TNAG-0100-FCO40-136-Hong-Kong-royal-visits-1968 — Page 37

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CONFIDENTIAL

1969

(n) An approach had been made to Sir Paul Gore-Booth by the Japanese Ambassador about the possibility of a visit by The Queen to Japan.

It was.

now likely that the Emperor of Japan would, for the first time, pay visits outside his own country; the first of these would no doubt be to the United States, but the Emperor was known to want to visit the United Kingdom, though this should not take place as an appendage of the American visit. If he were to go to the United States in 1968 he could be invited to the United Kingdom in 1969, in which case a return visit by The Queen to Japan might be possible in 1971, though it was desirable that the interval between the two visits should be longer than two years. The intentions of the Japanese were, however, not clear, and the response to the Japanese Ambassador should be that further consideration would be given to possible visits when the Japanese plans were further advanced. It should also be borne in mind that a visit to Japan in the same year as a visit to Australia and New Zealand would be unduly burdensome.

(n) The proposed State Visits to Switzerland and Austria should be noted as possibilities at this stage and further considered at the next meeting.

(o) The King of Norway wanted to invite The Queen to visit Norway, and The Queen had thought that she might combine such a visit with a visit by the King of Norway to the Shetland Islands. political implications in such a visit to the require further consideration.

There might however be Shetland Islands which would

If the visit

to Norway were to take place

August 1969 would be a suitable time for it. At this stage the Norwegian Ambassador should be told only that this was a possibility.

The Committee

Invited the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office to be

guided by the points made in discussion.

2.

ROYAL VISITS TO COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES:

CONFIDENTIAL

EXPENDITURE

The Committee considered a memorandum by the Commonwealth Offico (RV(67) 4) about expenditure on Royal Visits to Commonwealth countries. There was general agreement with the memorandum. It was also agreed that a reference to the British Air Corporations should be added to those to the Royal Yacht and The Queen's Flight in paragraphs 2II, 2 V, 6(a) and 8(iv).

The Committee

Approved RV(67) 4.

Cabinet Office, S.W.1.

11th October 1967

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CONFIDENTIAL