He Queen’S

was the Pacific's ggest Social Event

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IHE Pacific Islands were not for gotten during the long visit that the young Queen Elizabeth 11, d her consort, the Duke of inburgh, paid to the Southern misphere in 1953-54.

Cn route to New Zealand from ; West Indies, the Royal party mt two days in Fiji (December 19) and two days in Tonga (Dec. 20) In New Zealand later, they t representatives from the Cook mds, Western Samoa and Niue. n Canberra, between February 13 i 20, European, Chinese and ;ive representatives of Papua and v Guinea, Nauru and Norfolk ind were presented to the Queen i attended many of the functions t were arranged during the /al party’s stay in Australia’s ital. As well, native units of the /y, Pacific Islands Regiment and /al P-NG Constabulary, with ir European officers, plus a small tingent of the PNGVR were also Canberra for the Royal occasion. i March, a large delegation P-NG natives and Chinese re nts flew from the Territory to ;t the Queen and the Duke in :ns.

[?] pictures on this page cover the Royal in three countries. At right, is the incident above all others, pleased the world and press photographers: The three-years-old y child, Adi Mei Kainona, daughter of [?] Ratu Penasa Ganilau, presents a bouquet

to the Queen just after she had stepped ashore on Fijian soil.

Below, left, an incident during the private picn.c at Queen Salote's country home, outside Nukualofa, Tonga. Princess Mata'aho is fasten ing a lei around the neck of Queen Elizabeth,

while Princess Melenaite performs a similar service for the Duke. The photograph below, right was taken in the grounds ot Government House, Canberra, on the day that the Pacific Islands delegations were presented to Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh.