 1985, 1989)

Belgium (1966, 1993, 1998, 2007)

Belize (1985, 1994)

Bermuda (1953, 1975, 1983, 1994, 2009)

Botswana (1979)

Brazil  (1968)

British Virgin Islands (1966, 1977)

Brunei (1998)

Canada (1957, 1959, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2010)

Cayman Islands (1983, 1994)

Chile (1968)

China (1986)

Cook Islands (1974)

Cyprus (1961, 1983, 1984, 1993)

Czech Republic (1996)

Denmark (1957, 1979)

Dominica (1966, 1985, 1994)

Estonia (2006)

Ethiopia (1965)

Fiji (1953, 1963, 1970, 1973, 1977, 1982)

Finland (1976, 1994)

France (1957, 1972, 1992, 1994, 2004, 2014)

Gambia (1961)

Germany (1990, 1992, 2004, 2015)

Ghana (1961, 1999)

Grenada (1966, 1985)

Guyana (1966, 1994)

Hungary (1993)

Iceland (1990)

India (1961, 1983, 1997)

Indonesia (1974)

Iran (1961)

Ireland (2011)

Italy (1961, 1980, 2000, 2014)

Jamaica (1953, 1966, 1975, 1983, 1994, 2002)

Japan (1975)

Jordan (1984)

Kenya (1952, 1972, 1983, 1991)

Kiribati (1982)

Kuwait (1979)

Latvia (2006)

Liberia (1961)

Libya (1954)

Lithuania (2006)

Luxembourg (1976)

Malawi (1979)

Malaysia (1972, 1989, 1998)

Maldives (1972)

Malta (1954, 1967, 1992, 2005, 2015)

Mauritius (1972)

Mexico (1975, 1983)

Morocco (1980)

Mozambique (1999)

Namibia (1991)

Nauru (1982)

Nepal (1961, 1986)

Netherlands (1958, 1988, 2007)

New Zealand (1953, 1963, 1970, 1974, 1977, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1995, 2002)

Nigeria (1956, 2003)

Norway (1955, 1981, 2001)

Oman (1979, 2010)

Pakistan (1961, 1997)

Panama (1953)

Papua New Guinea (1974, 1977, 1982)

Poland (1996)

Portugal (1957, 1985)

Qatar (1979)

Russia (1994)

Saint Kitts and Nevis (1985)

Saint Lucia (1966, 1985)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1966, 1985)

Samoa (1977)

Saudi Arabia (1979)

Seychelles (1972)

Sierra Leone (1961)

Singapore (1972, 1989)

Solomon Islands (1982)

South Africa (1995, 1999)

South Korea (1999)

Slovakia (2008)

Slovenia (2008)

Spain (1988)

Sri Lanka (1954, 1981)

Sudan (1965)

Sweden (1956, 1983)

Switzerland (1980)

Tanzania (1979)

Thailand (1972, 1996)

Tonga (1953, 1970, 1977)

Trinidad & Tobago (1966, 1985, 2009)

Tunisia (1980)

Turkey (1971, 2008)

Turks and Caicos Islands (1966)

Tuvalu (1982)

Uganda (1954, 2007)

UAE (1979, 2010)

USA (1957, 1976, 1983, 1991, 2007)

Vatican City (1961, 1980, 2000, 2014)

West Germany (1965, 1978, 1987)

Yugoslavia (1972)

Zambia (1979)

Zimbabwe (1991)

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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.

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The end of an era – President Ali on Queen Elizabeth’s passing

After reigning for 70 years, her majesty queen elizabeth ii – the united kingdom’s longest-serving monarch – died on thursday afternoon at age 96. buckingham palace, in a statement, said the queen died peacefully at her scottish estate, balmoral castle, where she had spent much of the summer. at the moment the queen died, the throne passed immediately and without ceremony to the heir, charles, the former prince of wales. he will now be known as king charles iii. on saturday, charles will be officially proclaimed king. the end of an era..

The Queen’s passing marks the end of an era, Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali said in a statement following news of her demise. “I join all Guyanese in expressing our profound and deepest sorrow at the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Her passing marks the end of an era in the history of the British Monarchy, the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth of Nations,” the Guyanese Head of State said.

“Queen Elizabeth’s place in history is assured, and her legacy is intact. Her long and impactful reign has helped to shape the post-World War II world. Her Majesty has been a source of stability for her country. She will be long remembered for her sterling leadership of the Commonwealth of Nations,” he added. President Ali noted too that Queen Elizabeth II visits to Guyana are recalled “with great fondness”. The Queen’s last tour to Guyana was in 1994 as Head of the Commonwealth. Prior to that, she had visited in 1966, four months prior to Guyana gaining independence after over 100 years of colonial rule as British Guiana. Grace, Dignity, Dedication The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, also issued a statement, extending his condolences on the passing of The Queen.

