queen's visit to new zealand 1970 itinerary

Queen Elizabeth's 1970 Visit To New Zealand And Australia Forever Changed Royal Customs

The history of the British monarchy dates back over a thousand years. During that millenia the kingdom's monarchs fought many wars, restructured their government, and developed their own traditions. It is arguably those traditions that have made the British royal family one of the most recognizable figureheads in the world. But, it was not until the 20th century that some of these customs began to change.

Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952 and became the first woman to rule the United Kingdom since her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria over a century earlier, (per  All That's Interesting ). Over her decades-long reign, Queen Elizabeth II became a beloved figure amongst her subjects and many others from all over the world. Part of the reason for this was her willingness to occasionally break with royal tradition and attempt to modernize the monarchy. One day in 1970, her ability to do this would change the face of British royal customs forever.

Queen Elizabeth II Started The Royal Walkabout

As a royal figure, the queen and the royal family did not really intermingle with their subjects, with the exception of their public appearances. Until the latter part of the 1990s, the general population would only see the royals above them on a balcony or maybe through a car window if they were lucky, according to Insider . However, a couple of decades before, Queen Elizabeth II laid the foundation for what would become a new tradition.

In 1970, the queen took a tour of Australia and New Zealand, and while on this trip she decided to break protocol. Instead of keeping her distance from the people that had come to catch a glimpse of her, she decided to meet them on foot instead. This practice was reportedly initiated to help the royals connect with more of the ordinary folks instead of the other politicians or other officials they normally interact with. According to Harper's Bazaar, since the first royal walkabout more than 50 years ago, this custom has been practiced by others in the royal family, including Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, and the iconic Princess Diana .

Queen Elizabeth II tours NZ

A DigitalNZ Story by Zokoroa

A pictorial remembrance of Queen Elizabeth II's ten royal tours to NZ from 1953 to 2002 - the first reigning British monarch to visit Aotearoa.

Queen , Queen Elizabeth II , Monarchy , Government , Royalty , Parliament

Queen Elizabeth II (born 21 April 1926) became New Zealand’s sixth British monarch on 6 February 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI.  She was the first reigning British monarch to visit New Zealand, which occurred over the ‘royal summer’ of 1953-1954. The Queen and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, have visited New Zealand ten times, with their last tour taking place in 2002 during her Golden (50th) Jubilee. Queen Elizabeth is the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum (70th) Jubilee, an historic milestone which she reached in 2022. Seven years previously, she had surpassed the record of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria (1819-1901), who had reigned for over 63 years from 20 June 1837- 22 Jan 1901. It was announced by Buckingham Palace on 8 September 2022 that Queen Elizabeth had passed away that afternoon at Balmoral Castle aged 96. 

23 Dec 1853 - 30 Jan 1954: First visit to NZ from a reigning British monarch

Queen Elizabeth II (born 21 April 1926) became NZ's 6th British monarch since 1840 Treaty of Waitangi on 6 Feb 1952

Auckland Libraries

The Queen's Commonwealth tour from Nov 1953-May 1954 included the West Indies, Australasia, Asia & Africa

The Royal Tour of New Zealand 1953 - 54

NZ On Screen

Queen Elizabeth's Christmas message included the news of the Tangiwai train disaster on Christmas eve

Queen Elizabeth reads the Christmas message, 1953

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

The Queen also opened 31st NZ Parliament on 12 Jan (a role usually carried out by her Governor-General)

Queen Elizabeth II at Parliament Buildings for the ceremonial opening of Parliament, Royal Tour 1953-1954

Alexander Turnbull Library

6–18 February 1963: The Queen attended celebrations at Waitangi & also opened Parliament

The Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council was established as a gift to the Queen

Queen Elizabeth II and the arts council charter, 1963

12–30 March 1970: The Queen participated in the James Cook bicentenary celebrations & also opened Parliament

Māwai Hakona 1970; Gisborne; royal visit and Cook bicentenary celebration.

Upper Hutt City Library

Visit, HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip, 1970

Massey University

The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles & Princess Anne, opened 36th NZ Parliament

Visit of Queen Elizabeth II, opening of Parliament and visit to Wellington Hospital

Princess Anne & her then husband, Captain Mark Phillips, & Prince Charles accompanied the Queen & the Duke

Princess Anne greeting equestrian riders, New Plymouth

The Queen also opened Parliament and attended the New Zealand Day events at Waitangi

New Zealand Day at Waitangi

Māwai Hakona 1974; at Waitangi for New Zealand Day; Royal Yacht in background.

22 Feb – 7 March 1977: Visited as part of a Commonwealth tour to mark the Queen’s Silver (25th) Jubilee & opened Beehive

Palmerston North City Library

Queen Elizabeth II with Scouts

Royal visit, 1977

South Canterbury Museum

The Queen also officially opened the new Beehive on 28 Feb

Queen Elizabeth II opening the Beehive, 1977

Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

12–20 October 1981: The Queen visited following a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Melbourne

Air Force Museum of New Zealand

JSPRO52-17-81

JSPRO52-13-81

The 1981 Royal Variety Performance was held at the Theatre Royal at Drury Lane in front of the Queen

1981 Royal Variety Performance

22 February – 2 March 1986: The Queen visited as part of a tour to Nepal and Australia, & also opened Parliament

Queen Elizabeth in Napier 1986

Hawke's Bay Knowledge Bank

Brownies marching for the Queen

Christchurch City Libraries

Children at QEII Park

1–16 February 1990: The Queen closed the Commonwealth Games in Auckland & also opened Parliament

The Queen also participated in events marking the sesquicentennial of the Treaty of Waitangi

Queen Elizabeth II at Waitangi, 1990

Sesquicentennial demonstration, Queen Street, 1990

New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

1–10 November 1995: The Queen attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Auckland

PD211-14-95

Queen Elizabeth the Second and supporters, Wellington.

22–27 February 2002: The Queen's last visit to NZ was as part of the commemoration of her Golden (50th) Jubilee

In 2022, the Queen celebrated her Platinum (70th) Jubilee. She'd surpassed 63-year reign of Queen Victoria in Sept 2015.

On 8 Sept 2022 , Queen Elizabeth passed away at Balmoral Castle aged 96

NZ marked the passing of Queen Elizabeth II with a State Memorial Service & one-off public holiday on Mon 26 Sept

Source :  'Royal tours', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/queen-elizabeth/royal-tours , (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 4-Feb-2022  

The Queen in New Zealand: A look back at Her Majesty's visits to Aotearoa

Bethany Reitsma

Senior lifestyle Writer, NZ Herald

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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II marked 70 years on the throne - a monumental milestone for Britain’s longest-reigning monarch - months before her death in September 2022.

Just 25 when she came to the throne after the death of her father George VI, she also became the third-longest reigning monarch in the world.

To mark her Platinum Jubilee, festivities from a pageant involving 10,000 people to the traditional Trooping the Colour Parade, theatre performances, concerts and street parties took place across four days. The days of mourning between her death and her state funeral saw the royals gather for much more sombre appearances as they remembered their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Countless Kiwis watched the funeral from their homes, and for many of them, the ceremony will have brought up memories of the time they met the Queen themselves, or saw her waving to the crowds during one of her many trips to New Zealand.

As the figurehead of the monarchy, the Queen’s relationship with Aotearoa was at times a complicated one. But it’s undeniable that she had a special place in Kiwis’ hearts, having navigated questions of sovereignty with grace throughout her years on the throne.

She was here during the Tangiwai disaster on Christmas Eve in 1953. She celebrated Waitangi Day with us on the Treaty Grounds. She introduced us to her children and grandchildren, opened Parliament buildings, and closed the Commonwealth Games. And it was in New Zealand in 1981 that she was the target of an assassination attempt, which may have been the closest anyone ever came to taking the Queen’s life.

Her most recent - and final - visit to New Zealand took place in 2002.

Here we take a look back at Her Majesty's 10 memorable visits to the land of the long white cloud.

The Queen's first visit in December 1953 also marked the first time a reigning sovereign set foot on New Zealand soil.

The newly-crowned monarch visited 46 towns and cities and went to 110 functions during the trip. One woman famously saw her 30 times.

Her Christmas message was broadcast from Auckland, during which she paid her respects to the victims of the Tangiwai rail disaster and their families.

The Queen returned to New Zealand 10 years later. Her February 1963 visit was timed so that she would arrive from Fiji and step straight onto New Zealand soil at Waitangi.

At the time, chairman of the New Zealand Māori Council Tui Carroll told the monarch in his address that Māori wanted the Treaty to have further statutory recognition.

March 1970 marked 200 years since Captain Cook and the Endeavour crew first came to New Zealand.

It was on this visit that the Queen established the royal "walkabout", now a tradition for each royal visit. She also introduced her children, Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Princess Anne to the country.

During her 1974 visit to Aotearoa, the Queen attended the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, as well as events at Waitangi to celebrate New Zealand Day.

She also opened Parliament, which passed legislation that year to confirm her local title as Queen of New Zealand. She was accompanied on this visit by her husband the Duke of Edinburgh as well as Prince Charles, and Princess Anne and her husband Mark Phillips.

The year 1977 marked the Queen's Silver Jubilee, celebrating 25 years on the throne. As part of this royal tour, Her Majesty visited 11 centres in New Zealand. She also opened the Executive Wing building, also known as the Beehive, at Parliament in Wellington.

She gave a speech and unveiled a bronze plaque on the occasion, attending a banquet with 300 guests in the new Banquet Hall afterwards.

The Queen's 1981 visit very nearly ended in disaster after an assassination attempt.

In October that year, the Queen was visiting Dunedin when Kiwi teenager Christopher John Lewis aimed a .22 rifle at her from five storeys above her motorcade.

He missed, but it was quickly covered up as the government rushed to conceal just how close he had come to assassinating the Queen.

Then-Prime Minister Robert Muldoon reportedly feared that if the word got out, the royals would never visit New Zealand again.

The Queen's visit from February to March 1986 was an extension of trips to Nepal and Australia.

This visit, like many others, was marked by appointments of several Kiwis to the Royal Victorian Order in the 1986 Royal Visit Honours.

During her February 1990 visit, the Queen closed the Commonwealth Games in Auckland and attended events to mark 150 years since the Treaty of Waitangi was signed.

She also visited Queenstown with the Duke of Edinburgh, planting a tree at Earnslaw Park which was ripped out and stolen shortly afterwards. The thief was never identified and the tree was never found.

Her Majesty returned in November 1995, attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Auckland and opening the refurbished Parliament Buildings.

During this visit, she personally delivered an apology to the Tainui people from the British Crown. This apology was part of the Waikato-Tainui treaty settlement, including financial compensation and land adding up to $170 million.

The Queen's final visit to New Zealand was part of the celebrations of her Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years on the throne.

At a state dinner held in her honour, she addressed New Zealanders with these moving words.

"Whenever Prince Philip and I are here we particularly appreciate the warmth and friendliness of New Zealanders; the diverse culture and the stunning beauty of the country; and the opportunity to share your special way of life," she said at the time.

"This is a very different country from the one I first visited all those years ago. The changes here over these fifty years have been dramatic; I have admired your increasing energy and confidence. I know that this process of evolution will continue as you, the people of New Zealand, map out your path for the future in your own time and in your own way.

“I look forward to continuing to serve to the best of my ability in the years to come. It fills me with great pride to stand before you here today to express my lasting respect and deep affection for this country and for New Zealanders everywhere.”

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A look back at the Queen’s memorable New Zealand and Australia tours

By MiNDFOOD

• September 9, 2022

It was in 1953 that a 27-year-old Queen Elizabeth II found herself celebrating a Christmas in New Zealand, broadcasting her annual Christmas message from Government House in Auckland. It marked the beginning of the Queen and Prince Philip’s Commonwealth tour, which saw them visit 13 countries including New Zealand, Australia, Tonga and Fiji.

“This will be a voyage right round the world – the first that a Queen of England has been privileged to make as Queen. But what is really important to me is that I set out on this journey in order to see as much as possible of the people and countries of the Commonwealth and Empire, to learn at first-hand something of their triumphs and difficulties and something of their hopes and fears,” she said in her address. The Queen observed that she was deeply impressed by “the achievement and the opportunity which the modern Commonwealth presents”.

“Like New Zealand, from whose North Island I am speaking, every one of its nations can be justly proud of what it has built for itself on its own soil. But their greatest achievement, I suggest, is the Commonwealth itself, and that owes much to all of them.”

She said that the Commonwealth bears no resemblance to the empires of the past. “It is an entirely new conception, built on the highest qualities of the spirit of man: friendship, loyalty and the desire for freedom and peace,” she remarked. “To that new conception of an equal partnership of nations and races I shall give myself heart and soul every day of my life.”

In 1954, less than two years after ascending the throne, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip took a tour of New Zealand, part of the monarch’s 1953/1954 Commonwealth Tour.

In this photo, The Queen and Prince Philip can be seen walking through a large crowd at Arawa Park in Rotorua in January 1954.

A decade after her first royal visit, the Queen returned to New Zealand to mark the 123rd anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi – signed in 1840 by Captain William Hobson RN as consul for the British Crown and Māori chiefs (rangatira) from the North Island of New Zealand. The Queen, accompanied by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, began the tour in the Bay of Islands, where they attended Waitangi celebrations. Pictured here, the monarch waves to crowds in an open-top car in Russell.

During the Waitangi celebrations, which drew crowds of 20,000, the Queen heard from Sir Turi Carroll, the first president of the New Zealand Māori Council, who called for recognition of the Treaty in law and the establishment of a Waitangi Day public holiday (the first Waitangi Day public holiday wasn’t until 1974).

It was the Queen’s use of te reo Māori which drew applause during her speech, greeting the crowd with “tēnā koutou katoa” and ending with: “Whatever happened in the past, and whatever the future may bring, it remains the sacred duty of the crown today, as in 1840, to stand by the spirit of the Treaty of Waitangi and to ensure that the trust of the Māori people is never betrayed.

“After the Treaty had been signed and witnessed on that historic February day, Captain Hobson spoke these challenging and prophetic words: he iwi kōtahi tātou, we are all one people.

“On this happy anniversary, let me add simply, arohanui kia ora koutou.”

In 1954, Queen Elizabeth II sailed into Sydney Harbour, where she was greeted by an estimated one million Sydneysiders. At just 27 years old, she had assumed the role of Head of the Commonwealth two years earlier from her late father King George VI, the first monarch to hold the title. The first, and to date, only reigning British monarch to visit Australia, the inaugural Commonwealth tour for the Queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh saw them visit 14 countries including New Zealand, Australia, Tonga and Fiji. The royal tour of 1954 was the single biggest event ever planned in Australia, with the royals visiting 57 towns in 58 days.

She visited every state and territory, except the Northern Territory. Almost three-quarters of the Australian population is said to have taken the opportunity to see the Queen during the tour and she remarked, “What has impressed me the most was the long distances people travelled to see me.”

In the Repatriation General Hospital in Hobart talking to an injured ex-serviceman, Queen Elizabeth II visited a huge range of people and places throughout the country, with events scheduled for the morning, afternoon and evening. After the vastness of the 1954 tour by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prime Minister Robert Menzies proposed that future royal visits should be “less formal”. He feared that if the 1954 tour were used as a standard, “it might be difficult to have such visits very frequently” due to the work and effort involved for the organisers and participants.

Having made a formal tour of Australia in 1954, the Queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh returned to Australia in 1963, touring all the states and territories. The main purpose of this royal tour was to lead the Canberra Jubilee celebrations commemorating the 50th anniversary of the naming of the capital. As well as Canberra, the Queen and Prince Philip were greeted in Sydney, Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Here, the Queen is pictured surrounded by schoolchildren at a playground in Sydney. On this tour, the royals also visited the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia base in Alice Springs.

In preparation for this tour, Sir Roy Dowling, the Queen’s Australian Secretary for the visit, was cautioned about Northern Territory mosquitoes. Dowling was warned, “You could be placed in an extremely embarrassing situation if the Queen’s skin was marked and if the press published pictures and stories about those marks.” In a statement by Prime Minister Robert Menzies, the itinerary for the royal visit was based on the maximum use of the royal yacht Britannia, which the Queen used as her home wherever possible and as a means of transport and of rest. “The use of the Royal Yacht will also allow Her Majesty to enter the cities of Melbourne, Hobart, Sydney, Brisbane and Fremantle from the seaward. Furthermore, it is Her Majesty’s intention to use the yacht for entertainment purposes throughout the visit,” he said.

In February 1974, joined by her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and their daughter, Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth II was welcomed to the Tūrangawaewae marae in Ngāruawāhia by Te Arikinui, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the Māori queen. Queen Elizabeth II spent two weeks in New Zealand during her 1974 visit, where she also attended the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, which was the second time that the country had hosted the Commonwealth Games. During the visit to Tūrangawaewae, the Queen opened the Kimiora Hall cultural centre at the marae, one of Te Atairangikaahu’s first developments as the Māori queen.

It was not the first time the British monarch and the Māori queen had met. In 1953, during the royal’s first New Zealand visit, Te Atairangikaahu, known then as Princess Piki, invited the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to come inside the Tūrangawaewae marae and into the Māhinārangi meeting house, reportedly to the cheers on the crowd. Te Atairangikaahu would go on to become the longest-reigning Māori monarch, serving for 40 years and enjoying a national profile. When Te Atairangikaahu died in 2006 at the age of 75, the Queen sent a message of condolence to her whānau and the Tainui people. “I remember warmly my own visit to Tūrangawaewae and my meetings with Dame Te Ata. Her leadership, dignity and compassion will long be remembered,” she said.

In 1970, during a visit to Te Rapa racecourse in Hamilton, the Queen met Hori Paki, who at 104 was believed to be New Zealand’s then oldest man.

Large crowds gathered to see Queen Elizabeth II as she goes for a ‘walk-about’ in Auckland during a visit to New Zealand in 1977. Part of her Commonwealth tour to mark her Silver Jubilee (25 years on the throne), the Queen and Prince Philip visited 11 places in the country, including Wellington where the monarch opened the Beehive building.

Queen Elizabeth II has made 16 visits to Australia during her 70 years as reigning monarch, with the most recent in 2011. In 2002, to mark the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne, the Queen undertook a special Golden Jubilee Tour visiting four Commonwealth countries – Jamaica, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. She is pictured here in 2002 watching a culture show at Tjapukai Aboriginal Culture Park near Cairns. The 2002 tour was the sixth time in her reign that she travelled around the world on a single tour. She visited 50 countries over 38 days in the Jubilee year, travelling over 64,000km by air.

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The queen's long-lasting relationship with new zealand.

Queen Elizabeth II made 10 trips to New Zealand during her 70-year reign, the last during her Golden Jubilee tour in 2002.

Queen Elizabeth is greeted by Māori elders at the Māori Arts and Crafts Institute in Whakarewarewa near Rotorua in November 1995. Photo: AFP

Months after her coronation in early 1953, the Queen and her husband, the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, headed to New Zealand where they spent Christmas and New Year's.

During the nearly month-long tour, the Queen visited 46 towns and cities and attended more than 100 separate functions. The visit heightened interest in the royals, with crowds flocking to the public events. In Tirau, 10,000 people turned up to welcome her, and one woman even saw her 30 times.

The royal couple spent Christmas morning at church before the Queen's Christmas message was broadcast, and they spent Boxing Day at the horse races in Ellerslie, Auckland.

The Queen, Prime Minister Sid Holland, The Duke of Edinburgh and Sir Eruera Tirakatene during her visit to New Zealand in 1954 Photo: AFP

On 12 January she opened Parliament - it was the first time a reigning monarch had opened Parliament.

A visit to Waitangi was added to the itinerary after it was initially omitted.

She returned in February 1963, spending 12 days in the country and attending Waitangi celebrations.

The Queen came back with her young family in March 1970, introducing Prince Charles and Princess Anne, before heading to Australia.

Queen Elizabeth during her first visit to New Zealand as Queen in 1954. Photo: AFP

The Queen and Prince Philip also attended the 1974 Commonwealth Games, held in Christchurch in January and February. The now-demolished QEII Park was built for the event. The royal couple took a motorcade around the stadium track and Queen Elizabeth presented medals to winners. She went to Waitangi events.

In 1977, she was back, this time to mark her Silver (25th) Jubilee. She was in the country from 22 February to 7 March. She visited 11 centres and opened the Beehive on 28 February 1977.

She made short visits in October 1981 (after a Commonwealth Heads of Government conference in Melbourne) and from February to March 1986.

