In the early hours of 9 April, Crown Princess Märtha and her husband Olav were awakened by a phone call from an aide, bringing the devastating news of an invasion by German military forces. With her mind in a whirl, Märtha immediately awakened her three children, instructing them to dress for a mountain hike. Ragnhild, the eldest, would later recall that ‘the clearest sign that something was wrong was that it was our parents themselves who woke us up.’ After eating a hasty breakfast, at around 6 a.m. Märtha , Olav and their three children (Ragnhild, Astrid and Harald) set out from their home, some twenty kilometres to the west of Oslo, for the Royal Palace in central Oslo, in a convoy of three cars. The Crown Prince was at the wheel of his own car, his wife and children beside him. Olav-who was driving at great speed-had already decided that if anyone tried to stop him, he would run them down.
On arrival at the Royal Palace, everything was in a state of flux. The royal family departed the royal residence at 7 a.m. travelling in the direction of the Østbane railway station in order to take a special train to Hamar to avoid capture. The members of the Norwegian parliament, the Storting, were also on board the train. The group was led and organised by the President, Carl Joachim Hambro. It had been at his suggestion that the royal family accompanied the parliamentary group. Just as the train passed through Lillestrøm, the town was bombed, although the focus was fortunately on the nearby airport at Kjeller. The entourage travelled onwards towards Hamar with German soldiers and aircraft in hot pursuit.
By the early evening, the royal party had settled at an estate at Sælid, a few kilometres outside of Hamar, where they were just sitting down to dinner when word was received from the local police chief of the impending arrival of several busloads of German paratroops. This was a group led by the German Air Attache in Oslo, Captain Spiller, who was intent on seizing the King and his ministers by force. They did not reckon on the efforts of the Norwegian Colonel Otto Ruge and his men, many of whom had only completed their basic training, who manned a roadblock. Their heaviest weapon was one machine gun. Fighting tenaciously, they succeeded in mortally wounding Hiller and the Germans withdrew. Meanwhile, the King and others of the royal group immediately set out by car towards Elverum, to rendezvous with members of the government who had fled there from Hamar. It was also at Elverum that the Storting gave the King and government the authority to govern the country for as long as the war lasted (“The Elverum Mandate”). However, with so much uncertainty prevailing, a decision was made to send Crown Princess Märtha and the royal children over the border into neutral Sweden, for reasons of safety. Among those accompanying them were Olav’s trusted aide, Major Nicolai Ramm Østgaard (who would almost immediately return to his duties with the Crown Prince), his wife Ragni and their ten-year-old son Einar. Also in the royal entourage was Signe Svendsen, Prince Harald’s nurse; as well as Ragnhild and Martha’s Swedish governess Maja Thorén. Another Swedish national, the Crown Princess’s maid, Edla Norberg completed the party. The royal convoy, consisting of three cars, crossed the border into Sweden from Trysil at 00:50 hours on 10 April.
German troops parade down Karl Johan’s Gate with the Royal Palace in the background.
The events surrounding the party’s crossing into Sweden are the subject of debate. There are two versions:. In Brita Rosenberg’s biography of Princess Astrid, the latter recounts that Swedish border guards did not want to raise the border barrier and only did so at the last minute when their Norwegian driver indicated that he would drive straight through unless they did so.
Einar Østgaard, in his 2005 book about Crown Princess Märtha, which makes use of his father’s notes and journals, takes issue with this account: ‘The claim that Crown Princess Märtha was denied access to Sweden was printed for the first time over forty years after crossing the border on the night of 10 April 1940.’ He is of the opinion that this version must be due to a misremembering. The author also cites his mother Ragni, who served as the Crown Princess’s Lady-in-Waiting, later describing an undramatic border crossing: ‘None of us had passports, but at the Swedish border station, Nikko (her husband, Nikolai Østgaard) was out explaining who it was, and there was no difficulty in getting past.’
Either way, the convoy continued to the winter resort of Sälen to stay at the well-known Högfjällshotellet, arriving at half past three in the morning. As it was a glorious sunny day and the royal children spent most of the time skiing on the nearby slopes, while their anxious mother remained at the hotel glued to the radio for news of events in neighbouring Norway. What she heard could hardly have lifted her spirits. On 10 April, the King had met with the German Minister Kurt Bräuer in the High School at Elverum. Bräuer set out the demands of his masters in Berlin: the legitimate Norwegian government must resign, and the King must appoint Vidkun Quisling of the right-wing Nasjonal Samling (National Unity) party as Norway’s Prime Minister and approve the formation of a pro-German government led by him. King Haakon subsequently presented these demands to officials of the legitimate Johan Nygaardsvold government during an extraordinary Council of State held in nearby Nybergsund (where they had relocated). The King made it clear that they must decide what course of action they wished to take, but added that he would not bow to these German demands and if the government decided to agree to them, he would abdicate. The government, in turn, fully backed the King. King Haakon’s “no” and the government’s approval thereof were formulated as a Royal Decree and signed by the King, the Prime Minister and Minister of State Bredo Rolsted. The Norwegian population were informed of the decision in a radio broadcast.
When the Germans learned of this decision (which was relayed by telephone to Bräuer at Eidsvoll by Foreign Minister Koht) , they were infuriated. The following day, Heinkel 111 bombers of the German Luftwaffe bombed both Elverum and Nybergsund, where the King and Crown Prince were sheltering, killing dozens of people. Crown Princess Märtha was subsequently relieved to learn from newly-arrived Norwegian guests at the hotel that, although shaken, both the King and Crown Prince Olav were uninjured. This news was corroborated by the hotel manager who had been in Nybergsund at the time of the attacks, in an attempt to obtain information on behalf of the Crown Princess. From first-hand reports carried in the Swedish press, it became clear that King Haakon was the key target. At one stage, he and his son Olav were forced to take shelter in a ditch to avoid being fired on by the low-flying Heinkel bombers.
Crown Prince Olav (to rear) and King Haakon literally run for their lives at Nybergsund 11 April 1940
An early visitor to Sälen was the Storting President Carl Joachim Hambro, who was en route to Stockholm. He recalls in his memoirs arriving in time for breakfast and apologising to the Crown Princess for ‘being so unkempt and not having had time to shave.’ Märtha, clearly having maintained her sense of humour merely laughed and replied, ‘Me neither.’ He brought with him a letter written by King Haakon at Nybergsund addressed to his sister (and Märtha’s mother) Princess Ingeborg. The latter arrived at the winter resort a few days later, visibly tired and looking somewhat older, according to Ragni Østgaard. Yet, Ingeborg was also ‘filled with a glowing hatred of the Germans’ for her homeland of Denmark had also recently been occupied. Märtha’s mother was also deeply concerned for the welfare of her brother, King Haakon (formerly Prince Carl of Denmark until his accession to the throne of Norway in 1905) and her son-in-law (and nephew) Olav.
