ENG-1959 — Page 12

FOREWORD

Visit of H.R.H. the Prince Philip

HONG KONG was doubly honoured in 1959 when Her Majesty the Queen gave her gracious permission for the new Kowloon hospital to be named the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and His Royal Highness the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, visited the Colony and laid the Foundation Stone.

The Royal Yacht 'Britannia' entered Victoria Harbour soon after noon on Friday, 6th March to be greeted with a 21-gun salute. Shortly afterwards His Royal Highness' Standard came down as the Royal Barge headed for Queen's Pier.

In the course of a busy two days in Hong Kong, His Royal Highness saw and was seen by many thousands of people. Since, however, many could not hope to see him while he was here, he made a special radio and television broadcast to the people of Hong Kong, in which he conveyed a message of greeting and encouragement from Her Majesty the Queen.

The Royal visit aroused great interest and enthusiasm and huge crowds gathered everywhere Prince Philip went. There was evidence of this enthusiasm on his first evening in Hong Kong; as His Royal Highness drove away from the restaurant where a Chinese banquet had been held in his honour, a great cheer went up from the crowds of people who had waited patiently for hours to see him.

Saturday was a crowded day. By 9 o'clock His Royal Highness was already in Kowloon on his way to the Combined Services Parade Review at Kai Tak. At noon he gave a Reception on board the Royal Yacht. Besides leading members of the community, the majority of the guests were young people and particularly those engaged in youth welfare work.

In the afternoon His Royal Highness, watched by a crowd of several thousands, laid the Foundation Stone of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Before doing so, he presented to the Governor