Crowded Fiji

Itinerary For Queen

From a Suva Correspondent

Fiji over the holidays was busy

with preparations for the visit of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of

Edinburgh in early February.

THE Royal couple will spend only a night and a day here en route to NZ and Australia, but their recep tion is going to be a spectacular one.

The Queen was last in Fiji in December, 1953. The Duke was here as recently as November, when he passed through Nadi on his way to open the Commonwealth Games in Perth. At that stage he discussed plans for the February visit with the Governor, Sir Kenneth Maddocks.

Suva is preparing for its biggest crowd ever—greater than that of 1953. Fiji’s population has grown by 100,000 since 1953 and transport facilities have greatly improved.

Crowds are also expected at Nadi international airport, where the Royal party are due to arrive by air from

On his way to the Empire Games at Perth in November, the Duke of Edin burgh stopped briefly at Nadi where he discussed details of his and the Queen's visit to Fiji in February with Fiji's Gover nor, Sir Kenneth Maddocks. The Duke gave permission to Stan Whippy to take this photograph during his stop-over.

London just before 10 p.m. on the night of February 1. They will drive 15 miles from the airport to Fiji’s second biggest town, Lautoka, travelling slowly through Fijian villages on the way. Local notabilities will be presented at Lautoka and a bouquet will be presented to the Queen.

To enable people in this area, which is 150 miles from Suva, to see the Royal visitors, they will drive slowly through the main streets of the town before embarking on the Royal yacht, Britannia, which will have arrived at the port of Lautoka on January 25.

The Royal party will sail in the Britannia along the coast of Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu, during the night, and are due to arrive off Suva about 10.30 next morning. As the Britannia enters the passage through the reef into Suva’s picturesque har bour, a salute of 21 guns will be fired by a battery of the Fijian Military Forces, The Governor and Lady Maddocks, who will have returned from Lautoka to Suva by air, will go on board the Royal yacht and will be followed by representative Fijian chiefs who will perform on board the ancient tra

ditional ceremony of invitation land, which is reserved only for most distinguished visitors.

The ceremony is known as ca> kelekele (pronounced thavueeke kelly).

When the Queen steps ashore will be presented with a bouquet a Fijian child and will inspect a gu of honour of the Fijian Milit Forces in their brilliant red tunics £ kilt-like white sulus.

Under the shelter of a specie constructed bure with open sides, Governor will present leading citiz* to the Queen.

Then will come the great mom for the crowds—the first appearai of the Royal cavalcade as it dri from the wharf through the heart the city to Albert Park, where 14,( school children will be drawn up ranks.

At the park the Queen and i Duke will transfer from the Ro car to an open Land-Rover to dr along the ranks of the children. It expected that the Queen and l Duke will spend a quarter of an he at the park.

From there they will drive to 1 grounds of nearby Governrm House, where ancient Fijian ce monies of welcome will be p formed.

Whale's Tooth Presentation These will last for three-quarters an hour and will include the t ditional presentation of the tat (whale’s tooth), chiefly yaqc (kava) and the symbolic presentati of a huge feast, which denotes 1 desire of the people to extend evi hospitality to their visitors.

Lunch at Government House v follow, and afterwards there will a short investiture at which t Queen will present awards made local people in the Birthday and N 1 Year Honours.

Normally, the Birthday Honou awarded last June, would have be presented by the Governor at t opening of the Budget session of t Legislative Council in November.

In the journey back to the wh: to board the Britannia, the Ro; party will start, appropriately, fro Queen Elizabeth Drive, which ski the sea. They will travel along ros so they can see the Colonial W Memorial Hospital, as it is the w of the Queen that hospitals shot be included wherever possible in 1 routes on which she travels. TT will occupy about half an hour a: will, aptly, include Edinburgh Drive It is expected that the Queen at the Duke will embark on 1 Britannia at 3.45 p.m. to sail 1 New Zealand.