Prince Harald photographed at Sälen
The Swedish authorities were by now growing increasingly nervous of the presence of Norwegian royalty in an area so close to the border. What if, they reasoned, the Germans accidentally bombed the hotel due to a “navigation error” or if a kidnapping attempt was made to seize the royal party? The Swedish county governor decided to act and asked the royal party leave the hotel. In order not to attract attention, on 18 April, the royals and their entourage departed in the middle of the night, and headed southwards by car (which almost upturned in a snow drift) towards Uppsala. Thanks to Princess Ingeborg making use of family connections, it was arranged that the royal party could take temporary residence at Count Carl Bernadotte of Wisborg’s home at Rasbo. They would remain there for ten days, before proceeding to Stockholm and Drottningholm Palace.
At Drottningholm, King Gustav proved to be welcoming host but made it clear, through an adjutant, that there would be no discussion of the war at the dinner table. This was interesting, as otherwise Gustav had taken a keen interest in developments throughout Europe, with maps spread out over a billiard table nearby. However, it was noticeable that there was none pertaining to Norway. This particular map had been removed, prior to the arrival of the Norwegian contingent, perhaps out of tact. The Crown Princess tried to distract herself with games of gin rummy and bridge. Meanwhile Norwegians in Sweden were told not to openly celebrate their National Day on 17 May.
So how did the Crown Princess now continue to obtain news of what was happening across the border? Märtha acquired a quality radio set and each evening she and Ragni Østgaard would listen to the late night news bulletin from London. Perhaps Märtha even managed to tune in to the National Day service broadcast from the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in London, as King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav managed to do in a holiday chalet in Northern Norway? She also had the services of the Norwegian diplomat Jen Bull, who acted as a liaison between Märtha and the Norwegian Legation in Stockholm. Bull had previously served (1925-1931) as a Counsellor in the Norwegian legation in Berlin, rising to the rank of Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office in Oslo in 1939.
In due course, the Crown Princess was informed that King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav had departed Norway (from Tromsø) on the evening of 7 June, following a cabinet meeting held in the Bishop’s Palace, in order to continue the fight from Norwegian democracy from London. The war in Norway aside, Crown Prince Olav’s chief concern was now for the safety of his children and wife in Sweden. He had written to President Franklin D Roosevelt from Trangen, Langvatnet, as early as 10 May, mentioning an offer which Roosevelt had made, in late April 1939, during the Crown Prince and Princess’ weekend stay at the President’s country home at Hyde Park, ‘to take care of the children’ if the war should reach Norwegian shores.
After observing the 82nd birthday celebrations for ‘Uncle Gustav’ the previous day at Drottningholm, on 17 June, the Crown Princess and her children moved to Ulriksdal Palace. This allowed for some more privacy, and the children were able to relax with games, picnics and boating on the inlet. Furthermore, young Harald took the opportunity to learn to swim under the instruction of Signe Svendsen. Nonetheless, there was always a watchful Swedish policeman in attendance. Interestingly, the move to Ulriksdal coincided with King Haakon learning that the Germans had informed the Administrative Council, an interim body appointed by the Norwegian Supreme Court to deal with matters of civil administration in Norway, that he should abdicate the throne. This move on the part of the German occupiers seems to have hit a raw nerve with King Gustav of Sweden who, most unusually, became involved, sending a telegram to Adolf Hitler stating that ‘I consider it my duty to personally emphasize to you, Herr Reich Chancellor, that such a measure would elicit serious disapproval among the broadest circles of the Swedish people and throughout the whole of Scandinavia. I wish therefore, before irrevocable decisions are made by you, to draw your attention through this telegram…to urge you, Mr. Chancellor, to proceed with all the moderation that can be considered possible in relation to Norway, its king and people.’ Did he now fear for his own throne?
The sitting room at Ulriksdal Palace much as it was in 1940.
In the interim, Berlin had appointed Josef Terboven as Reichskommissar in Norway. Despite the initial refusal of the Administrative Council to comply with the abdication request, negotiations were continuing with Terboven, who was currently focused on the formulation of a future political framework for use in Norway during the occupation. Furthermore, despite King Gustav’s aforementioned telegram, there was a genuine possibility that a powerful Germany, aided by sympathetic Norwegians, could, if necessary, use leverage against Sweden, both diplomatically, economically, and militarily, to arrange for Märtha to be returned to Norway with her son and a Regency formed until Harald came of age. A number of prominent Norwegians who visited Stockholm advocated for such a solution. This idea also had its supporters within Per Albin Hansson’s Swedish government. For instance, the Swedish Justice Minister (and one-time Foreign Minister), Karl Westman, wrote in his diary as early as 19 June, mentioning his attendance at a government meeting: ‘I reiterated my question about why the friends of the Norwegian dynasty do not put the Norwegian crown princess and [prince] Harald on a plane and send them… to Oslo.’ He was writing this at a time when many Swedes believed that Märtha’s presence threatened to undermine Sweden’s neutrality when Germany was on the ascendance: Only a few days earlier German forces had entered Paris unopposed and the French were on the point of signing the surrender at Compiègne. Time Magazine would subsequently report that Crown Princess Märtha had indeed been offered ‘a regency in the name of her son, Prince Harald.’ Meanwhile, some Norwegians even harboured the-not unrealistic-suspicion that Prince Harald could be kidnapped and taken to Oslo by force.
On 27 June, the Presidential Council of the Storting, under pressure from the occupiers and recognising the need to establish a provisional government, responded tentatively to Josef Terboven’s proposal to establish a Council of the Realm to act as a collaborative body with the occupiers. In order to progress matters, they now asked the King to abdicate, giving him until 12 July to ‘renounce his constitutional functions for himself and his house.’ However, King Haakon refused to comply and, on 8 July, announced his rejection of the abdication request via a BBC radio broadcast from London, as well as formally placing his response in writing. What would this mean for the future of Norway and the monarchy going forward?
In Stockholm, Märtha, under the impression that her Swedish family (i.e. King Gustav) and Hitler were conspiring to remove King Haakon and set up a Regency, was feeling the pressure and sent a telegram to London as early as 24 June warning her husband that attempts were being made to ‘induce her’ to return with her three children to Oslo. Indeed, rumours had been circulating of a cipher telegram having been sent on 21 June by King Gustav to King Haakon to advise him to abdicate in favour of his grandson as ‘a means of saving the Norwegian people from unnecessary difficulties’. It also appears that the contents of King Gustav’s earlier telegram to Hitler may have been misconstrued or misreported for, on 22 June the British Minister in Stockholm indicated that King Gustav had telegraphed Hitler directly personally recommending the Regency option to him. Thus, London (and the Crown Princess) now believed that Gustav was the principal protagonist in this matter. Indeed, such was the fury in London that it caused Britain’s King George VI to sit down and write a very stern letter to the Swedish King. Fortunately, this was not forwarded by the British Legation in Stockholm to King Gustav, when it became clear that the meddling Swedish king had instead urged Hitler to show the utmost possible moderation in his dealings over Norway. Some commentators have taken the view that Gustav intervened simply because he believed that if the matter was not resolved soon Germany would abolish the monarchy in Norway.
