royal tours

Royal Visit of 1953-54

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  For those New Zealanders old enough to have experienced it, the visit of the young Queen and her dashing husband, Prince Philip, to New Zealand in the summer of 1953-54 is a never-to-be forgotten event.

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• Page 2 – Itinerary

  The progress of the royal visit down the length of the country

• Page 3 – Popularity

  Why was the royal visit of 1953/4 greeted with such enthusiasm by New Zealanders?

• Page 4 – The Queen and Māori

  For many Māori the royal visit raised important issues about their place in New Zealand.

• Page 5 – A pastoral paradise

  Following their stay in Auckland and visits to Waitangi, Hamilton and Rotorua, the Queen and Duke had a two-day break at Lake Rotoiti before flying to Gisborne and Napier.

• Page 6 – A loyal people

  As head of the Church of England the Queen laid the foundation stone of the new Anglican cathedral in Wellington, and as head of the Commonwealth's armed forces she laid

• Page 7 – Great place to bring up children

  On the day of the reception for children at Athletic Park, the Evening Post wrote: 'As the mother of two young children 12,000 miles away, the Queen today assumed the

• Page 8 – Remembering the royals

  Memories from around the country of the 1953-54 royal tour to New Zealand

• Page 9 – Later royal visits

  On 30 January 1954 the Gothic sailed from Bluff and after a brief side trip into Milford Sound, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip departed for Australia. They have returned

• Page 10 – Further information

  Recommended books and websites relating to the 1953-4 Royal Tour

Waitangi Day

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  Every year on 6 February, New Zealand marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. For most people, Waitangi Day is a holiday; for many, and especially for Māori, it is a time for reflecting on the Treaty and its place in modern New Zealand.

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• Page 3 - Waitangi Day 1940s-1950sFrom the 1940s the Treaty and Waitangi began to find a place in the national consciousness. For most New Zealanders, they were of historical interest

Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee

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  Queen Elizabeth II became New Zealand's monarch on 6 February 1952. In 2012 she celebrated her Diamond (60th) Jubilee, which was marked by various events around the Commonwealth.

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• Page 4 – Māori and the Queen

  Māori ‘were primarily concerned to express their loyalty to the Crown and to win acceptance as New Zealand citizens.’ They were just as enthusiastic about the tour as other New

• Page 5 – Changing attitudes to monarchy

  The brief postwar social consensus started to fray from the 1960s. More frequent visits by the Queen and other members of her family probably reduced some of the mystique. At