PRESS RELEASE
Royal Visits
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1986
A RIGHT ROYAL WELCOME FOR THE QUEEN
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HONG KONG TURNED OUT BY LAND AND SEA TO GIVE THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH A WELCOME THE LIKE OF WHICH THE TERRITORY HAS NOT SEEN BEFORE. IT WAS A MIXTURE OF THE FORMAL AND INFORMAL, CEREMONIAL AND SHEER EXUBERANCE OF BYSTANDERS.
AS HER MAJESTY'S YACHT BRITANNIA, WITH HER FAMOUS YELLOW FUNNEL AND RAKED MASTS, SAILED THROUGH LEI YUE MUN GAP, CARRYING THE ROYAL VISITORS, SHE WAS ESCORTED BY THE GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER HMS YORK AND PATROL CRAFT OF THE ROYAL NAVY'S HONG KONG SQUADRON.
BUT A FAR MORE COLOURFUL AND LESS FORMAL ESCORT WAS PROVIDED BY DOZENS OF YACHTS AND PLEASURE CRAFT WHOSE OWNERS HAD SET OUT TO CATCH AN EARLY GLIMPSE OF THE QUEEN AND PRINCE PHILIP.
AS THE BRITANNIA ENTERED THE HARBOUR, A 21-GUN SALUTE WAS FIRED FROM HMS TAMAR.
THE BRITANNIA DROPPED ANCHOR OFF EDINBURGH PLACE EAST AND THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE TRAVELLED BY ROYAL BARGE FROM THE ROYAL YACHT TO QUEEN'S PIER, WHILE OVERHEAD, HELICOPTERS OF 28 SQUADRON ROYAL AIR FORCE, 660 SQUADRON ARMY AIR CORPS AND THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE FLEW PAST IN SALUTE.
AS HER MAJESTY, WEARING A DRESS OF TURQUOISE AND WHITE PRINTED CREPE, AND A HAT OF TURQUOISE STRAW PIPED IN WHITE STEPPED ASHORE SHE WAS GREETED AT THE FOOT THE LANDING STEPS BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, WHO PRESENTED LADY YOUDE AND HIS AIDE-DE-CAMP SUPERINTENDENT PAUL COLLIER.
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UNDER THE PORTICO OF THE PIER, THE GOVERNOR PRESENTED TO THE QUEEN THE CHIEF JUSTICE SIR DENYS ROBERTS AND LADY ROBERTS; THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES AND LADY AKERS-JONES THE COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES, MAJOR GENERAL ANTHONY BOAM AND MRS BOAM; THE SENIOR MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. THE HON OSWALD CHEUNG AND MRS CHEUNG, THE SENIOR MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THE HON LYDIA DUNN AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY (HONG KONG BRANCH), MR XU JIATUN.
/GREETINGS ON.......