Despite the strong political pressure placed on her, according to Einar Østgaard’s book, Crown Princess Märtha did not particularly want to travel to the United States. However, King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav, fearing for Märtha and the children’s safety, seemed keen that this should happen. In late June, the Crown Prince had written again to President Roosevelt from Buckingham Palace pressing him to make good on his offer of sanctuary to his children, but this time he also included a request on behalf of his wife. Olav also made an approach to the US Secretary of State via the US Ambassador in London, Joseph Kennedy, entreating ‘if there is anything you can do in a hurry to get the [Crown] Princess out [of Sweden].’ On 12 July, the US Secretary of State sent a message to the US Minister in Stockholm saying that President Roosevelt was arranging for a naval transport vessel to be sent to Finland to evacuate the Crown Princess and her family, along with a group of ‘stranded’ US citizens.
On 17 July, the Norwegian Government-in-exile addressed a letter to the Storting Presidential Council, in which cautious appreciation of the work done by the Administrative Council was combined with a plain warning that ‘everything which is agreed or done at this time in respect of government in Norway must have the clear stamp of temporariness, if nothing is to be lost for the future of the country.’
On 18 July, Märtha received a telephone call from the Norwegian Minister in Washington, Wilhelm Thorleif von Munthe af Morgenstierne. He informed a somewhat nonplussed Crown Princess (who seems to have been in the dark about Crown Prince Olav’s recent correspondence with Roosevelt) that an American warship was being sent to Finland to transport her and her children to the United States. But would she go? On 20 July, Märtha received the US Minister to Norway, Mrs Florence Harriman, who was now ensconced temporarily at the United States Legation in Stockholm. Having had time to reflect on the efforts being made on her and her children’s behalf, both in London and Washington, the Crown Princess indicated to the American that she would be happy to accept President Roosevelt’s kind offer. Nevertheless, Märtha was keen to emphasise that she wanted to enter the United States ‘as quietly as possible’ and that she ‘would not be required to meet reporters or a reception committee’. Naively, the Crown Princess even expressed the hope that the date of her arrival should be kept confidential. King Gustav, on hearing of the “American plan”, telegraphed King Haakon, on 24 July, stating that he objected to the American trip as it might undermine the future of the Norwegian monarchy, a viewpoint Haakon, who deeply resented Gustav’s meddling, was quick to dismiss. Some sources also have Crown Princess Märtha and “Uncle Gustav” having a robust exchange of views on this matter in Stockholm.
However, events were already moving apace. On 22 July, Mrs Harriman had been informed by the US State Department that a naval transport, the USS American Legion, was about to leave for the Finnish port of Petsamo (now Petsjenga, Russia) and should reach there around 5 August. It was also made clear that there was ‘no possible way’ the Crown Princess’ arrival in the United States could be kept confidential. Indeed, just as Märtha was setting off from Ulriksdal Palace, on 12 August, the Norwegian Legation released a statement to the press, also broadcast over Radio Sweden, stating that the Crown Princess and her three children ‘will leave for the United States in the next few days to visit President Roosevelt’ who had issued ‘a personal invitation’ to the Norwegian royals.
That same day, the Norwegian party departed Stockholm’s Central Station. Both Märtha’s father, Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg were distressed to take leave of their beloved daughter and grandchildren. Princess Ingeborg presented Märtha with a case of jewels, including the emerald tiara that had once belonged to Empress Joséphine, the wife of Napoléon Bonaparte. This was a form of financial insurance in difficult times. King Gustav also came to the station to see them off, despite his grave reservations. They were, after all, his relations too. The plan was for the Norwegian royal party to travel by train to Haparanda, on the Swedish/ Norwegian border, with the rest of the journey, through Finland, being undertaken by cars provided by the Finnish authorities. The local Haparanda newspaper Haparandabladet soon reported on the Crown Princess’s arrival there, prior to her setting off on the second stage of the journey northwards to Petsamo. This second stage was undertaken in a convoy of four vehicles and included stops and overnight stays in Rovaniemi and Inari (Enare). A Finnish military officer, Major Carl Gustaf Wahren, accompanied the royal entourage and was responsible for security. He very kindly allowed the amiable Swedish policeman Artur Pfeiffer, with whom the children had developed a good relationship since their arrival in Stockholm, to accompany the party on this Finnish leg of their journey. Petsamo was reached on 15 August.
The Crown Princess and her children in Finland en route to Petsamo, 13-15 August 1940
The Crown Princess and her children now joined the nine hundred passengers, mostly United States citizens, aboard the American Legion, bound for New York. Märtha appeared on the ship’s manifest as “Mrs Jones” and was given the use of the Captain’s cabin. Others in the royal party included the Crown Princess’s Chief of Staff, Peder Anker Wedel Jarlsberg; Lady-in-Waiting, Mrs Ragni Østgaard; the latter’s son Einar and Prince Harald’s nurse, Signe Svendsen. Touchingly, Harald was pictured clutching his beloved teddy bear. Yet, the Norwegian royal party were still very much in danger. Germany refused to guarantee the ship safe conduct and according to Time Magazine, in a ruthless last-minute display of audacity, had tried to delay the sailing with a dispute over the route. It was said that the Germans preferred a more northern passage where the American Legion could be waylaid by a submarine, and Martha and her son kidnapped.
Meanwhile, King Haakon broadcast to the Norwegian people on 26 August, informing them ‘to avoid everything which is inconsistent with our national dignity; remain Norwegian in mind and thought…’ A majority of the Storting members in Oslo eventually voted for the suspension of the monarchy rather than acceptance of the original German demand for the abdication or deposing of the Royal House and negotiations continued. However, Terboven, keen to stamp his authority, eventually abandoned plans for a Council of the Realm. On 25 September 1940, he proclaimed the abolition of the monarchy, the deposition of the Nygaardsvold government, and the dissolution of all political parties with the exception of the Nasjonal Samling. Furthermore, he also terminated the activities of the Administrative Council and set up a body of pro-German personalities and power rested, for the moment, with the Reichskommissariat.
Despite all the melodrama of the last few months, the Crown Princess and her entourage finally sailed into New York on 28 August. She and her three children would eventually settle in a largish brick house set in substantial grounds in Pook’s Hill, Maryland. Märtha would soon become part of President’s Roosevelt’s inner circle and was thus ideally placed to obtain first-hand knowledge of the comings and goings at the White House and in Washington’s political circles. She was also able to use her position to advance Norway’s cause in the United States.
