TNAG-0517-FCO40-582-Meetings-of-Royal-Visits-Committee-affecting-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 35

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REF.

TO ROUTINE HONG KONG TELNO. PERSONAL 674 OF 22 JULY, 1974

FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR.

VISIT BY THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH,

#

:

1. SINCE YOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH CURLE AND HESELTINE, THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD DEFINITELY

PREFER TO BREAK THEIR JOURNEY FROM KINGSTON TO HONG KONG AT WAKE ISLAND. SECOND PREFERENCE IS FOR A STOPOVER AT HONOLULU, IN EITHER EVENT, ARRANGEMENTS WOULD BE CONTRIVED SO THAT THEY WOULD ARRIVE AT HONG KONG APPROXIMATELY 1830 SUNDAY 3RD MAY. APART FROM ARRIVAL FORMALITIES, THEY WOULD NOT WISH TO UNDERTAKE ANY OTHER ENGAGEMENTS THAT DAY.

2. JAPANESE HAVE EXPRESSED A FIRM PREFERENCE FOR ARRIVAL TOKYO

APPROXIMATELY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY, 7TH MAY, AND THIS ENTAILS DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG 6500 SAME MORNING, TIME AVAILABLE FOR HONG KONG PROGRAMME IS THEREFORE MONDAY AND TUESDAY, 5TH AND 6TH MAY.

3. GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD CONFIRM THAT DATES PROPOSED PRESENT NO LOCAL DIFFICULTIES.

4. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO ANNOUNCE HONG KONG VISIT UNTIL CONSIDERABLY NEARER THE TIME, SINCE PLANS WILL HAVE TO BE REVIEWED IN LIGHT OF ANGLO-CHINESE RELATIONS.

CALLAGHAN

FILES

P&CD

HKIOD

FED

SIR D WATSON

MR MALE

MR WILFORD

CONFIDENTIAL

COPIES TO

MR W HESELTINE CVO BUCKINGHAM PALACE