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+THE PREDOMINANT EMOTION AT THE MOMENT IS A FERVENT WISH THAT YOUR MAJESTY AND YOUR ROYAL 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 WE ARE, AND THE SORT OF COMMUNITY WE ARE. WE DARE TO HOPE THAT, HAVING SEEN A LITTLE OF ALL THIS, YOU WILL LIKE IT.+
THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT, TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT COULD BE SEEN IN SUCH A SHORT TIME, AN EXHIBITION HAD BEEN PREPARED, WHICH HE HOPED WOULD ALSO BE OF INTEREST TO A VERY WIDE PUBLIC.
HE WENT ON, +FOR THE VISIT OF YOUR MAJESTY AND YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS IS A GOOD TIME TO REMOVE MISCONCEPTIONS AND TO REMIND OURSELVES AND OTHERS WHAT HONG KONG HAS DONE, WHAT IT NOW IS, AND WHAT IT COULD BE.+
THEN, ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG HE EXTENDED A VERY SINCERE AND VERY LOYAL WELCOME. HIS ADDRESS WAS FOLLOWED BY LOUD APPLAUSE.
SIR YUET-KEUNG KAN THEN SPOKE, FIRST IN CHINESE THEN IN ENGLISH. HE SAID THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WELCOMED THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE WITH A DEEP SENSE OF HONOUR AND OF HISTORY.
+THE ROYAL FAMILY,+ HE SAID, +HAS ALWAYS HAD A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR HEARTS AND WE ARE GRATEFUL INDEED FOR THE INTEREST THEY HAVE SHOWN IN US. YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS IS CERTAINLY NO STRANGER TO HONG KONG, AND WE REMEMBER WITH PLEASURE AND AFFECTION THE VISITS OF PRINCESS ANNE, PRINCESS MARGARET AND PRINCESS ALEXANDRA.+
SIR Y.K. KAN POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG OWED ITS EXISTENCE TO THE SEA. HE SAID IT COULD BE NO ACCIDENT THAT THE QUEEN'S ARRIVAL AUSPICIOUSLY COINCIDED WITH THE BIRTHDAY OF TIN HAU, THE GODDESS OF FISHERMEN AND SEAFARERS. +THIS, HE SAID, +IS SURELY THE BEST OF AUGURIES: A MOST PROPITIOUS DAY.+
HE ENDED, YOUR MAJESTY, HONG KONG BIDS YOU A MOST HEARTY WELCOME= WE HOPE THAT YOUR STAY HERE WILL BE INFORMATIVE, BUT ABOVE ALL HAPPY.+
THE QUEEN, WHOSE SPEECH WAS ALSO READ LATER IN CHINESE, THANKED SIR Y.K. KAN FOR HIS WELCOME. SHE RECALLED THAT PRINCE PHILIP HAD VISITED HONG KONG BEFORE, AS HAD OTHER MEMBERS OF HER FAMILY, AND SHE HAD HEARD MUCH ABOUT IT FROM THEM.
SHE ADDED, +! 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 MOMENT OF CEREMONY BECAUSE IT GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO GREET YOU ALL, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.+
/THE QUEEN