what years did queen elizabeth ii visit australia

Six decades of royal visits: Queen Elizabeth II in Australia – in pictures

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The Queen first visited Australia in 1954 – when she became the first reigning monarch to set foot on Australian soil – and the last in 2011. The visits included motorcades, tram rides, two Commonwealth Games and plenty of horse racing

• This article was amended on 14 September 2022 to correct the locations in two captions

Fri 9 Sep 2022 01.33 BST First published on Fri 9 Sep 2022 01.31 BST

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

Associate Professor of English, Flinders University

Disclosure statement

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

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

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

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

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

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

An enthusiastic nation

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

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

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

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

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

A “new” and prosperous country

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

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

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

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

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

Invited guest, not ruler of the land

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

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

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

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

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

A question of the republic

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

The gloves, it seemed, were coming off.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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1954: Visit of Queen Elizabeth II, the first by a reigning monarch

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. National Museum of Australia

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh

Queen Elizabeth II’s tour met with phenomenal success. About 75 per cent of Australia’s nine million people glimpsed her in person at least once. The nation was transfixed by their young, glamorous, but seemingly approachable, monarch.

The tour was seen as an opportunity to display Australia’s affluence and modern outlook in the postwar period and to promote the unity of culture, language and kinship under a common allegiance to the Crown.

Prime Minister Robert Menzies, Sydney Morning Herald , 4 February 1954:

It is a basic truth that for our Queen we have within us, sometimes unrealised until the moment of expression, the most profound and passionate feelings of loyalty and devotion. It does not require much imagination to realise that when 8 million people spontaneously pour out this feeling they are engaging in a great act of common allegiance and common joy which brings them closer together and is one of the most powerful elements converting them from a mass of individuals to a great, cohesive nation. In brief, the common devotion to the throne is a part of the very cement of the whole social structure.

Souvenir flag of the royal visit to Australia, 1954. Professor Peter Spearritt collection, National Museum of Australia

Australia's new monarch

Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne after the death of her father, King George VI in February 1952. She was crowned in Westminster Abbey, London, in June the following year.

The 1950s was a period of shifting dynamics between England and Australia.

Ties of Empire were still strong but Australia increasingly saw itself as an independent, modern nation developing its own strategic relationships within the Asia-Pacific region.

The new queen and her husband, Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, embarked on a six-month tour of the British Commonwealth in November 1953.

The tour was planned as an opportunity to thank the Commonwealth for its support during the Second World War, and to introduce the new Queen to her subjects.

When the Queen disembarked SS Gothic at Sydney on 3 February 1954, she was the first reigning British monarch to set foot on Australian soil.

In the first of 100 speeches she made in Australia, Her Majesty set the tone for the tour by telling Australians that:

In the same short space of time we have seen the rise of Australia as a great nation, taking her full share in the counsels of the British Commonwealth and of the world. I am proud indeed to be at the head of a nation that has achieved so much.

During their eight weeks in Australia, the Queen and Prince Philip visited all state and territory capitals (except Darwin) and many rural centres. In an atmosphere of breathless adoration, the royal couple were shown the very best of Australian industry and society. The Queen also fulfilled her constitutional role by opening state and federal parliaments.

It was one of the last great pre-television events, and almost three-quarters of Australia’s nine million people glimpsed her in person at least once in cities and towns across the country.

Australia was transfixed by their young, glamorous, but seemingly approachable monarch. News of what she wore, the events she attended and whom she met made the front-page. Footage of the Queen’s activities was screened in cinemas across the country.

Described in a commemorative book as 'a thunderous progress through thousands of miles lit to incandescence by the affection and enthusiasm of nine million devoted subjects', the tour was a remarkable mass public celebration of the monarchy.

The young Queen’s presence in Australia helped reaffirm historic ties of loyalty and gave Australians a glimpse into a modern era of royalty.

Wattle Painting, William Dargie, 1954, oil on canvas, 102 x 76 cm. National Museum of Australia

Dargie's wattle painting

In late 1954 William Dargie, a well-known and respected Australian artist, travelled to London to paint a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

This portrait, which came to be known as the ‘wattle painting’, was commissioned to commemorate the visit.

James Beveridge, owner of Melbourne-based printers McLaren and Co, commissioned the work because he wanted a portrait of the Queen ‘by an Australian artist for Australia’.

Gifted to the Australian Commonwealth, it quickly became a popular and familiar image of the Queen.

While Dargie was an accomplished and well-respected artist, he was still nervous about meeting, and painting, the Queen. Fortunately for Dargie, he was put at ease and described the Queen as behaving 'as naturally as if I were a friend who had called in for afternoon tea'.

The Queen had agreed to wear the wattle gown, created by Norman Hartnell, which she had worn during her tour in Australia.

Over the course of five sittings at Buckingham palace Dargie created a portrait that highlighted Australian imagery, depicted a relaxed yet regal pose and captured something of the young Queen that many Australians remembered from her recent tour.

When questioned by a journalist about the portrait, Dargie said, 'I flew 12,000 miles to do what was a very special job and anything might have happened to put me off … I don’t know what others will say … But I do feel this is one of the very best portraits of a woman I have ever done'.

To safeguard the painting, Dargie made a copy after turning the original work upside down so it would appear to him as a series of colours and forms. This is a well-known technique and reduces the temptation to try to improve on the original.

Both paintings were sent back to Australia on separate aircraft. The original arrived safely in January 1955 and was presented to the Australian Government.

As the copy was no longer required, Dargie gave the reproduction to his hostess in London, Lady Hamilton Fairley, later that year. It remained in her family’s possession until 2009 when it was purchased by the National Museum of Australia.