The Crown Princess and her family arrive in New York 28 August 1940
In Mid-April 1945, King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav remained in exile in England, where they had sought refuge following the German occupation of Norway in 1940. However, with the collapse of the Third Reich now imminent, Olav thought it expedient to inform his wife, Crown Princess Märtha who, with their three children, Ragnhild, Astrid and Harald, had taken refuge in the United States, that they must be prepared to travel from their wartime home in Washington D.C. to Europe at short notice.
Crown Princess Märtha and her children Harald, Astrid and Ragnhild at their wartime home Pooks Hill, near Washington D.C.
According to one source, the Crown Princess learned of the German surrender in May from the Norwegian Consul-General of Norway, Christensen, following her arrival by train in New York. However, Princess Astrid would recall it differently, stating that it was she who first heard the news of the German capitulation in Europe over the radio at the family’s residence, causing her to shout out, ‘We are free. We are free!’ Her mother, the Crown Princess, was nearby and asked if any specific mention had been made of Norway. Unfortunately, Astrid had been so caught up in the excitement of the moment, that she had rushed out of the room without hearing the final details of the broadcast! Fortunately, the Norwegian Foreign Minister Trygve Lie, who was also in Washington, called to confirm the good news. He was due to fly to Britain and asked the Crown Princess if she wanted to come too, so that she might have the chance to meet Crown Prince Olav, before he departed for Norway. Naturally she agreed. But of necessity, the reunion, which took place in Edinburgh, on 11 May, was short but sweet!
Ragnhild, Astrid and Harald set out for England on 20 May. In the United States, following the initial burst of publicity upon their arrival from Europe in August 1940, the children had not been subjected to the same intrusiveness as would have been the case in Norway. Princess Astrid recalls that ‘Over there we were just Ragnhild, Astrid and Harald. There wasn’t much talk about princes and princesses.’ Nonetheless, there was great excitement that the journey back to Europe would be by air, rather than by sea, quite a novel thing at the time. As a precaution, Ragnhild and Astrid flew in one plane accompanied by the Court Marshal, Baron Wedel Jarlsberg; while Harald travelled separately with the Crown Princess’s Lady-in-Waiting, Ragni Østgaard and her son Einer. The aeroplanes were of course far from luxurious, having mostly been used for the transport of military personnel.
While the princesses were keen to return to their homeland, Harald (who was aged only three when he arrived in the US) was confused, as he would recall some sixty years later: ‘Everyone was talking about how we were going home now. I was the only one who was going to do the opposite; I was going to leave my home. I didn’t remember anything from Norway; I didn’t know of any other home other than Pooks Hill.’
After a stopover at Gander in Newfoundland, the royal transports landed in Scotland the following afternoon. Before the day’s end, the royal children were travelling southwards by train for an emotional reunion with King Haakon (‘Farfar’), at his current home, Foliejon Park in Berkshire. They had not met for five years. Inevitably, as Harald had only been three when they parted company on 9 April 1940, he remembered little, if anything, of the venerable gentleman with the Danish accent. However, there was to be no meeting, for the moment, with Crown Prince Olav, who had arrived home in Oslo on 13 May, to a warm welcome from cheering crowds.
After a few weeks in England, the Norwegian Royal Family departed London’s King’s Cross Station, on the evening of 4 June, aboard the night sleeper train to Edinburgh. King Haakon (accompanied by the Crown Princess) had earlier lunched with his nephew, King George VI, and his wife Queen Elizabeth, at Buckingham Palace to thank them for their hospitality over the years. Haakon also recorded a message of thanks to the British people from the BBC headquarters, Broadcasting House.
King Haakon emaks HMS Norfolk near Edinburgh 5 June 1945
In the early afternoon of 5 June, amid considerable ceremony, the royal party boarded the British cruiser and flagship of the 1st Cruiser Squadron, HMS Norfolk, at Rosyth Dockyard. The Norwegian Royal Standard-a rampant gold lion on a red background-was hoisted from the mainmast as soon as the King set foot on the gangplank; while the Royal Marine band played the Norwegian National Anthem. Vice-Admiral Rhoderick McGrigor was waiting to greet the King and the other members of the Royal Party. HMS Norfolk was escorted throughout the crossing by HMS Devonshire, the vessel which had transported King Haakon, Crown Prince Olav and the Norwegian government over to exile in Britain almost five years earlier. Other ships in the convoy included the Royal Navy O-class destroyers HMS Offa, HMS Onslow and HMS Orwell, as well as the Royal Norwegian Navy S-Class destroyer, HNoMS Stord.
The following day, 6 June, the weather was bad, with a strong breeze and heavy rain. King Haakon spent the whole day on the command bridge and suddenly, at around six o’clock, land was sighted: Lista, the southern most tip of Norway. Prince Harald ran to where his mother and his sisters were sitting, and received a confirming answer when he shouted ‘Is it Norway, Mother?’ Princess Astrid remembers that ‘Grandfather was anxious and wondered what the homecoming would be like. How would the people receive him?’
King Haakon takes the salute with his son Crown Prince Olav. Behind are Crown Princess Märtha, Princess Ragnhild and Prince Harald. Princess Astrid is obscured behind her father.
King Haakon landed in Oslo, at 12 midday on 7 June, exactly five years to the day since he departed Tromsø for exile in Britain to carry on the fight against Germany. This was also the 40th anniversary of the famous vote in the Storting [Parliament] which dissolved the union between Norway and Sweden. Crown Prince Olav came aboard HMS Norfolk at Spro and must have been somewhat startled at the sight of his three children dressed in oversize duffle coats (borrowed from the crew) against the biting winds. Indeed, Princess Astrid remembered that the weather was so bad at times that those on board could not see the land. However, soon small craft were spotted, decorated with foliage and flags, coming almost alongside in greeting as the vessel progressed up the Oslofjord. The duffle coats were soon swapped for “Sunday Best” clothing for the welcome home festivities in Oslo. Three hundred thousand people (other sources state 500,000) were said to have lined the Oslofjord. Ships in the harbour blew their whistles and let-off star shells.
Once the ship had reached its destination, the sun broke through the clouds and the King and his family disembarked and were transported by launch to the Honnørbryggen quayside, near to Akerhus Fortress, to shake hands with the official welcoming party, which included Paal Berg, leader of the resistance movement, as well as General Thorne, who had formally held sovereignty of Norway following the German surrender. The latter is said to have greeted the King with the words, ‘Sir, I return to you your Kingdom.’ The King straightened his back and strode purposefully down the red carpet to a waiting pavilion decked out with flags bearing the royal insignia. His Majesty inspected a Guard of Honour formed from, among others, newly arrived British and American military contingents. The Oslo City Hall provided a fitting backdrop. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess and their children (who were noticeably mesmerised by the fuss) followed on close behind. Thousands shouted out ‘God Save the King.’ A band played the National Anthem. Later, all-night parties were held along the Oslofjord. King Haakon, was ‘deeply moved by the warm welcome of all the people.’ It was clear that years of oppression had given the Norwegians a desire to express themselves.
