Sound: the royals progress up Queen Street, 1953

Hear a radio commentary of the Queen’s progress up Queen Street, Auckland.

Transcript

The royal car approaches the Customs Street intersection, and ahead of the royal couple now is the length of Queen Street, that section of the city’s drive which has been described as the Royal Mile.

[New voice] And the cars at the moment are driving slowly up towards me. The first car is just past the junction of Queen and Shortland Streets and already the crowds around here are beginning to go mad, they’re lining the street six deep, they’re leaning out of windows, they’re on window ledges and all Auckland seems to be alive with excitement on this really joyous day. The first car, the car containing the Commissioner of Police, is just passing Wyndham Street and already everyone in the crowd is waving everything they have in their hands – I can see umbrellas and flags and newspapers, all lifted up in the air as they cheer their hearts out today. And now the first car is coming up quite close to us here and it’s amazing to see the sort of explosion that happens in Queen Street as each section of the crowd gets a glimpse of the royal procession coming forward towards us now.

And now the royal car is coming up towards us, the royal car with the perspex hood, and from here we get a very clear view of the Queen. She’s sitting on the right-hand side of the car and she looks beautiful, she looks like sunshine in her yellow dress and her yellow hat. She’s waving to the crowd and smiling and the Duke is in full naval uniform. They’re both smiling and looking from side to side as they go up the street. And there’s a tremendous ovation going up from all Aucklanders here in Queen Street today. The Queen’s city welcoming its Queen.