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Jane Connors, ‘The 1954 Royal Tour of Australia’, in Australian Historical Studies, vol. 25, issue 100, 1993

‘Dargie's "Wattle Queen": Popular Monarchism in the mid-20th century’, in reCollections journal, vol. 6, no. 1, April 2011

David Lowe, ‘1954: The Queen and Australia in the world’, in Journal of Australian Studies, vol. 19, issue 46, 1995

Ewan Morris, ‘Forty years on: Australia and the Queen, 1954’, in Journal of Australian Studies, vol. 18, issue 40, 1994

The Queen in Australia, Australian Screen

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In pictures: A look back at Queen Elizabeth II's visits to Australia during her 70-year reign - as nation mourns her death

Queen Elizabeth II visited Australia 16 times during her long reign, including to open the Sydney Opera House in 1973, Parliament House in 1988 and the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006.  

Queen Elizabeth II's "deep affection" for Australia is being remembered as the nation mourns her death aged 96.

Her Majesty died "peacefully" at her Balmoral home in Scotland on Thursday afternoon (local time) surrounded by close family members. 

She was the first reigning sovereign to visit Australia, making a total of 16 trips Down Under during her 70-year reign, the longest in British history.

The Queen's visits included opening the Sydney Opera House in 1973, Darling Harbour in 1988 and the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006.  

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She first visited in 1954, two years after ascending to the throne following the death of her father King George VI, and made her last visit in 2011.

More than seven million Australians, or 70 per cent of the country's population at the time, turned out to catch a glimpse of the young Queen during her first visit. 

"From her famous first trip to Australia, the only reigning sovereign to ever visit, it was clear Her Majesty held a special place in her heart for Australia," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

"Fifteen more tour before cheering crowds in every part of our country confirmed the special place she held in ours."

On a visit in 1988, the Queen opened the new Parliament House in Canberra, with the parliament's website on Friday stating: "She had a deep affection for Australia and its people, visiting on many occasions to perform official functions".  

"The Parliament of Australia sends its deepest condolences to her family and will commemorate her life in coming days."

Her majesty's 12 visits to New South Wales featured trips to country towns including Tamworth and Wagga Wagga. 

"As the first reigning monarch to visit our nation, Queen Elizabeth set foot for the first time on Australian soil in 1954 at Farm Cove in Sydney Harbour where an unprecedented crowd of more than one million people greeted her," NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said. 

"The public's overwhelming jubilation and enthusiasm at seeing the young monarch was the beginning of the state's long-held joy in her frequent visits.

"Her Late Majesty will forever be connected to pivotal moments in our State's history. She officially opened the Parliament of New South Wales in 1954, Sydney Opera House in 1973, Parramatta Stadium in 1986, and Darling Harbour in 1988.

"She also visited NSW regional areas including Newcastle, Lismore, Orange, Dubbo, Armidale, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga, drawing huge crowds of well-wishers."

The Queen visited Victoria 11 times, with Premier Daniel Andrews saying "during those trips, she left her mark on the state we know today".

"She talked with patients and families at the Royal Children's – and opened our Commonwealth Games," Mr Andrews said. 

"She rode a tram around the Hoddle grid, watched Richmond win at the MCG, and caught a show at the Princess Theatre.

"She travelled across the state – visiting Tatura, Echuca, Rochester, Castlemaine, Maryborough, Ballarat and Geelong - touching so much of what makes Victoria special.

"Her historic reign and long life has come to an end, but Victorians’ deep affection and respect for Her Majesty lives on."

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk noted Her Majesty visited the state "often and displayed her care and concern for the people of this state, especially during times of natural disasters".

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan said the Queen will forever be an inspiration to the state's residents. 

"Most Western Australians have never known another monarch, with Queen Elizabeth II becoming the longest reigning British monarch," Mr McGowan said. 

"She led the Commonwealth through some of the darkest days and will forever be an inspiration to the world and Western Australia, a State she visited seven times."

South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas said: "Her Majesty's great fondness and interest in the welfare of South Australians was evident through her seven visits to our state during her reign". 

"Her Majesty's first visit to South Australia was with the late Duke of Edinburgh in March 1954," Mr Malinauskas said.  

"Some 200,000 people lined the route from the Parafield Airport, where they were met by the Premier, Tom Playford at Government House. Her last visit to South Australia was in February 2002."

Commonwealth countries will observe 10 days of mourning and remembrance in the period between the Queen's death and her funeral. However, in Australia there will not be a limit placed on mourning of the Queen.

The Prime Minister will declare a day of National Memorial Service and a National Day of mourning as he suspended parliament for at least a fortnight.

Mr Albanese and the Governor-General will travel to London in the coming days to meet with King Charles III, as they offer condolences on behalf of Australia.

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The 1954 Royal Tour of Queen Elizabeth II

  Queen Elizabeth II was the first, and to date, the only reigning British monarch to visit Australia. When the 27 year old sailed into Sydney harbour on 3 February 1954, she practically stopped the nation. Her arrival at Farm Cove, where Captain Arthur Phillip raised the British flag 165 years before her, attracted an estimated 1 million onlookers in a city with a population of 1,863,161 (1954 ABS Census). Those who couldn’t be there in person could listen to ABC radio’s nation-wide coverage of the historic occasion. Amalgamated Wireless Australia (AWA) helped make history when it filmed the Queen setting foot on Australian soil and relayed the footage to the Spastic Centre in Mosman – thus the royal arrival became the first televised event in Australia. 

The 1954 royal tour was a much-anticipated event. Planning had commenced in 1949 for King George VI (Elizabeth’s father) to visit Australia and New Zealand. However, a coded telegram received in October 1951 relayed the disappointing news that due to the king’s ill health and an impending operation, he would be unable to visit the antipodes as planned. Instead, the then Princess Elizabeth and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, would come in his place. Her Royal Highness was at a safari lodge in Kenya, en route to Australia in 1952, when she received the news of her father’s death. She made haste back to England and by the time she came to Australia in 1954, the princess was our queen.

At the time, the royal tour of 1954 was the single biggest event ever planned in Australia. It was organised in the days before email, facsimile and mobile telephones. Official printed programs stated that all those responsible for an event were to synchronise their watches with the A.B.C. time signals at 9am each day. During the Queen’s eight-week tour of Australia, the only glitch was an outbreak of poliomyelitis in Western Australia, which saw the Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, intervene to insist that the royal party sleep on SS Gothic and eat only food prepared on the ship (Ferrier, 1954, n.p.). 

