ميا
In September last year the Governor wrote to Sir Savile Garner
suggesting th t a visit by The
a visit by The Queen October/November/Decomber of
1968 to open the Florer Cove Water Sacheme could perhaps be regarded
as more acceptable, in that it would be a visit for a particular
purpose and not in the manner of a general "display of sovereignty",
Because the letter was unfortunately mislaid, considered Foreign
Office views are not available. They have just, however, received
an assessment from Mr. Bepaɛn in Paking who does not rate the riska
of a visit by The queen so high as did his predecessor (Hr. Garvey)
in 1964; this clearly has to be carefully considered. Nevertheless,
it remains the view of the Far Eastern Department in the Foreign
Office that the risks are probably unacceptable; this view is shared
by the Hong Kong Department. In the circumstances it does not
seen advisable to make a bii in the Committee for the Queen to
visit liong Kong.
5.
In January the Covernor put forward the alternative
suggestion that, if there was objection to a visit by the Queen,
Prince Charles might undertake the visit, de await Foreign Office
views on this too. It is unlikely that they will see any political
objection,
The Tuke of Edinburgh visited Hong Kong in 1959, and
the Foreign Office saw no objection in 1964 to a further visit.
There have been visits during the last six years by Princess
Alexandra and Princess Margaret, without any Chinese reaction. The
Prince, as a future Sovereign, may admittedly be in a different
category, and there may be objections to his undertaking publis
chatios while his education (at Cambridge) continues. However the
Committee might be asked to consider the alternative proposal of
the GovernOT.