“As the United Kingdom’s longest-lived and longest-reigning Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II was widely admired for her grace, dignity, and dedication around the world. She was a reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change, including the decolonization of Africa and Asia and the evolution of the Commonwealth,” he expressed. The SG also noted that Queen Elizabeth II was a good friend of the United Nations, having visited its New York Headquarters twice, more than fifty years apart.

“She was deeply committed to many charitable and environmental causes and spoke movingly to delegates at the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow. I would like to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II for her unwavering, lifelong dedication to serving her people. The world will long remember her devotion and leadership.” The Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland, QC also issued a statement in tribute to The Queen on her passing. “After a long life of faith, duty and service, a great light has gone out,” she expressed. “Her Majesty was an extraordinary person, who lived an extraordinary life: a constant presence and example for each of us, guiding and serving us all for as long as any of us can remember. Throughout her reign, and seven decades of extraordinary change and challenge, Her Majesty was the epitome of duty, stability, wisdom and grace.”

During her reign, The Queen travelled more than any monarch in history, visiting every part of the Commonwealth family of nations. The CW SG recalled that between 1971 and 2018, she missed only one Heads of Government Meeting. “Her devotion to duty was only matched by her skill as Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, always a generous host and consummate diplomat,” she noted. “I will miss her greatly, the Commonwealth will miss her greatly, and the world will miss her greatly. We will never see her like again…Hers was a life of service which will echo through the ages. We will be forever grateful,” the CW SG said.

Life of service elizabeth alexandra mary windsor was born on 21 april 1926, in a house just off berkeley square in london, the first child of albert, duke of york. the young elizabeth had little prospect of acceding to the throne until her uncle, edward viii (afterward duke of windsor), abdicated in her father’s favour on december 11, 1936, at which time her father became king george vi and she became heir presumptive. upon the king’s death february 6, 1952, elizabeth become queen. the first three months of her reign, the period of full mourning for her father, were passed in comparative seclusion. but in the summer, after she had moved from clarence house to buckingham palace, she undertook the routine duties of the sovereign and carried out her first state opening of parliament on november 4, 1952. her coronation was held at westminster abbey on june 2, 1953, at the age of 27, in front of a then-record tv audience estimated at more than 20 million people. subsequent decades would see great change, with the end of the british empire overseas and the swinging ’60s sweeping away social norms at home. queen elizabeth reformed the monarchy for this less deferential age, engaging with the public through walkabouts, royal visits and attendance at public events. on september 9, 2015 she became the longest reigning monarch in british history, surpassing the reign of her great-great-grandmother queen victoria. (g11), related articles more from author.

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Tracing Queen Elizabeth’s steps through the U.S.

By Danielle Paquette | Sep 10, 2022

During her seven-decade reign, Queen Elizabeth II visited more than two dozen cities across the United States. She chatted with Girl Scouts, football players, presidents and Frank Sinatra . She cheered on race horses in Kentucky. She requested a ham sandwich with the crust removed in Texas. She sported a tweed skirt-suit in Yosemite National Park.

Wherever England’s longest-serving monarch went, photographers followed, capturing generations of Americans in the throes of Royal fever (and more than a few signature handbags ).

Oct. 17, 1957 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II heads to the White House as crowd's line Washington streets to see the royal monarch.

Oct. 18, 1957 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II accepts a doll for Princess Anne from 7-year-old Pamela Springmann during a visit at Children's Hospital.

Queen Elizabeth II and Vice President Richard Nixon tilt their heads for a better view of the oil paintings on the interior of the Capitol dome during a tour.

Oct. 19, 1957 | College Park, Md.

Co-captains of North Carolina and Maryland meet Queen Elizabeth II before the start of a game.

Oct. 21, 1957 | New York

Queen Elizabeth II, wearing a mink stole, and Prince Philip, standing next to a viewing telescope, view New York City from the observatory roof of the Empire State Building. The Queen said, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Queen Elizabeth II, in a plastic domed car, rides up lower Broadway through a shower of ticker tape and confetti during procession to City Hall.

Queen Elizabeth II addresses the United Nations General Assembly.

Her Majesty kicked off a seven-city tour of the nation’s east in 1976 with a stop in Philadelphia, where she unveiled a gift for the City of Brotherly Love: a Bicentennial Bell to celebrate 200 years of American independence from English rule. (The bell remains in storage .)

July 7, 1976 | Andrews Air Force Base, Md.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip walk down the ramp of their aircraft near Washington.

July 7, 1976 | Philadelphia

Queen Elizabeth II is greeted by the Girl Scouts of America.

July 8, 1976 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II arrives at the U.S. Capitol.