The fierce February sun did not prevent Her Majesty from wearing her elbow length white gloves and decorative hats. Though the Australian sunlight is glaringly bright compared to England, she was rarely seen in sunglasses.

The royals visited 57 towns and cities during the 58 days they spent in Australia. They traversed the country by plane, train, ship and car from Cairns in the north, Broken Hill in the west to Hobart in the south. Their children, Prince Charles (aged five years) and Princess Anne (aged three years) did not accompany them on the exhausting trip.

During their ten days in New South Wales, they attended 28 major programs, with events scheduled for the morning, afternoon and evening.  Queen Elizabeth’s days varied from the cultural – watching a surf life-saving demonstration at Bondi Beach; to the civic – addressing 107,000 school children at three outdoor venues; to the constitutional – opening a session of parliament. The crowds were tumultuous, the press was effusive in its praise and every street the royals paraded along was festooned with decorations. 

The Library holds an extensive collection of original photographs of the visit which capture many official and candid moments. Below is a small selection - you can view three albums of photographs through our catalogue .  Dr George Bell donated a collection of photographs from the Queen's visit to Broken Hill, which have also been digitised.

Collection of photographs of the Royal Tour, 1954

The State Library’s collections relating to the 1954 royal tour include invitations, entry tickets, commemorative school exercise book covers, orders of service, menus and timetables. These ephemeral items would usually be thrown away after the event. They show the detailed planning that went into the royal visit, which aimed to give as many people as possible the opportunity to see ‘their queen’. 

Since her first visit in 1954, Queen Elizabeth II has visited Australia another 15 times. 

The Library would like to thank volunteer Anne Munro for typing all the original hand-written captions for the photographs.

Ephemera items from the Royal Tour, 1954

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SNAPSHOT: The 1954 Royal Tour

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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• Queen Elizabeth II

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was the longest reigning monarch in British history. Her portrait has been represented in every Australian banknote series since her coronation, reflecting Australia's constitutional monarchy. Whilst the graphic design, technological features, security elements and narrative themes behind Australia's banknotes have evolved significantly throughout that period, the Queen's portrait on Australian currency has been a thread of continuity woven through seven decades. This online exhibition explores the historical context behind her representation on Australian banknotes and her other connections with the Bank’s history.

The First Queen: 1953

On 6 February 1952, Princess Elizabeth was staying in a remote part of Kenya, the first stage of a tour of the Commonwealth, when she received news of the death of her father, King George VI, and her own accession to the throne. She returned to England the following day and on 8 February formally proclaimed herself Queen and Head of the Commonwealth and Defender of the Faith. The Coronation took place the following year in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953.

The first official photograph of the new Queen was taken on 26 February 1952 in order to produce her image for stamps, currency banknotes and coins. The photograph was taken by society photographer Dorothy Wilding who had been the first woman to be appointed as the Official Royal Photographer for the 1937 Coronation of King George VI, and also the first female photographer to receive a Royal Warrant in 1943. Wilding's photographs were noted for their simplicity, using a plain black or white backdrop to ensure that all attention was focused on the sitter. A total of 59 photographs were taken at the sitting, one of which was adapted for use in the Australian currency. The Queen is shown in a gown designed by Norman Hartnell and is wearing the Diamond Diadem which was made in 1820 for the coronation of George IV.

Photographic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Dorothy Wilding. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, NP-002951.

The series of Australian banknotes issued in 1953 and 1954 were the first to embody a distinctly Australian tone; instead of featuring the monarch on every note, as they had done since 1925, they featured a new portrait series of prominent persons in Australia's colonial history. The series portrayed Captain Matthew Flinders on the 10 shilling banknote; the Queen on the £1 banknote with Charles Sturt and Hamilton Hume; Rear Admiral Sir John Franklin on the £5 banknote; and Governor Arthur Phillip on the £10 banknote.

The £1 banknote was prepared by the Note Printing Branch of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia with the assistance of M. Napier Waller, artist, and W. Leslie Bowles, sculptor. It was first issued on 21 October 1953. The banknote is black ink printed over a green background. The main feature of the front is a bas-relief profile of Queen Elizabeth II on the right hand side of the note surrounded by Hakea leaves, Hakea Laurina or pincushion flower, which grows wild in south-western Australia. At the centre top is a bas-relief of the Australian Coat of Arms enclosed with Hakea leaves.

Photograph of plaster cast of Queen Elizabeth II in profile, sculpted by W. Leslie Bowles. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, NP-003189.

Front of the £1 banknote, showing Queen Elizabeth II with Hakea laurina , (Pincushion Hakea), intaglio with letterpress background, with watermark of Captain James Cook, first issued in October 1953. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, NP-003794.

The Royal Visit: 1954

The visit of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to Australia in February 1954 prompted some of the most lavish and enthusiastic public celebrations of their time. It was the first visit to Australia by a reigning British monarch and the highest level state visit to Australia since Federation. The events staged in each of the major cities drew large crowds. 200,000 Sydneysiders filled the streets of the city on the first night that the decorations in the city were illuminated, bringing road traffic to a standstill.

The Bank made an enthusiastic contribution to the occasion. The Bank's newsletter, Currency records that:

The enthusiasm with which Sydney greeted Her Majesty the Queen exceeded the bounds of imagination. Those who know Sydney crowds have been astounded by the warmth of their welcome … The surge of enthusiasm engulfed the normally austere precincts of Head Office and throwing themselves wholeheartedly into the welcome were the lads and lassies of the Commonwealth Bank.

To coincide with the Queen's visit to Sydney, the Bank's Head Office was richly decorated with bunting, drapes and ornamental crowns. Inside the building, seventy vases of flowers decorated the banking chamber, prompting so much public interest that the building was kept open to visitors until 10pm each night. A portrait of the Queen above her cypher ‘ER II’ was displayed on the mezzanine floor, surrounded by over a thousand green and gold hand-made flowers. The centrepiece of the decorations was the ‘Banker's Arch’, a structure that soared 33 meters above Martin Place. The large crown supported by the arch was floodlit at night.

