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SCMP

This article was first published on May 5, 1975
To the boom of welcoming naval guns firing a Royal salute and the skirl of Gurkha pipers, the Queen was yesterday welcomed to Hong Kong as she sailed across Fragrant Harbour.
Amid waving flags and beneath the skyscrapers of Hong Kong and Kowloon, the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, received an enthusiastic welcome as they made their historic touchdown at Kai Tak.

It was the first visit to the Colony of a reigning monarch since Hong Kong came under British rule 134 years ago after the first Opium War.
Fireboats sent gigantic sprays into the air as the Governor’s launch, Lady Maurine, took the Queen, Prince Philip, and the Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, and Lady MacLehose, to an appropriately-named landing point on Hong Kong Island – Queen’s Pier.
The Royal couple enjoyed a triumphant welcome. Distant crowds cheered as the special British Airways Boeing 707 jet roared in over Lyemun.
Under brilliant skies, with a few puffy white clouds, the jet touched down gently as it landed.
The Queen and Prince Philip stepped down from the plane to greet the Governor and Lady MacLehose, the Commander British Forces, Sir Edwin Brammall, the Colonial Secretary, Mr Denys Roberts, the Chief Justice, Sir Geoffrey Briggs, Senior Executive Councillor, Sir Yuet-keung Kan, and Lady Kan, and Senior Legislative Councillor, Dr S. Y. Chung, and Lady Chung.
As the Royal party left the airport for the drive to Kowloon public pier, the Queen’s entourage of about 30 people were disembarking from the aircraft.
The entourage included ladies in waiting, equerries, a press secretary, medical officer, the captain of the Queen’s flight, the Queen’s dresser and hairdresser, police officers, maids, clerks, secretaries, valets, pages and footmen.
On the way to Kowloon public pier, the roads were lined with children cheering and waving flags which read “Welcome to Her Majesty the Queen.”

Many spectators had umbrellas to shade them from the fierce rays of the sun.
Thousands of enthusiastic spectators watched the Royal procession along Salisbury Road and Chatham Road, and shoppers also stopped for a glimpse of the Royal couple.
Tourists were noticeable by their numbers. And away from the Royal route, people gathered before the windows of electrical shops to watch the procession on television.
At Kowloon public pier, one woman fainted and several others needed treatment long before the Royal visitors arrived at the pier.
Crowds milled about the pier area almost five hours before the Queen and Prince Philip were scheduled to cross the harbour in the Lady Maurine.
People were packed 12 deep for about 30 yards round the pier.
The scene in the harbour was as colourful as one could ever expect to see here.
The minesweepers, Beachampton and Wolverton, were present to lead the Lady Maurine to Queen’s Pier.
The fireboat, Alexander Grantham, sprayed its water jets in the air and private sailing craft bobbed on the water.
The Queen and Prince Philip were five minutes behind schedule, but the crowd cheered as they boarded the Lady Maurine.
Hundreds of hands waved in the air in the hope they would receive a Royal wave in return.
As the yacht began its way across the harbour, a 21-gun salute boomed out from HMS Tamar and this was followed by a flypast of 15 helicopters and one single-engine plane from the Royal Air Force, the Army and the Auxiliary Air Force.

The Queen was wearing an emerald and white printed silk dress with short sleeves and hem, bordered with black and white stripes.
Her hat was of white silk overdraped with emerald organza.
The Royal couple alighted from the launch amid wild cheering, and were met by the Commanding Officer of the 6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles, Lieutenant Colonel C. J. Scott.
Col Scott then escorted the Queen to the dais to take the Royal salute of the Guard of Honour.
After the salute, the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas played the National Anthem, and the Queen inspected the honour guard accompanied by the Guard Commander, Major P. D. Pettigrew.
The Queen and Prince Philip, accompanied by the Governor and Lady MacLehose, and members of the Royal party, then proceeded into the City Hall for the official welcoming ceremony.

They were met at the door by the Chairman of the Urban Council, Mr A. de O. Sales and Mrs Sales.
In a brief speech during the ceremony, the Queen praised Hong Kong for its vigour and its ability to survive and improve. She said she is looking forward to the next three days of her stay here and that it is a real pleasure for her and Prince Philip to be here.

Among those invited to the formal ceremony were senior Goverment officers, community leaders, representatives of leading organisations, and members of the diplomatic corps.
In welcoming the Queen, the Governor said: “The predominant emotion at this moment is a fervent wish that Your Majesty and Your Highness will enjoy your short stay amongst us, that you will be able to see the way we live and also some of the ways we enjoy ourselves, and above all, the sort of people and community we are.”
On behalf of the Hong Kong community, Sir Yuet-keung Kan said the moment was of the greatest significance to the Colony.
“It is with a deep sense of honour, and of history, that we welcome you to our shores,” he said.
As the Royal couple were leaving City Hall, more children cheered and waved flags. Among them were 23 handicapped children, seven of whom were standing despite braces on both legs.
The Queen stopped to chat with a few of the youngsters. Then they returned to the Royal limousine and were driven to Government House.
The Queen and Prince Philip came across the harbour as a healthy monsoon breeze whipped life into Union Jacks bedecking skyscrapers on both sides of the harbour.
The trip across was marked by yachts, junks, pleasure craft of all descriptions and the roar of cannons as a 21-gun salute blazed from Victorian-era guns.
Flags were waved enthusiastically by children as the Royal couple left Kowloon, and, in the middle of the harbour, the gunsmoke from antique naval guns was carried away by the swift breeze.
Prince Philip was obviously pleased to be greeted by a group of scouts. He stopped and had a few words with them – almost his first unofficial stop en route – and then went on to Government House
The Royal Standard rippled in the wind above the aircraft on which the Queen arrived, on the boat on which she was carried and on the car in which she was driven.
It was the first time the Standard has been flown in the colony.
Once she got to Hong Kong Island the Queen was welcomed in a simple bilingual ceremony.
She said – in English – “Prince Philip and I thank you for your welcome. He has visited Hong Kong before as have other members of my family and I have heard much about it from them. I also keep in touch with your affairs through State papers. So although this may be my first visit I do not feel a stranger.
“But seeing is believing. And I am delighted with what I have seen and look forward very much to the next three days. I am particularly glad of this initial moment of ceremony because it gives me an opportunity to greet you all, the people of Hong Kong.
“The circumstances that have produced modern Hong Kong are unique and there cannot be any other community quite like it. Your reputation stands high in the world. Few other communities have had greater problems to deal with or have confronted them with greater vigour, or have survived and improved the life of their members against greater odds.
“Hong Kong is famous for this, as it is for the vivid colour and movement of its densely packed life and for the beauty of its scenery.
“I can assure you that it is a real pleasure, and an excitement for Prince Philip and me to be here.”


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Naval guns, crowds welcome Queen Elizabeth to Hong Kong in 1975 – from the SCMP archive

A historic moment for Hong Kong as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip arrive at Kai Tak Airport on May 4, 1975. Photo: Chan Kiu

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip arrive at Kai Tak airport on May 4, 1975. Photo: SCMP

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip at the Queen’s Pier during their visit to Hong Kong on May 4, 1975. Photo: Chan Kiu 

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on board the government yacht Lady Maurine on May 4, 1975. Photo: SCMP

Queen Elizabeth II leaving for Government House in a limousine after a welcoming ceremony at the City Hall on May 4, 1975. Photo: SCMP

Queen Elizabeth II (left), accompanied by the Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, visit a street market at Graham Street in Central during a royal tour of Hong Kong on May 5, 1975. Photo: SCMP

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Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II visited Hong Kong for the first time on May 4, 50 years ago


Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II visited Hong Kong for the first time on May 4, 50 years ago.


Britain

Queen Elizabeth II

From our archives

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II visited Hong Kong for the first time on May 4, 50 years ago

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II visited Hong Kong for the first time on May 4, 50 years ago