AIR MAIL
CONFIDENTIAL
Ref:
CR 4/5701/61 P.II
Dear
michane
21
C
1971 file
22.
COLONIAL SECRETARIAT,
HONG KONG.
5 November 1970
21
Many thanks for your letter HK K 26/2 of
23 October 1970. We are all very sorry to hear that this visit cannot be fitted in during 1971. The Commissioner of Police and his colleagues had in particular as you know been hoping that a fairly early visit might be possible to mark H.R.H's association with the Force.
However we realise of course how full the Royal programmes are. As regards a possible Royal Visit during 1972 or early 1973 I am sure the answer is that we would welcome this but perhaps we should await, before attempting to take this correspondence further, the outcome of the discussions with Sir David and Mr. Maclehose.
HKK26/2
Zamo
Ronald Holmes.
(D.R. Holmes)
Acting Colonial Secretary
E.O. Laird, CMG, MBE,
Hong Kong Department,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London S.W.1
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10.11.70
HK K 26/2
20
22
Confidential
Hong Kong Department,
23 October, 1970.
After your exchange of letters with Bill Gaminara about Princess Alexandra's proposed visit to Hong Kong an approach was made to Her koyal Highness proposing a visit at one of the times you suggested or, if none of those was convenient, at an alternative time.
Her Royal Highness has let us know how very sorry she is to have to say that she does not at present feel able to include a visit to Hong Kong in her Programme for next year. The Princess realises that the Royal Hong Kong Police Force are looking forward to a visit from her in her capacity as Commandant-General, and also she would very much like to have been able to undertake this visit before Sir David Trench leaves Hong Kong. It is with particular regret therefore that she sends this reply. Unfortunately Her Royal Highness' commitments in the United Kingdom and overseas in 1971 are such that she is not able to manage a visit to Hong Kong. The possibility of combining the visit to Hong Kong with one of the other overseas visits has been considered by Her Royal Highness, but the time factor makes this impossible.
This will, we know, come as a great disappointment to you all, particularly to Sir David and Lady Trench, and we have been wondering whether you would like us to be thinking about a Royal Visit sometime in 1972 or perhaps early 1973. The opening of the cross-harbour tunnel, or of the new hospital, would seem to present a suitable occasion for such a visit, but we would be glad of your views. We shall in any case be consulting David Trench and Murray MacLehose about this next week when they will both be in London.
HONG KONG.
(E. 0. Laird)
D. R. Holmes, Esq., CMG, CBE, MC, Acting Colonial Secretary,
Wit be Hott-70
(reply)
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