In a speech King Haakon explained to the assembled crowds, ‘The day we decided we had to leave the country was a grim and sombre day. We understood that if we remained here, we would be captured and, as prisoners, would no longer represent a free Norway. It was on that basis that we deemed it necessary to continue the struggle for Norway’s freedom abroad.’
‘The years were long. I do not deny that, and many times it may have looked very dark for many of you’
‘That we should return on the anniversary of the day when Norwegians regained their freedom and independence is for me a sign that we shall succeed in carrying out our future tasks to the benefit of our country.’ King Haakon added.
He concluded, ‘But in this time of rejoicing, we must not forget that we have a great and difficult task ahead of us to achieve what we wish to build here in our land: a free and benevolent society for the good people of Norway.’
Princess Astrid further recalls that ‘When we drove up to the Palace, it was heart-warming to see the Royal Court staff members, who had been there when we left, standing in the open windows of the Palace to welcome us home. All of our friends, whom we had not seen in five long years, were also standing there. They had been brought to the Palace to greet us, and that was very emotional.’
King Haakon and Crown Princess Märtha drive through the streets of Oslo on 7 June. Note the presence of bodyguards and outriders.
That evening, the royal family appeared on the Royal Palace balcony before a crowd estimated at 100,000. The royal family did not retire until 12.30am, following a wonderful firework display which featured a stylised monogram H7 (for Haakon VII). Prince Harald would also later recall running from room to room of the vast palace, even encountering a room full of chambermaids enjoying their repast.
The following night, a gala performance took place at the National Theatre, at the close of which a leading actor recited Nordahl Grieg’s poem ‘The King’- a patriotic tribute inspired by the experiences which the people and the monarch had shared during the campaign in 1940. This was clandestinely brought into circulation throughout Norway not long before the author lost his life in a bombing raid over Berlin with the R.A.A.F in December 1943.
The task of dismantling the German presence in Norway was now underway, as was the need to form of a new government and deal with the minority who had thrown in their lot with the Germans. On a more personal level, both the Royal Palace and Skaugum, the home of the Crown Princely couple, had suffered from the ravages of war. The former was described as ‘a shambles’, with the late Queen Maud’s sitting room having been used as an office by the traitor, Quisling. The Royal Chapel and Great Banqueting Hall had been turned into storage rooms. Meanwhile, the contents of Skaugum were either damaged or subsequently located at a storage facility. The house had, throughout the occupation, been the residence of the Nazi Reich Commissioner, Josef Terboven. He had recently committed suicide by blowing himself up in a bunker in the grounds. It would take several months to put these residences into a serviceable condition. Although originally the family had stayed the first couple of nights at the Palace, they soon relocated to the royal summer home on the Bygdøy peninsula (which had also been taken over by the Germans), where they would remain until the autumn.
Another trial initially, especially for Prince Harald, was adjusting to life at a Norwegian school, for he spoke and understood English far better than Norwegian at this time. Nonetheless, he would now become the first Hereditary Prince to attend a regular public school.
King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav would work side-by-side during the post-war years in their quest to help rebuild a country ravaged by war. The Crown Princess once again took up her charitable duties as the first lady of Norway. A strong foundation was thus formed for the future of the royal family.
Return to royal duties: The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway visit Trondheim in October 1945
On 13 May 1945, Crown Prince Olav arrived in Norway aboard the British cruiser ”Apollo”, the cheers of a crowd of several hundred thousand people ringing in his ears as he stepped ashore at Honnørbryggen in Oslo. Olav was anxious to speak to the general public assembled:
‘Five years ago, we left the country, but we knew that in the end, justice would prevail over evil. There was never any doubt that Norway would one day be free again.’
One biographer observed ‘Crown Prince Olav’s return and triumphal procession through the jubilant sea of people has been described as ‘a shining moment that no one who experienced it would ever forget. It is what the poets call “a starry moment in the life of the nation.”‘
The Crown Prince was then transported atop the back seat of the open-topped AI registration Buick royal limousine (so recently used by the Germans) through the streets of Oslo with the resistance fighter Max Manus acting as his bodyguard, rifle in hand-just in case! Manus looked particularly anxious as they progressed up the Karl Johan thoroughfare, and he had good reason to be, for not all of the Germans in the city had yet been disarmed. Indeed, word of Olav’s return had been kept secret until only a few hours earlier for security reasons.
Crown Prince Olav drives through Oslo with his armed bodyguard watching for German sharpshooters!
To add to the sense of uncertainty, only a few days earlier the Reichskommissar Josef Terboven, who had recently been relieved of his post by General Franz Böhme, had committed suicide at the Crown Prince’s Skaugum estate (which he had occupied during the occupation) by detonating 50 kilos of dynamite. He would not be alone.
For the Crown Prince personally, it was one of the strongest experiences of his life. He felt an intense boundless joy, a joy he got to share with an entire people. ‘That day I felt privileged and rich. I understood how lucky we had been and how much I had to be thankful for.’
Scenes in Karl Johan Gate on 8 May as the people of Oslo celebrate VE Day.
So much happened in these eventful May days. Indeed, the period was recently described by Aftenposten by historian Guri Hjeltnes ‘Lifting the lid off a pressure cooker.’ The local population were initially warned that ‘The enemy has now capitulated [in fact they had not yet formally surrendered], and soon we will be completely masters of the country. But remember: capitulation is not the same as peace. The enemy still has weapons.’
The traitor Quisling was arrested and imprisoned on his arrival at the main police station in Oslo. Norwegian police-who had been trained in Sweden during the war-had only arrived in the capital as recently as 10 May, armed with lists of potential traitors collated from information gathered from Norwegian refugees. Germany had forces in Norway during World War 2 estimated at between 300,000 and 350,000; while other sources state that at their peak, in the autumn of 1943, 380,000 had occupied the country.
On 11 May, Terje Rollem of Milorg [abbreviation of militær organisasjon], the Norwegian resistance movement, received the formal surrender of the German forces at Akershus Fortress. Norwegian home forces partly kept watch together with German soldiers in the first period after the capitulation, with German officers allowed to carry their pistols. These officers were now tasked with keeping order and discipline within their units. They were subsequently interred in camps.
