C
Mr. Marsh
Reference...........
Q
There is a rule that we do not copy letters from Royal Households outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
2. I think, however, that the wording of paragraph 2 could be used as nearly as possible, e.g. Her Royal Highness has let us know how very sorry she is to have to say, etc.
3. As for paragraph 3, I do not think this should be quoted. Although we know about the visits to Argentina and San Francisco, the possibility of a visit somewhere next April is something new. I do not think we have been told officially about this. I suggest it would be sufficient to say that 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 phrase could be added "the possibility of combining a visit to Hong Kong with one of the other overseas visits has been considered by Her Royal Highness, but unfortunately the time factor makes this impossible."
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(G. M. F. Stow)
Protocol and Conference Department
8 October, 1970