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armed forces of the Crown, nd the temporal governor' of the Church of
England, to keep up with current domestic and international events, and to
rest between engagements in arduous programmes.
The overseas tours which the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh make
together never fail to arouse interest, both in Britain and in the world
at large, but especially in the Commonwealth or foreign territories being
visited.
At one Commonwealth conference, the Queen was advised to ration
the demands on her time by receiving only those she had not met before.
But the Queen was determined to see everybody personally. If they had
made the effort, so would she.
"How does the Queen convince people that she really wants to
see them, and is not just fulfilling a duty?" eaked Elizabeth Longford,
historian and author of several books, including The Royal House of
Windsor. She provided her own answer. "In two words," she said,
"shining sincerity."
Many people in Hong Kong
especially the young will realise
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if they happen to be in the path of the queen's 'walkabouts', that
talking to her for a few moments is to be captivated by what is called
her charisma a combination of grace and candour.
The term 'walkabouts' needs an explanation. Previously, what
was called royalty's 'mystique' imposed a barrier between the Sovereign
and the people, so that Britain's kings and queens almost never paused,
during public engagements, to talk to the man in the street. They smiled,
acknowledged cheers with a wave of the hand, nodded and passed on.
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/But the Queen
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