ROYAL VISIT
PRESS
RELEASE
Sunday, May 4, 1975
QUEEN'S VISIT CEREMONY OF WELCOME
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN'S REPLY TO SPEECHES OF WELCOME
AT CITY HALL ON SUNDAY MAY 4.
Your Excellency, Sir Yuet-Keung Kan,
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 particu- larly 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.