The hub of the Bank's welcome was Premises department where on any day, amid a flurry of bunting, paper flowers and myriad drawing, the staff could be seen planning the decorations.

- Currency Magazine, March 1954

Head Office of the Commonwealth Bank decorated during the royal tour of 1954. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, PN-007862.

The installation of the ‘Bankers’ Arch above Martin Place as illustrated in Currency magazine, March 1954. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, D12 182131.

The Bank's major buildings in each of the state capitals were also richly decorated. The Bank's archives hold photographs of the elaborate displays presented at the Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth branches.

Adelaide branch of the Commonwealth Bank decorated during the royal tour of 1954. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, PN-007860.

Melbourne branch of the Commonwealth Bank decorated during the royal tour of 1954. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, PN-007861.

Perth branch of the Commonwealth Bank decorated during the royal tour of 1954. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, PN-007862.

The Second Elizabethan Age

The accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne sparked optimism for a second ‘Elizabethan Age’ in which the arts would be invigorated with new energy and patronage. The establishment of Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1954 was one expression of these aspirations. The Trust was created to commemorate the first royal visit. Dr H C Coombs, then Governor of the Commonwealth Bank and later the inaugural Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, served as the Trust's first Chairman. The Trust's remit was to nurture the development of the arts and to support the creation of world class performing arts companies in Australia. In its first year, the Trust opened the Elizabethan Theatre in Newtown, Sydney. A number of significant arts organisations can trace their origins to the initiative and foundational support of the Elizabethan Theatre Trust. These include Opera Australia, Orchestra Victoria, the Australian Ballet School, Performing Lines, the National Institute for Dramatic Arts, the Bell Shakespeare Company and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. A number of the Trust's initial functions were later transferred to the Australia Council for the Arts, of which Dr Coombs was also the inaugural Chair.

Dr H C Coombs with Mrs Coombs and theatre manager Miss Elsie Beyer (left) at the first Elizabethan Ball, October 1954. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, PN-002843

The Modern Queen: 1966

In 1966 Australia converted to decimal currency and introduced a new currency, the Dollar, with uniquely Australian designs. The design committee for the banknotes decided to change the way in which the Queen was portrayed. They wished to show a monarch who was ‘regal’ rather than ‘pretty’. For this reason they requested that the photographer Douglas Glass be allowed to take a new photograph of the Queen. The designer of the new series, Gordon Andrews, commented:

The portrait of Her Majesty was commissioned to Mr. Douglas Glass during the competition period with a careful brief from the designers concerned – indicating the position of the head – no tiara or coronet – the kind of lighting and regalia. Her Majesty graciously consented to all this. We did not want a ‘pretty’ portrait, but one which had the dignified appearance of a monarch.

There was some doubt as to whether it would be possible to obtain a new photograph for the banknote as when the Bank approached Buckingham Palace with their request in September 1963, the Queen had recently announced her fourth pregnancy. Fortunately the Queen agreed to the request and sat for the portrait on 2 December 1963, when she was six months pregnant with Prince Edward (born 10.3.1964). The photographs were supplied to the Reserve Bank for the specific and only purpose of incorporation into the design of the $1 banknote. The portrait chosen for the banknote depicted the Queen bare-headed and dressed in the regalia of the Order of the Garter.

Photograph portrait of Queen Elizabeth II as supplied for the design of the $1 note. Reserve Bank of Australia Archive, NP-002567.

The front of the banknote featured the Queen and a representation of the Australian Coat of Arms drawn by Andrews in conformity with the Royal Warrant of 1912. On the back of the note was a line interpretation of an Aboriginal bark painting by David Malangi Daymirringu as well as of Aboriginal rock paintings and carvings.

Front of the $1 banknote showing Queen Elizabeth II, intaglio with dry offset printing, with watermark of Captain James Cook; concept design by Gordon Andrews, first issued in February 1966. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, NP-003835.

Back of the $1 banknote showing designs based on a bark painting by David Malangi Daymirringu and Aboriginal rock paintings and carvings to the right, intaglio with dry offset printing, with watermark of Captain James Cook; concept design by Gordon Andrews, first issued in February 1966. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, NP-003835.

The Contemporary Queen: 1992, 2016

In 1992 the Queen celebrated the 40 th anniversary of her accession and the Reserve Bank released the first of its new series of polymer banknotes, the $5 banknote. The four remaining polymer banknotes were released each year until 1996 when Australian banknotes were converted to a full polymer series. The polymer banknotes had been developed by the Reserve Bank of Australia, CSIRO and the University of Melbourne as a more secure and durable replacement for paper.

The $5 banknote attracted some criticism when its design was released because the portrait of the Queen replaced that of Caroline Chisholm who had appeared on the first decimal $5 banknote. The Reserve Bank defended its decision to include the portrait of the Queen, explaining that the monarch's portrait always appeared on at least one banknote; as Australia remained a constitutional monarchy, it was still appropriate to depict the Queen on Australia's banknotes.

The $5 banknote was designed by Bruce Stewart, Chief Designer at Note Printing Australia. As a young engraver working at Note Printing Branch in 1963 Stewart had engraved the image of the Queen for use on Australia's first decimal currency banknote. The engraved image of the Queen on the polymer $5 note was Stewart's interpretation of a photographic portrait by John Lawrence which had been commissioned by the Bank in 1984.

Photographic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by John Lawrence, 1984. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, P12/272.

In addition to the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the front of the banknote features the branch of a gum tree ( Eucalyptus haemastoma ). The reverse of the banknote depicts views of Old and New Parliament House, Canberra, which was opened by the Queen on 9 May 1988. Taken together the two sides of the note reflect Australia's system of democracy based on the constitutional monarchy and the Westminster parliamentary structure.