The Queen returned for the Auckland Commonwealth Games in February 1990, and officially closed the event.

In October and November 1995, the Queen was in Auckland for a summit meeting of the heads of government from the Commonwealth nations.

During her visit, she personally delivered an apology from the Crown to the Tainui people, which formed part of the Waikato-Tainui treaty settlement.

Queen Elizabeth II with Tana Umaga, then-All Blacks captain, during a special reception at Buckingham Palace in London in 2005. Photo: AFP

In 1997, she hosted the All Blacks at Buckingham Palace, and again in 2002 and 2005.

During her 2002 Golden (50th) Jubilee tour, she visited New Zealand from 22-27 February. She met with then-prime minister Helen Clark, governor-general Dame Sylvia Cartwright, Team New Zealand members and the late Sir Edmund Hillary, among others.

While she didn't return after this visit, she has hosted New Zealanders at Buckingham Palace in recent years.

Queen Elizabeth, pictured with then-prime minister Helen Clark, meets with the Team New Zealand skipper at the time, Dean Barker, during her last visit to New Zealand Photo: AFP

In 2008, the Queen joined the All Blacks and then-prime minister John Key as they visited the 'New Zealand Giant Rugby Ball' near Tower Bridge in central London.

In 2013, she presented Prince Philip with New Zealand's highest honour, the Order of New Zealand in the presence of Sir Lockwood Smith, High Commissioner for New Zealand, at Buckingham Palace.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford meet with the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2018. Photo: AFP

In 2018, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford were hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. More recently, she held a Zoom call with new Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro, prior to her being sworn in. Prior to Covid, the investee would have visited a Royal residence, usually Buckingham Palace, with members of their family, to receive their insignia.

While the Queen had not visited New Zealand for almost 20 years, her children and great grandchildren had.

In March, 2011, Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, visited New Zealand to mark the Christchurch earthquake a month earlier and the Pike River mine disaster in November, 2010.

Governor-General Jerry Mateparae, right, toasts with Prince William, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Prime Minister John Key as they unveil a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by New Zealand artist Nick Cuthell during a state reception at Government House in Wellington in April 2010. Photo: AFP

He returned in 2014 with his wife Kate and their infant son George. While here, the Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge unveiled a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, painted by New Zealand artist Nick Cuthell during a state reception at Government House.

In 2012, Prince Charles, Duke of Cornwall and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall visited New Zealand to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

In 2018, Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan visited New Zealand five months after their wedding.

Copyright © 2022 , Radio New Zealand

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The Queen's long-lasting relationship with NZ

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• First published on RNZ

Months after her coronation in early 1953, the Queen and her husband, the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, headed to New Zealand where they spent Christmas and New Year's.

The Queen visited Dunedin in January 1954 where she was surrounded by a mass of flag-waving children at Forbury Park Racecourse in January 26, 1954.

During her nearly month-long tour, the Queen visited 46 towns and cities and attended more than 100 separate functions.

The visit heightened interest in the royals, with crowds flocking to the public events.

In Tirau, 10,000 people turned up to welcome her, and one woman even saw her 30 times.

On 12 January she opened Parliament - it was the first time a reigning monarch had opened Parliament.

A visit to Waitangi was added to the itinerary after it was initially omitted.

The Queen came back with her young family in March 1970, introducing Prince Charles and Princess Anne, before heading to Australia.

The Queen and Prince Philip also attended the 1974 Commonwealth Games, held in Christchurch in January and February.

The now-demolished QEII Park was built for the event. The royal couple took a motorcade around the stadium track and Queen Elizabeth presented medals to winners. She went to Waitangi events.

In 1977, she was back, this time to mark her Silver (25th) Jubilee.

She was in the country from 22 February to 7 March. She visited 11 centres and opened the Beehive on 28 February 1977.

The Queen returned for the Auckland Commonwealth Games in February 1990, and officially closed the event.

In October and November 1995, the Queen was in Auckland for a summit meeting of the heads of government from the Commonwealth nations.

During her visit, she personally delivered an apology from the Crown to the Tainui people, which formed part of the Waikato-Tainui treaty settlement.

In 1997, she hosted the All Blacks at Buckingham Palace, and again in 2002 and 2005.

While she didn't return after this visit, she has hosted New Zealanders at Buckingham Palace in recent years.