On her New York leg, Elizabeth was spotted squeezing through city throngs, underscoring the lighter security protocols of yesteryear.

July 10, 1976 | New York

Thousands surround Queen Elizabeth II as she walks from the Federal Building up Wall Street to Trinity Church with Mayor Abraham Beame.

J Walter Green

July 10, 1976 | Charlottesville, Va.

Queen Elizabeth II tours Thomas Jefferson's Monticello home.

July 11, 1976 | Boston

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wave to spectators below from the balcony of the Old State House before the Queen descended to street level to address the crowd. The location is the site of the Boston massacre, an event which led to the Revolutionary War.

Elizabeth returned in 1983 for a trek through the West Coast. She visited a Southern California retirement home, led a champagne toast with then-president Ronald Reagan and absorbed the mountain views at Yosemite National Park.

Feb. 26, 1983 | San Diego

Queen Elizabeth II reviews the U.S. Marine Corps honor guard as she arrives for a State visit.

Feb. 28, 1983 | Sierra Madre

Queen Elizabeth II shares a smile with 97-year-old Sibyl Jones-Bateman after the monarch was presented with a bouquet during tour of the British Home retirement community near Los Angeles.

March 3, 1983 | San Francisco

President Ronald Reagan and Queen Elizabeth II raise their glasses in a toast during a state dinner at the M. H. de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park.

Ed Reinke/AP

March 5, 1983 | Yosemite, Calif.

Park superintendent Bob Binnewies points out highlights from Inspiration Point to Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Yosemite National Park.

The queen, a horse racing enthusiast, landed in Kentucky five times between 1984 and 2007, according to the Courier-Journal . She was known to turn up at horse farms, admiring the mares and foals.

May 23, 1986 | Versailles, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II puts out her hand to her filly foal by the mare Christchurch and Alydar during a visit to Lane's End Farm.

May 27, 1986 | Lexington, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II exchanges pleasantries with a line of Fayette County (Ky.) and Kentucky State Troopers on the tarmac as prepares to depart following a five-day visit.

Amy Sancetta/Associated Press

May 26, 1989 | Lexington, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II is welcomed by a child upon her arrival during a private visit to the U.S.

David Banks

During her 1991 visit, Elizabeth addressed Congress. Lawmakers gave the monarch a standing ovation, while opponents of British occupation in Northern Ireland protested outside the Capitol.

May 14, 1991 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II and President George H.W. Bush review the troops after the Queen's arrival at the White House.

May 15, 1991 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II holds flowers presented to her at Drake Place, a housing project.

May 16, 1991 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II is applauded by Vice President Dan Quayle and House Speaker Thomas Foley before her address to the U.S. Congress.

Doug Mills/AP

Elizabeth’s last U.S. state visit came in 2007, when she arrived for the 400th anniversary of England establishing its first permanent North American settlement in Jamestown, Va.

She dined with then-president George W. Bush, watched the Kentucky Derby through bulletproof glass and checked out Washington memorials.

May 4, 2007 | Lexington, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip look out of the window of an SUV as they leave the Bluegrass Airport after arriving.

Morry Gash/AP

May 5, 2007 | Louisville, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II chats with Prince Philip as Susan Lucci (black hat) looks on at the 133rd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Rob Carr/AP

May 7, 2007, | Washington

President Bush smiles at Queen Elizabeth II before the start of a State Dinner at the White House.

Evan Vucci/AP

May 8, 2007 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II and U.S. Park Service Director Mary Bomar walk around the National World War II Memorial during a visit by the Queen and Duke.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

May 8, 2007 | Greenbelt, Md.

Queen Elizabeth II accepts flowers from children while walking during a visit to the Goddard Space Flight Center.

Larry Downing

Elizabeth made her final stop on American soil in 2010 to address the United Nations General Assembly. “I believe I was last here in 1957,” she deadpanned to her New York audience.

July 6, 2010 | New York

Queen Elizabeth II leaves a wreath of flowers at the site of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack during her visit.

Lucas Jackson

Queen Elizabeth II speaks at the United Nations Headquarters.

Seth Wenig/AP

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Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch

The queen’s travels, in photos

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Photo editing and production by Natalia Jiménez

This Is How Many Times Queen Elizabeth Has Visited America

During her long reign, Queen Elizabeth has met leaders from all around the world, including 13 out of the last 14 U.S. presidents , with Lyndon Johnson being the only commander in chief to miss out on a meeting with the queen (per Town & Country ). "In almost every instance, the Queen has also inspired admiration and respect. These are the qualities that underpin her unofficial title as her government's 'secret weapon,'" noted author Matthew Dennison in a piece for  The Telegraph .

Presidents to have visited the queen in her home country include Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, but Queen Elizabeth has been a guest across the pond six times throughout the years. Elizabeth was not yet queen during her first visit to the United States when she was 25 years old in 1951. She and her husband , Prince Phillip, made the trip because her father, Queen George VI, was too sick to meet with Harry Truman in Washington D.C. The young couple clearly made a favorable impression on the president and his wife, with Truman stating "never before have we had such a wonderful young couple, who have so completely captured the hearts of all of us" (per Time ).

Four years after she became queen, Elizabeth returned to the United States in 1957, this time to meet with Dwight D. Eisenhower during the Cold War . She wouldn't be back on American soil until 1976 when she traveled to see Gerald Ford for the Bicentennial Celebration.

Queen Elizabeth has managed to charm every American president

Queen Elizabeth's last three visits to the United States came in 1983 to visit President Ronald Reagan at his California ranch; in 1991, when she met with George H.W. Bush and planted a tree on the South Lawn of the White House; and finally in 2007, when the queen commemorated the 400th anniversary of the English settlement in Jamestown during George W. Bush's presidency (per the White House Historical Association ).

Whether in the U.K. or the U.S., each of her meetings with American leaders has one thing in common: Queen Elizabeth has impressed every president. Barack Obama has called her "truly one of my favorite people" (per Time ), while Joe Biden boasted during his June 2021 visit to Windsor Castle that the queen was "extremely gracious, which is not surprising" (via  Town & Country ). He added that "she reminded me of my mother, in terms of the look of her and just the generosity." 

And even Donald Trump had kind words to say about the royal, stating, "If you think of it, for so many years she has represented her country, she has really never made a mistake. You don't see, like, anything embarrassing. She is just an incredible woman" (via  Business Insider ).

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A timeline of every B.C. visit made by the Queen (photos)

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Over her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II paid numerous visits to Canada and its westernmost province British Columbia.

But it was a young princess that Elizabeth — then Duchess of Edinburgh — embarked on her first coast-to-coast tour of the country.

On Oct. 8, 1951, Elizabeth’s train pulled into Vancouver with Prince Philip. The couple would later visit Victoria and Nanaimo, before enjoying a private retreat in Qualicum Beach. 

She departed on Nov. 12, only three months before she acceded the throne upon the death of her father George VI.

As news echoed across the world of Queen Elizabeth II’s death Thursday, we look back at her seven visits to this corner of the Commonwealth.

Princess Elizabeth signs the visitors book in the Mayor's office. Vancouver Archives

1959 - June 18 to Aug. 1

Queen Elizabeth II visits the University of British Columbia in her first trip to Canada as monarch. Vancouver Archives

In her first visit to Canada as queen, Elizabeth II toured the entire country with Prince Philip aboard the royal train. In B.C., the royal couple made a number of stops, including Golden, Revelstoke, Kamloops and Spences Bridge. They would also visit New Westminster, Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo.

1971 - May 3 to 12 

The Queen and Prince Phillip wave farewell to the crowd from the deck of HMS Britannia in 1971.

Along with The Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Ann, Queen Elizabeth II visited B.C. on the Royal Yacht Britannia. The visit would mark the centenary of B.C.’s entry into Confederation. Stops included Greater Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Comox, Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, Prince Rupert and Williams Lake.

1983 - March 8 to March 11

Queen Elizabeth II visits Parliament Hill in Ottawa on a tour that would eventually land her in B.C. Canadian Heritage/Flickr

In another visit aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, first pulled into Victoria. The royal couple also visited Vancouver, Nanaimo, Vernon and New Westminster during their West Coast tour.

1987 - Oct. 9 to 24 

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip outside Science World in 1987. Science World

The royal couple returned to Qualicum Beach for a private retreat before spending time in Vancouver and Greater Victoria, where they attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. During this visit, Queen Elizabeth II unveiled B.C.’s new, updated Coat of Arms.

1994 - Aug. 13 to 22

Queen Elizabeth II greeting people while on a visit to Prince George. City of Prince George

On this visit, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip opened the Commonwealth Games in Victoria and had a private retreat at Twin Island. The Queen visited CFB Comox and Prince George.

2002 - Oct. 4 to 15 

The Queen acknowledges the crowd during her visit here in 2002. Times Colonist File Photo

In her final visit to British Columbia, Queen Elizabeth II visited Canada as part of The Queen’s Golden Jubilee. They would visit Victoria, where she unveiled a stained-glass window in the B.C. Parliament Buildings. 

In Vancouver, she shook hands with throngs of students at the University of British Columbia and dropped the puck at an NHL exhibition game.

Queen Elizabeth dropped the ceremonial puck at the start of an exhibition hockey game at GM Place, Vancouver. Province of B.C.

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