Front of the $5 banknote showing Queen Elizabeth II, offset and intaglio printing on polymer substrate, with a clear window depicting a gum flower; concept design by Bruce Stewart, first issued in April 1995. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, 18/73812

This 1995 version of the $5 banknote recoloured the 1992 version in order to distinguish it more clearly from the $10 banknote of the series.

Back of the $5 banknote, offset and intaglio printing on polymer substrate, with a clear window depicting a gum flower; concept design by Bruce Stewart, first issued in April 1995. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, D18/73805

The same photograph of the Queen by John Lawrence was used as the source for her portrait on the new $5 banknote, first issued in 2016 as the first banknote in a new series, the Next Generation of Banknotes. More detail is apparent in this portrait than the banknote of 1992, owing to advances in printing technology. The Queen's portrait appears on this $5 banknote with images of the Federation Star and the Federation Pavilion of 1901, together with examples of Australia's flora and fauna, being the Prickly Moses wattle ( Acacia verticillata subspecies ovoidea ) and the Eastern Spinebill ( Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris ).

Tonal sketch and line drawings of Queen Elizabeth II prepared by Robert Cook of Note Printing Australia for the Next Generation of Banknotes series, issued from 2016. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, 20/1274 , 20/1275 .

A revised portrait of Queen Elizabeth II being drawn by Robert Cook of Note Printing Australia. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, P16/27482.

The signature side of the $5 banknote, offset and intaglio printing on polymer substrate; concept design by emerystudio, first issued in September 2016. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, D16/196230.

The serial side of the $5 banknote, offset and intaglio printing on polymer substrate; concept design by emerystudio, first issued in September 2016. Reserve Bank of Australia Archives, D16/196235.

The Death of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II died on 8 September 2022 at the age of 96. She reigned for 70 years and 214 days, the longest reigning British monarch and the second longest reigning monarch in world history.

The $5 banknotes featuring the image of Her Majesty The Queen remain legal tender and can continue to be used. They will not be withdrawn and are likely to remain in circulation for years to come.

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Today marks 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II visited Australia for the first time

Today is 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II visited Australia for the first time.

The young Queen, who had been on the throne for two years, was the first reigning British monarch to visit Australia - and remains the only one to do so.

When the 27-year-old sailed into Sydney Harbour on February 3, 1954, crowds clamoured to see her.

These nostalgic images tell the story.

• Queen Elizabeth II
• Royal Family

A special crown was hung over the road to welcome the Queen to Australia, with crowds many people deep cheering and waving Union Jack flags.

The Australian flag as we know it now was officially signed in by the Queen on her visit.

The royal couple arrived at Sydney Harbour and visited every state capital except Darwin, and 40 country towns.

State Library curator Margot Riley said it was a long-awaited occasion.

"Postwar Australia was gripped by royal fever as people fell under the spell of the young Queen and her consort, following global coverage of the June 1953 coronation," Riley said.

"Excitement reached fever pitch as the glamourous young Queen and her handsome husband began their six-month tour of the Commonwealth."

The Queen waves from a car as it slowly drives through Sydney.

As well as gathering on the streets, special events were held so Aussies could see the royal couple.

In Sydney, 120,000 children and their teachers gathered in Centennial Park, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and the Sydney Showgrounds, National Archives of Australia says.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported transporting the students took 80 trains, 209 trams and 214 buses.

Students were organised into circles so that the royal couple's Land Rover could pass within a few metres of them, and they were armed with coloured streamers attached to sticks called "wavers", to give them a special welcome.

An aerial shot of the crowds on the streets as well as the effort the city went to, to welcome the monarch, with "ER" - Elizabeth Regina - spelled out in lights on one building.

The formation of words by children in tableaux performances also happened across Australia.

In Brisbane and outside of Parliament House, they formed the phrase "OUR QUEEN". At the Wayville Showgrounds in Adelaide, they formed the word "LOYALTY" and at Manuka Oval in Canberra, "WELCOME", the NAA said.

Queen Elizabeth II heads for the Sydney Harbour Bridge on her visit.

A film was made of the special visit, it became the first feature length film produced in Australia.

A million Sydneysiders are reported to have thronged the harbour foreshore to witness the arrival of the royal yacht Britannia at Farm Cove on 3 February 1954, lining city streets and waiting for hours to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh wave to school children in St Leonards Park on Sydney's north shore on February 18.

During their two-month tour around the country, it's estimated that more than seven million Australians – 70 per cent of the population – attempted to see the royal visitors for themselves.

The Queen chats to ex-servicemen who served in World War I at an assembly of ex-servicemen and women on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra on February 17, 1954.

"Official photographers were present throughout the 58-day royal tour, with the media scrutinising all that the 27-year-old monarch said and did – and more especially what she wore – for circulation to a global audience," Riley said.

Crates and boxes were handy boosts to get a better view, these women discovered.

The Duke of Edinburgh reaches out to grab a bouquet of flowers from a schoolgirl in Lane Cove in Sydney's north.

A smiling Queen with the Duke of Edinburgh in his formal military uniform, alongside then-prime minister Robert Menzies, on February 3, 1954.

Plenty of cups of tea were needed while one waited to see the Queen.

Many of the images held at the library show ordinary Aussies waiting patiently for hours - even days - to see the Queen.

"In his series Waiting for the Queen , Australian photographer Max Dupain's turned his camera on the huge crowds of ordinary people – some of whom spent several nights under the stars to secure their vantage points to see the Queen in person," Riley said.

"His images show enterprising souvenir sellers and windows packed with young and old.

"People standing precariously on boxes and suitcases, on doorsteps and windowsills.

"Everyone risking heatstroke as they endure the scorching humidity of Sydney's hottest February in over a decade, stoically maintaining their vigil fortified by endless good humour and the restorative power of a cup of tea."

A couple dressed in their smart suits and hats check out the latest headlines abut the royal visit.

Newspapers were also a handyway to make some shade from the hot February sun, this group discovered.

This little girl used a picnic hamper to take a nap while waiting to see the monarch.