As part of the Crown Prince’s party were the Norwegian Armed Forces High Command and a government delegation of five ministers led by Oscar Trop. Also arriving on that day was the British General, Andrew Thorne, who would be responsible for the Allied dismantling of the occupation rule, although he was answerable to General Eisenhower. British and American soldiers (initially only a few thousand but rising to thirty thousand) joined with Norwegian forces to achieve this. Storting President Hambro and Prime Minister Nygaardsvold accompanied by the rest of the Norwegian government-in-exile, who had been based in London, returned to Oslo on 31 May aboard the ship “Andes”.
British troops arrive in Oslo to be greeted by grateful locals. They were vastly outnumbered by the former occupying forces, many of whom remained armed.
On 14 May, Crown Prince Olav received the resignation of the Home Front government, which in had only been in place for around a week, at the Royal Palace; while on 17 May, Norway’s National Day was celebrated for the first time in six years, with huge crowds gathering throughout Oslo city centre (including the Royal Palace and the City Hall). Meanwhile, a week later, some 400 students who had been sent to camps in Germany arrived home.
Crown Prince Olav presides over the Children’s Parade at the Royal Palace on National Day 17 May 1945
One who never forgot the Crown Princes’s return had been a fisherman who was out in his boat at Sonsodden, when he suddenly discovered, much to his surprise that he was right in the path of three large warships which were advancing towards him. He put the engine in neutral and drifted up alongside the ships. One cruiser, the Apollo was displaying the royal flag on the stern mast. On the low aft deck the fisherman spotted someone he soon recognised as Crown Prince Olav. The man took off his hat and exclaimed, ‘Welcome home, Crown Prince!’ A smiling Olav replied, ‘Thank you very much.’
As they emerged onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace on 8 May (Victory in Europe Day, foreshortened to VE Day) to receive a tumultuous accolade from the British people, the King and Queen had every reason to reflect on a job well done. Together they had shared the trials and hardships of their subjects: Buckingham Palace alone was attacked on six occasions by enemy bombers; the chapel destroyed and the Queen’s private apartments wrecked by a bomb hit. Furthermore, there was hardly a window left in the cavernous building where repairs were largely piecemeal until the relevant building materials became available again.
Winston Churchill joins the King and Queen and the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret on VE Day
As VE day was a Tuesday, the King had lunched as usual with Churchill at the Palace and they ‘congratulated each other on the end of the European War.’ The King further confided to his diary, ‘No more fear of being bombed at home & no more living in air-raid shelters.’ It is worth remembering that as recently as 27 March, London had received a hit from a V2 rocket. These lethal machines caused around 2700 deaths in that city alone.
The King, in particular, was also still deeply affected by the death of President Roosevelt only a few weeks previously, noting ‘ I had hoped that the Roosevelts would have paid us a visit here this summer, but it cannot be.’ Both the King and Queen had attended a Memorial Service in St Paul’s Cathedral on 17 April.
The real countdown to VE Day began on 4 May, when the King and Queen received the ‘wonderful news’ via telephone from Winston Churchill himself, that all enemy forces in the Netherlands, North-West Germany and Denmark had surrendered. The following afternoon the King was informed that General Eisenhower was expecting to receive a delegation of German top brass and soon hoped to arrange the final surrender of all German land forces. The Allied Supreme Commander anticipated he would be in a position to report to the three Allied governments by Sunday evening, 6 May, that hostilities were over. The King and Queen therefore returned to London on that day from Windsor in anticipation of Victory in Europe being officially celebrated the following day, 7 May; this was also the date the King anticipated giving his Victory speech over the radio. The sight of loud speakers and floodlights being put into place along the Mall did little to dissuade the royal couple from believing that peace was only hours away. Their Majesties were, meanwhile, buoyed up by the news that the King’s nephew George Harewood and the Queen’s nephew John Elphinstone had been ‘safely picked up’ from their German prisoner-of-war camp by the US 7th Army and were now in Paris, awaiting a flight to London.
However, the VE Day arrangements did not quite go to plan, as the Germans were stalling signing the surrender documents in an attempt to allow as many as possible of their people to flee west to escape the Russians. Finally, at 2.41 am on the morning of 7 May the first instrument of unconditional surrender of all the German forces was signed in a schoolhouse in Rheims by Admiral Doenitz (the successor to Hitler who had committed suicide on 30 April). The cessation of hostilities was agreed for 8 May. As the public waited throughout 7 May for an official announcement, a fair size crowd amassed in front of the Palace in the vain hope of seeing the King and Queen. Following an evening cabinet meeting, it was announced over the radio at 9pm that Mr Churchill would broadcast to the nation at 3.00 pm the following day, 8 May. This was to be celebrated as VE Day.
The King and Queen and the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret on the Palace balcony.
Following the Prime Ministers’ broadcast on 8 May, crowds started to gather on the streets of London, Piccadilly Circus and Buckingham Palace being particular points of focus. The King had kept busy, holding an investiture earlier in the day. It was only following Churchill’s broadcast that the King and his family first appeared on the balcony. Meanwhile, short services were taking place hourly in Westminster Abbey. The ovation accorded the King and Queen during that first appearance on the Palace balcony with the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, was tremendous. All were visibly moved.
The King makes his VE day speech 8 May 1945
At 9 pm it was the turn of the King to take to the airwaves. He had worked hard on this speech for some time, with the help of his Private Secretary, Sir Alan Lascelles and further input from Winston Churchill. He spoke of the fallen: ‘Those who will not come back, their constancy and courage in battle, their sacrifice and endurance in the face of a merciless enemy’; and of those who would return-‘the great host of the living who have brought us victory’; and asked his listeners ‘on this day of just triumph and proud sorrow’ to return to their work again ..’and to make the world such a world as they [who died for us] would have desired, for their children and for ours.’
The King and the Queen continued to be called onto the balcony by the crowds outside the Palace and would later note that ‘we went out 8 times altogether during the afternoon and evening. We were given a great reception.’ In between the various balcony appearances, the King had held audiences with the War Cabinet and the Chiefs of Staff. His Majesty was at his most ebullient when he told them, ‘You have brought this country-I may say you have brought the whole world-out of deadly peril into complete victory.’ It was after midnight when the King and Queen made their final appearance together on the balcony, the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret having been permitted by the King to leave the Palace and enjoy the atmosphere on the surrounding area of St James Street and Piccadilly. They both cheered their parents on the balcony from outside the railings of the Palace, having previously sent in word, through an aide, that they were patiently waiting there.
Nonetheless, the King was far from complacent, noting in his diary, ‘But there is still Japan to be defeated and the restoration of our country to be dealt with, which will give us many headaches & hard work in the coming years.’ Furthermore, the royal couple were both tired and exhausted from five-and-a-half years of constant strain during which the King had left Britain on five occasions to make trips to his troops in the field, including a never-to-be-forgotten day trip to the besieged, bombed, battered but brave island of Malta which was awarded the George Cross ‘For Valour’. In Britain, together or separately, they had visited hundreds of factories, toured bomb sites, visited air stations and naval docks and narrowly escaped being killed by a V2 rocket!