In 2008, the Queen joined the All Blacks and then-prime minister John Key as they visited the 'New Zealand Giant Rugby Ball' near Tower Bridge in central London.

In 2013, she presented Prince Philip with New Zealand's highest honour, the Order of New Zealand in the presence of Sir Lockwood Smith, High Commissioner for New Zealand, at Buckingham Palace.

In 2018, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford were hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

More recently, she held a Zoom call with new Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro, prior to her being sworn in. Prior to Covid, the investee would have visited a Royal residence, usually Buckingham Palace, with members of their family, to receive their insignia.

In March, 2011, Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, visited New Zealand to mark the Christchurch earthquake a month earlier and the Pike River mine disaster in November, 2010.

He returned in 2014 with his wife Kate and their infant son George. While here, the Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge unveiled a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, painted by New Zealand artist Nick Cuthell during a state reception at Government House.

In 2012, Prince Charles, Duke of Cornwall and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall visited New Zealand to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

In 2018, Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan visited New Zealand five months after their wedding.

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Queen Elizabeth II – Her coronation and first visit to New Zealand in 1953

New Zealanders celebrated two royal events in 1953. In the middle of the year, their new monarch Elizabeth II was crowned; six months later she came to Aotearoa New Zealand in person.

A royal year

Many souvenirs were made to mark these happy occasions, some were unique and hand-made, others were mass-produced, but all were mementos of the beginning of what was called ‘the new Elizabethan age’.

In June, Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and Pakistan, and became the Head of the Commonwealth.

The coronation on 2 June was especially memorable for New Zealanders, as it coincided with news of Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenza Norgay reaching the summit of Mt Everest. The Acting Prime Minster of New Zealand described the conquest as ‘a most fitting gift for her Majesty’s Coronation’.

Touring New Zealand

At the end of December 1953, Queen Elizabeth arrived in New Zealand. She and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, stayed for almost six weeks, travelling through Aotearoa New Zealand as part of a six-month tour of the Commonwealth.

Their itinerary took the couple to 46 towns and cities. This was the first time a reigning monarch of New Zealand had visited – the previous five royal visits had been made by brothers or sons of monarchs.

Crowds flocked to see them. It is estimated that almost three out of every four New Zealanders turned out to catch a glimpse of their new Queen.

This photograph shows spectators watching Queen Elizabeth II’s cavalcade driving through the Basin Reserve in Wellington. It was taken on the last day of the Queen’s stay in the capital, before she and the Duke of Edinburgh flew to the South Island.  Queen's visit, December 1953-January 1954 ... , 16 January 1954, by Leslie Adkin. Te Papa (A.008487)

Royal visit badge , maker unknown, about 1953. Gift of the Guard family, 1993. Te Papa (GH004728)

This bottle top is from a collection of about 250 bottle tops collated by Toby Stevenson when he was aged 7–11 years old, between 1965–1969. Toby recalls his interest was sparked by two Queen Elizabeth II coronation bottle tops that had been kept by his grandmother. She gave them to him and he proceeded to collect bottle tops wherever he could.  Bottle top , about 1954, maker unknown. Gift of Toby Stevenson, 2011. Te Papa (GH021674/1)

This scrapbook was compiled by 10-year-old Cathryn Riley for the Royal Tour of Queen Elizabeth II to New Zealand in 1953-54. Cathryn was invited to see the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at a special Children's Function at Athletic Park on 12 January 1954. She kept this detailed scrapbook with tickets, newspaper cuttings and other ephemera from the Royal Visit.

Scrapbook, 'The Coronation Royal Visit' , Cathryn Riley; compiler; 1953-1954; New Zealand. Gift of Cathryn Riley, 2014. Te Papa (GH024283)

This badge was created to commemorate the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to New Zealand in 1953-54, and was worn by a young boy who saw her on tour in Devonport, Auckland. Royal Tour badge , 1953, New Zealand, maker unknown. Gift of Tony Mackle, 2011. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Te Papa (GH021362)

Imperial links

At the time, the tour celebrated and confirmed the ongoing importance of British culture and tradition to New Zealanders. People waved Union Jacks, not the New Zealand flag. Red, white, and blue floral displays were the order of the day.

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