A group leans against railings to see the history sight of the first reigning monarch to visit Australia.

These chaps also had a little lie down while waiting for Her Majesty to arrive.

The Queen visited Australia 16 times during her 70 year reign.

Riley said the images are special.

"70 years after the event, the ongoing power of these images is also surprising, capturing the patriotic enthusiasm and charged emotions of ordinary Australians witnessing the dawn of the modern Elizabethan era," Riley said.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh wave a final farewell to New South Wales as they boarded the Royal Plane at Broken Hill to head to South Australia.

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The Queen in Australia

Since her very first visit to Australia in 1954 to her last in 2011, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, has captivated crowds across our nation.

Elizabeth II was the first reigning monarch to set foot on our shores and the visit was beautifully captured in the documentary The Queen in Australia . The film was designed to show that, despite post-war changes to Australia’s political, social and demographic landscapes, the nation was proud to belong to the Commonwealth and its citizens held a deep affection for their monarch.

The film shows sequences of the young Queen opening Parliament in Canberra, attending the races at Royal Randwick and enjoying a surf lifesaving carnival at Bondi Beach. Queen Elizabeth also made time to speak to isolated families via the Royal Flying Doctor Service radio. 

The Queen returned to Australia another 15 times since that tour and her ability to win over the Australian people is as strong as ever. At the NFSA we have a wealth of material documenting the monarch's official tours and this collection includes just some of the many highlights. 

Main image: Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II tours Queensland in 1970. Courtesy Queensland State Archives.

The Queen In Australia (1954)

The first feature documentary made in colour in Australia, documenting the very first visit of a reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1954.

The film was shot by a total of 16 cameramen, capturing her visits to each state capital and many regional areas over her two-month official visit. Major sequences include the arrival of the Royal Navy ship SS Gothic in Sydney Harbour, the Queen opening the 20th Australian Parliament in Canberra, attending a cricket Test in Adelaide, horse races at Royal Randwick and Flemington, tennis at Kooyong in Melbourne, and major exhibitions by schoolchildren in several cities. 

The result is a remarkable and revealing insight into our nation in the 1950s.

The Queen Returns

In February 1963, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh returned to Australia for the Jubilee Year of Canberra.

The film follows them on their 9,000 mile tour and shows the beauty and variety of the Australian scene, and thriving development ranging from hydroelectric schemes to universities.

The Queen's Australian tour in early 1963 provides the medium for three neatly blended films illustrating the tour itself, a history of Canberra and an introduction to Australia and its people at work and play.

The main features of the tour are depicted in some detail, while in the section dealing with the history of Canberra the highlights in the development of this city are portrayed in film flashbacks. The final sections show Australians at work.

The Queen in Australia: Surf Carnival at Bondi Beach (1954)

At Bondi Beach, the Queen observes an Australian surf carnival, a gathering of teams from surf clubs around the country and New Zealand, all wearing the traditional neck-to-knee surfing costume that was required just after the turn of the century, when Australian surf clubs began.

After the traditional march past, the lifesavers take to the water to give a demonstration of rescue techniques, using both hollow surfboards and surfboats, but the heavy seas play havoc with their plans.

Notes by Beth Taylor

The Queen and Prince Philip arrive at the Sydney Opera House (1973)

The Queen and Prince Philip waving to large crowds as they arrive by car at the official opening ceremony of the Sydney Opera House on October 20, 1973.  

Heir to the Throne: Princess Elizabeth's speech on her 21st Birthday

In this clip from the 1947 film Heir to the Throne , Princess Elizabeth made her most famous pledge, which still rings true today: ‘I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.’

Written by journalist for The Times and royal correspondent Dermot Morrah, the speech was delivered on her 21st birthday while she was on a three-month tour of Southern Africa with her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and sister Princess Margaret.

While seated in the grounds of Tuynhuys in the shadow of Table Mountain in Cape Town, the young Princess used the medium of radio and film, to confidently communicate to her future subjects that the priority of her future reign would be of service to her country and the Commonwealth.

One would argue that The Queen has kept this promise tenfold. During her reign she has been patron of over 600 organisations and charities, attended thousands of official engagements and toured every country in the Commonwealth.

Summary by Michelle Davenport

HM Queen Elizabeth II - A Christmas message to the Commonwealth

HM Queen Elizabeth II delivers the 1952 Christmas message.

Schoolchildren celebrate The Queen's Coronation

This newsreel item from 1953 shows the activities of schoolchildren in Australia anticipating the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth on 2 June 1953 .

In Melbourne, we see schoolchildren looking at an exhibition of dolls dressed in royal regalia. The proceeds from the exhibition are going to the Queen Elizabeth Child Health Centre.

At Newport in Sydney, children – resplendent in carefully constructed replica gowns – re-enact the coronation in the grounds of their school.

At Fort Street School in Sydney, 11-year-old Kay Hogden is confidently reciting her speech, the recording of which is promptly flown to London and broadcast on the BBC before the coronation.

Queen Elizabeth opens Victorian Parliament (1954)

Sir Robert Menzies' home movie collection includes this footage of the Royal tour in 1954.

It shows the arrival of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, by car outside the Parliament of Victoria on 25 February 1954. They alight from the car and walk up some stairs on the red carpet past a guard of honour and surrounded by a huge crowd. The clip ends with a close-up of the Royal Standard flag.

Ex-servicemen rally at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (1954)

This home movie clip by Sir Robert Menzies, begins with an excited crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

They stand and take off their hats on the arrival of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, by car to the stadium. They drive past children waving flags and they meet the official party. They are lead up onto a stage where they address the crowd.

Dedication of the Shrine of Remembrance (1954)

Sir Robert Menzies' home movie footage of Queen Elizabeth II arriving with Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne.

They walk through the crowd to the forecourt where they commemorate those who served in the Second World War by the Eternal Flame. Ex-servicemen and children also arrive for the dedication of the shrine forecourt. The Australian flag is shown hanging next to the Union Jack. 

Royal Silver Jubilee Exhibition Train (1977)

A look back to 1977 and the touring museum of 700 years of British history that was the Royal Silver Jubilee Exhibition Train.

The film shows many of the exhibits and the stories behind them, and follows the progress of the train's 11,250 kilometre trip throughout Australia hauling what was then valued at $100 million worth of treasures.

The bullet that killed Lord Nelson, Queen Elizabeth I's gloves, Princess Anne's wedding dress and Nell Gwynn's silver bellows were among the exhibits on this four-carriage train, the first mobile museum of its kind in the world.

Over a period of four months the train visited 26 centres between Brisbane and Perth and this film records the unique and ambitious project. 

Queen Elizabeth at Flemington races (1954)

Home movie footage by Sir Robert Menzies of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and their arrival at Flemington horse races. Queen Elizabeth II watches the race through her binoculars, a close-up of the official party is shown – including Menzies on the right – and then they leave by walking down a path amongst the crowd.

The Queen officially opens the Sydney Opera House (1973)

Queen Elizabeth II with other dignitaries including Prince Phillip on stage, for the opening ceremony of the Sydney Opera House on 20 October 1973.

The ceremony included a display of fireworks and a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No 9. Thousands of people celebrated the ceremony along the shoreline and in boats on the harbour, while another 3 million people all over the world viewed the proceedings on television.

Jubilee and Beyond: Her gracious Majesty (1977)

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh, visit Victoria in 1977. We see them disembark from their plane to be greeted by dignitaries and a crowd of children waving flags. They move through the crowd, stopping to talk to particular children.

Eighteen thousand schoolchildren greeted the Royal visitors that day, giving a sense of the relationship between Australia and the UK at this time.

Jubilee and Beyond: Reign over us (1977)

A crowd of eighteen thousand people greet the Queen in Royal Park Victoria in 1977. The royal party stands on the dais while 'God Save the Queen’ is sung by the massed crowd. The royal party then drive, waving, through crowds of cheering children to the strains of 'Waltzing Matilda’.

Waterloo: Queen in Waterloo

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh officially open the Housing Commission’s tower blocks in Waterloo. Residents’ furniture was removed from four units and temporarily replaced with hired new furniture before the royal couple inspected the units. The residents’ furniture was returned after the visit. Summary by Damien Parer .

Seven News Perth: Great Aussie BBQ for The Queen

Seven News reporter Chris Reason follows Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip for the final day of their 11-day tour of Australia in 2011 on which they are treated to the most Australian of traditions. The big Aussie barbecue on the Swan River foreshore attracted tens of thousands of well-wishers, with people of all ages coming out to catch a glimpse of the Royal couple.

Before addressing the crowd, the Queen and Prince Philip stopped by the barbecues and spoke with volunteers who were cooking up sausages to raise money for charity.

Heir to the Throne: Young Elizabeth

Excerpt from the BBC film Heir to the Throne , showing Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret with their parents. 

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation - Souvenir film and Cineviewer

Original cardboard box with an image of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the title The Film Story of the Coronation.  

Inside is a red marble effect hand held film strip cine viewer, a 35mm film strip of The Crown Jewels  and a 35mm film strip of The Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2 June 1953 Westminster Abbey London .

Menzies RG: Our Coronation Tour - Coronation and procession

This clip from a home movie, filmed by Australian Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, shows Queen Elizabeth II arriving at Westminster Abbey in a horse-drawn carriage. She alights from the carriage surrounded by her Maids of Honour and enters the Abbey. The Groom of the Robes delivers the Robe Royal of Pall cloth of gold with the Stole Royal to the Dean of Westminster, who, assisted by the Mistress of the Robes, puts it upon the Queen. The Lord Great Chamberlain fastens the clips.

The Archbishop of Canterbury gives the Sceptre and then the Rod with the Dove to the Queen. The Archbishop then lowers a crown onto her head then kisses her right hand. The Duke of Edinburgh then ascends the steps of the Throne, and having taken off his coronet, kneels down and places his hands between the Queen’s and says the words of Homage. Then Her Majesty leaves the Chapel wearing her Crown and bearing the Sceptre and the Orb.  Summary by Elizabeth Taggart- Speers .

Glass slide of Queen Elizabeth II

This hand-coloured glass cinema slide shows The Queen in one of her first official portraits as taken by society photographer Dorothy Wilding.

She is wearing the Diamond Diadem, a necklace gifted to her as a wedding present by the Nizam of Hyderabad and finished with a brocade gown designed by couturier Norman Hartnell. Hartnell created her wedding dress and would eventually design her coronation dress.

The Queen is presented as elegant and refined, yet fresh and youthful: the fitting monarch for a post-war age. The slide was shown prior to film screenings and was one of the many ways the Queen made her image accessible to her subjects across the Commonwealth.

More to explore

Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

A selection of films, artefacts and documents from the NFSA collection showcase the life of Britain’s longest reigning monarch.

Remembering Queen Elizabeth

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has passed away at the age of 96. After 70 years of service, we pay tribute to our longest reigning monarch.

The Royal Family in Australia

From Bondi Beach surf carnivals to Parliamentary openings, explore some rare footage from our collection of the Royal Family in Australia. 

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their Elders both past and present.

Enter the NFSA Our Statement of Reflection

No-nonsense, practical and more popular than King Charles: Princess Anne's busy royal life

Analysis No-nonsense, practical and more popular than King Charles: Princess Anne's busy royal life

There was a moment in February this year when Princess Anne stepped out in a familiar purple checked coat.

It was a regular day for the Princess Royal, back-to-back engagements including visits to a therapy group and a shawl factory in Nottingham in England's Midlands.

The velvet coat — the hue of Scottish heather — had belonged to her late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, a favourite worn in private and twice in public. It's not a dressy piece, Her Majesty was seen teaming it with trousers and her trademark headscarf, while Anne opted for a skirt and knee-high boots.