Yet still there was to be no respite for them. On both 9 and 10 May the King and Queen undertook State Drives through the North East and South East of London. The crowds remained thick on the ground; thus, over several evenings, Their Majesties were again summoned onto the balcony of the Palace. On 13 May, the King and Queen were joined by Queen Mary (who came up from her wartime home at Badminton) and their daughters at a National Service of Thanksgiving held in St Paul’s Cathedral during which the Archbishop of Canterbury urged ‘united discipline and hard endeavour’ to help overcome post-war problems. Many of the foreign royalties still remaining in London also attended, having lunched beforehand with King and Queen at the Palace. Their Majesties then travelled overnight to Scotland for a similar service at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh on 16 May.
The King and Queen return to Buckingham Palace following the Thanksgiving Service at St Paul’s Cathedral.
After earlierreceiving ‘loyal addresses’ from both Houses of Parliament, the King made his response in the Royal Gallery on 17 May, during which he happily acknowledged the fortitude and courage of the British people in wartime. However, his focus was also very much on his ‘helpmeet’, the Queen. He observed, ‘I have done my best to discharge my royal duty as the constitutional sovereign of a free people, and in this task I have been unceasingly helped by the Queen, whose deep and active sympathy for all my subjects in pain or peril and whose intense resolve for victory has comforted my heart never more than in our darkest hours.’ The King’s Private Secretary, Sir Alan Lascelles, thought the event ‘a great triumph’ for the Sovereign. Churchill led those attending in ‘three cheers’ as the King departed.
On 24 May, an Empire Day Garden Party for 1,750 returned military men and Red Cross volunteers was held on the lawns of the Palace. Thereafter, the King and Queen travelled to Balmoral for a short break, returning to London at the beginning of June. His Majesty reflected in his diary that, ‘We have been overwhelmed by the kind things people have said over our part in the War. We have only tried to do our duty during these 51/2 years.’
The work continues: The King and Queen and Princess Elizabeth visit Belfast in July 1945.
The death of Her Royal Highness Princess Birgitta of Sweden was announced in a communiqué from H.E. the Marshal of the Realm on 4 December.
Published around the same time was a statement by her brother the King of Sweden:
“It is with great sadness that I have today received the news that my sister, Princess Birgitta, has passed away. My sister was a colourful and straightforward person who will be deeply missed by me and my family. Together with my entire family, I am today sending my condolences to Princess Birgitta’s children and grandchildren.”
Princess Birgitta Ingeborg Alice was born on 19 January 1937 at Haga Palace and was the second eldest child of Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten and his German-born wife, Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Birgitta and her three sisters (Margaretha, Désirée and Christina were referred to as the Haga Princesses [in Swedish Hagasessorna]), as they were brought up at this royal residence during the early years of their life. In due course, the sisters were joined by a brother, Carl Gustav in April 1946. Life at the Haga Palace was relatively relaxed by royal standards with the children happily riding their bicycles or playing with their pet animals, including a pony called Eva. Princess Birgitta’s early memories also included the second world war period, when the windows were blacked out and butter was rationed.
Princess Birgitta (second left) with her mother Sybilla and siblings.
Holidays were spent at Sofiero Castle followed by a period of swimming and sunbathing along the light, sandy beaches at Falstelbro. Then a more formal fortnight with their great-grandfather, King Gustav V, a widower, at Solliden, situated on the island of Öland in south-eastern Sweden. The Haga Princesses had a scaled-down house there (rather more impressive than a simple Wendy House) where they were photographed washing up in the kitchen.
A rare photograph of Princess Birgitta (with fish) with her father, Prince Gustav Adolf and sisters Margaretha and Désirée.
The death of Birgitta’s father in 1947 in a flying accident at Katstrup Airport, Copenhagen en route home from a hunting expedition in the Netherlands, was a bitter blow to the idyllic life the family had enjoyed at Haga Palace. Princess Sybilla, who never spoke of her grief to her children, remained a devoted mother to her brood and Birgitta’s grandfather, the then Crown Prince Gustav Adolf (from 1950 King Gustav VI Adolf) was an indulgent grandfather to his late son’s children. Birgitta and her siblings were also close to their beloved nanny, Ingrid Björnberg, known as “Nenne”. Nevertheless, contemporary commentators have noted that Birgitta-like many others who have lost a parent at a young age-missed her father’s presence throughout her long life.
Princess Birgitta and her brother Carl Gustav in 1958. There was a close bond.
The Princess was educated privately at the Royal Palace in Stockholm in a classroom with six girls who were all the children of acquaintances of the royal family. At the age of 14, Birgitta enrolled at Stockholm’s École Française [Franska Skola] in Döbelnsgatan and later attended a finishing school in Switzerland. The Princess showed a great deal of interest in physical recreation, particularly skiing (she started lessons, aged 16, at a ski school at Storlien in northern Sweden) tennis, golf and fencing, the latter being a sport at which she was asked to represent her country at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Indeed, in many ways Birgitta was partly following in the footsteps of her late father, who was himself a champion fencer and participated in the Olympic Games (as member of the Swedish Equestrian team in Berlin in 1936).
In 1956, Princess Birgitta spent two years training as a physical education teacher at the Central School of Gymnastics [Gymnastiska Centralinstitute]. She later taught for a short period at Broms School, a private educational establishment in central Stockholm, which was at one stage attended by her brother. She was also sometimes spotted on the Swiss ski slopes at Grindelwald, skiing being another sport she continued to enjoy for much of her life.
(Left to right) Princesses Margaretha, Désirée and Birgitta circa 1958
On occasion the Princess was asked to undertake engagements on behalf of the Swedish Royal House. In the summer of 1958 she attended the opening ceremony for the FIFA World Cup at the Rasunda Stadium at Solna. In November 1960, Birgitta visited the United States accompanied by her younger sister Princess Désirée to represent their grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf at the 50th anniversary celebrations of The American-Scandinavian Foundation in Chicago.
In the autumn of 1959, Birgitta travelled to Munich in Germany in order to study German. There she met the German prince and art historian Johann Georg von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, known to his friends as “Hansi” at a cocktail party. Following a short courtship, the couple became engaged in December 1960. They subsequently underwent a civil marriage ceremony on 25 May 1961 in the Hall of State at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, the Mayor of Stockholm officiating. This was followed, a few days later, by a Roman Catholic wedding service at Sigmaringen Castle in Germany. Interestingly, the Princess did not become a Roman Catholic convert, retaining her Lutheran faith. A biographer of Princess Sybilla, Roger Lundgren, has stated that Birgitta had, in fact, made an application to join the Roman Catholic Church but this was rejected by the Church with words questioning her spirituality in the matter.