Of course, this is the sort of thing we all do. A poignant way to keep a loved one close while also recycling old and, in the late Queen's case, extremely well-made clothes (the piece was designed by Elizabeth II's dressmaker Angela Kelly). It's also very Princess Anne, quietly respectful, no-nonsense, practical — and one reason she continues to poll as the UK's most popular royal from the King's generation.

The 2024 Ipsos poll , which annually measures attitudes to the Royal Family in Britain, showed Anne three percentage points ahead of her brother the King, with the Wales family members topping the poll. This was one percentage point higher than Anne's figures the previous year and a recognition of how vital she is to Charles' reign.

A hardworking royal

The Princess Royal is regularly described as the most hard-working royal, based on the tally of her annual engagements — 457 in 2023 according to the Court Circular, compared to 425 carried out by the King. While this is not an entirely accurate workload analysis — much is done by King Charles and Queen Camilla aside from engagements — it does give a clear indication of just how much of the often mundane public service toil Anne takes on.

Since the King stepped back from public-facing duties to undergo cancer treatment, Anne has been even more in evidence. Last week she carried out six engagements — more than any other royal — and next week there are a further nine scheduled.

There's no great fanfare to Anne's work, which usually sails under the radar. She's rarely trailed by a media pack and travels with a tiny staff retinue, often just security and one aide.

I have interviewed Princess Anne twice, including at a photo shoot on her Gatcombe Estate farm, and travelled with her on her last major visit to Australia to open the Sydney Royal Easter Show in 2022.

In person, she is warm, down to earth and eager to get on with the job. She has a quick, dry sense of humour and hits the ground running, never fading. "It's quite frenetic but for quite short spaces," she told me. "There will be quite a lot of flying in between. You just learn to pace yourself. I can now sleep in any form of transport, which does help."

At the Easter Show, she strode through the grounds checking out the animals and meeting local farmers. She was completely in her element.

The royal juggle

It's no surprise, this is very much Princess Anne's manner. "I've never been a city girl. I may have been born within the sound of Bow Bells but definitely never my scene," she told me for an Australian Women's Weekly interview to mark her 70th birthday, in which she talked with fervour about her own farm in Gloucestershire.

"London was to me school days ... weekends were at Windsor ... where there was a farm, mostly dairy but there were pigs and chickens as well. My background ... was always on the farm."

Fitting in royal work with running her farm is a juggle, but like her mother and the King, the public service side of her job is non-negotiable. "We as a family see ourselves as there to support [the monarch]," she said in a 2023 interview with CBC in Canada, ahead of her brother's coronation. "What we do, we hope, contributes to the monarchy and the way in which it can convey continuity … service and understanding the way that people and communities want to live their lives."

Anne was very close to both parents and from her mother says she learned that the job is all about "the way you treat people, with respect for individuals". On engagements, she is happiest chatting with regular folk who I've noticed warm to her quickly. "You just find people with stories to tell," she says.

Her daughter Zara Tindall, who lives nearby on Aston Farm on the Gatcombe Estate, says she can't see her mother ever slowing down or retiring. She's probably right, but Princess Anne is on the record criticising the reduced number of working royals now available to call on, something that has become more apparent with the family's current health issues.

"I think the 'slimmed-down' [monarchy] was said in a day when there were a few more people around to make that seem like a justifiable comment," she told CBC in 2023. "I mean, it doesn't sound like a good idea from where I'm standing."

The comment caused a few raised eyebrows, but there is no sign that the King is about to call on the likes of Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice or recall Prince Harry and Meghan from the US to swell the ranks with an injection of youth.

'A very mixed blessing'

When the Queen was crowned, Princess Anne was second in line to the throne. Today she is 17th behind many non-working royals and both of her younger brothers.

At the end of 2022, Anne and her brother Prince Edward were added to the list of Counsellors of State who can be called on to fill in for the Monarch if he is ill or overseas, but the succession line remains with Prince Harry and Prince Andrew and their children ahead of the Princess Royal.

Some Brits have told me they would feel more comfortable seeing Princess Anne higher up, but it will never happen. In a hierarchical monarchy, the outmoded gender rule that put male heirs ahead of females was changed when the Succession to the Crown Act was passed in 2013, but it doesn't apply retrospectively.

While it must be galling, Anne has taken this gender inequality on the chin, saying she's always felt she was treated as "an honorary man" in other parts of her life — notably in her chosen sport of horse-riding in which she was an Olympian.

The Princess Royal did however famously ensure that her own children were not given titles. This allowed them independence to make their own way and not be indentured to a life of royal work as their mother had been.

"I think even then [when I made the decision] it was easy to see that it [a title] was a very mixed blessing," Princess Anne told me when I interviewed her in 2020. "And in my case because I was female, no advantages at all, really."

Juliet Rieden is a royal commentator.

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Fascinating photos of a young Queen Elizabeth II

Posted: 21 April 2024 | Last updated: 21 April 2024

Princess Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926, and ascended the British throne on February 6, 1952, at just 25 years of age, to become Queen Elizabeth II. Alongside her royal duties, she was a wife of over 70 years and a mother to four. Her Royal Highness managed to successfully fulfill her inherited responsibilities for 70 years, making her the longest-reigning British monarch. Sadly, she passed away on September 8, 2022, when she was 96 years old.  In honor of the late monarch, browse this gallery and take a look back at the early days of her life, captured in these fascinating historical photos.

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Royal Windsor Horse Show

Enjoying the first day of the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1947 with the Duchess of Beaufort and Princess Margaret.

The year also saw her engagement to Prince Philip, born into Greek and Danish royal families. The royal couple married in London's Westminster Abbey.

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Young women

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Royal Horse Show

Mother of two

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Intergenerational

Young mother

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Girl Scouts

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Visit to Halifax

Landmark destination

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The princess and the politician

The Coronation

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Formal occasion

Meeting the troops

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Back in the United Kingdom

Patron of the arts

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A day at the races

African days

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Historic presentation

Family outing

Pictured with her husband and two children in a car. Queen Elizabeth II would give birth to Andrew in 1960 and Edward in 1964.

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