Princess Birgitta Civil Marriage Ceremony, Stockholm
Birgitta and her husband settled in a modern house in Munich and would go on to have three children together, Carl Christian, Désirée and Hubertus. She was regularly visited there by her mother, grandfather and other family members. The Princess also continued her work with gymnastics and released an LP “Spänsta med Birgitta” in 1967, an exercise program with an accompanying explanatory book. The death, from cancer, of Princess Sybilla in 1972 (at the age of 64 and only days after appearing at the King Gustav VI Adolf’s 90th birthday celebrations) was a bitter blow, but with a husband and young family to attend to, life had to go on. In 1979, Birgitta was named as godmother to Carl Philip, the only son of her brother the King (and briefly Crown Prince of Sweden until the laws of succession were changed retrospectively in 1980). The Princess had long had an interest in fashion, and for a period, she worked as a model. Furthermore, having in her teenage years taken a course in sewing and dress cutting at the Märtha School in Stockholm, she decided to build on her experience and open a boutique in Munich in the 1980’s.
Princess Birgitta with her husband, mother and three children circa 1970.
Princess Birgitta at home in Mallorca
Birgitta separated from her husband in 1990. In an interview with Sweden’s Expressen in 2019, the Princess said that she and the Prince enjoyed different interests and that it was best that they lived their lives separately. (The couple never divorced and remained on good terms, sometimes attending royal events together in Stockholm. The Prince died in 2016.) Birgitta eventually moved to Mallorca where she purchased an apartment, built up a loyal network of friends and became very much focused on playing golf. She eventually set up a tournament, Princess Birgitta Trophy which was played at the Santa Ponsa Golf Club of which she was a long-time member. She has also been described as ‘key member’ of the Santa Ponsa Country Club where she was seen on almost a daily basis practising her putting skills and golf swing. But it would be wrong to assume that her life was only one of pleasure for the golf tournament was in aid of charity. The Princess had long been an advocate for the rights of children, co-founding the HELP Foundation to assist vulnerable young people around the world. Speaking on the Swedish Radio programme P1 in 2009, she emphasised that her philanthropic efforts were focused on children ‘because they are our future.’ Birgitta was keen to maintain links to her homeland and was a leading supporter of the Swedish community in Mallorca, often attending the Santa Lucia celebrations at Palma Cathedral. She was also involved with the Royal Sweden Hong Kong Society, which promoted trade and projects between Sweden and Hong Kong. She succeeded her uncle, Prince Bertil, as a Patron of the British-based Royal Swedish Golfing Society, which provides facilities for golfers in London and the Home Counties who have close links to Sweden. With her interest in art, she was guest of honour at the opening of the Academy of Art in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida in 2017 and in 2019 she visited Gothenburg to given interviews to promote the work of the Jonte Foundation [Jontefonden], a Swedish charity which works with children either who are awaiting or have just undergone an organ transplant.
In 1997, Princess Birgitta, who over the years had come to be regarded as the most colourful of the King’s sisters, wrote her memoir “My Own Way” in collaboration with writer Fred König. A large part of the proceeds from this memoir went to HELP. In an interview at the time with Svenska Dagbladet’s Karin Thunberg, speaking of her pre-marriage period living in Sweden, the Princess admitted ‘The older I became, the greater my need to get out [of the royal atmosphere]. My best time in Sweden, absolutely, was the two years at GCI [Central School of Gymnastics] where I got to be with “ordinary” people. And was treated just like one of them.’ Here she also found the love of her youth, the ice hockey legend Sven Tumba, with whom she remained good friends until his death in 2011. Yet, in the 2009 PI radio interview Birgitta also revealed that she had actually always wanted to be a masseur, but the Royal Court did not approve, feeling it was inappropriate for a princess to undergo such a training course which would later entail massaging people in an hospital environment.
She was of the opinion that her brother was ‘doing a good job’ of being King. She visited Sweden fairly regularly, particularly for family confirmations and weddings such as that of Crown Princess Victoria in 2010, Princess Madeleine in 2013 and Prince Carl Philip in 2015. Birgitta also attended family birthdays including the 70th birthday celebrations for her brother, the King, in 2016 and the 80th birthday summer celebrations for Queen Silvia in 2024. Birgitta spent the early part of the COVID crisis in 2020 lodging with the King and Queen and members of the extended family at Stenhammar Castle, which the royal couple usually used as a weekend retreat. It was around this time that the Princess suffered from heart problems, but this did not diminish her zest for life. As recently as December 2022, Swedish Television broadcast an hour-long documentary and interview with the Princess, Sessan-A Royal Fairtytale, in which she spoke to film maker Jens Lind in detail about her life, with the aid of archive material she had never previously seen, including her childhood, her father’s tragic death, her dream of winning an Olympic Gold Medal, the marriage that made her a “double princess” and the future of the monarchy.
For Birgitta, family invariably came first, despite the geographical distance and as she told Expressen in 2014, that she had always maintained a deep love for her homeland of Sweden. In recent times the Princess has expressed her concern to Expressen about Princess Madeleine and her husband Christopher O’ Neill coming to live with their family in Sweden, having spent their married life overseas, most recently in the United States. She questioned how much freedom of choice Mr O’Neill really had and was concerned how he would cope culturally with this change. Conversely, the Princess had been much cheered to learn that her godson Carl Philip and his wife his wife Sofia were expecting their fourth child this coming February. Birgitta always telephoned her sisters regularly, but fretted over their health problems. In 2017, she at last felt able to recall the death of her grandson, Lennart, in 2001 describing it to Svensk Damtidning as ‘The worst thing I have ever experienced besides the death of my father….. He was only three days old….and we had just enough time to get him baptized.’ Lennart was the child of her younger son Hubertus and his wife Maria.
Princess Birgitta on the golf course!
As she reached the ripe age of 87 in January 2024, the Princess enjoyed a quiet celebration, with some Swedish friends joining her for dinner in Mallorca. She admitted that the reason for such a low-key event was that ‘Times are so bad in the world and there is so much misery.’ She had also recently had problems with an arm which had swollen up like a balloon and required to be operated on. However, by April, she was doing well under the circumstances, explaining: ‘I’m fine, the sun is shining and that’s all I need. The arm is also good.’
Princess Birgitta and her sister Princess Margaretha during the wedding celebrations for Prince Carl Philip. In the background is Princess Désirée
The Princesses’ death came as a great shock to her friends in Majorca. One in particular, Alexandra Charles, had only spoken to her a week beforehand. The Princess then suffered a bad fall, and was taken to hospital. She hoped that she might be allowed home but her condition then deteriorated. One of her sons visited her in the hospital the night before she died.
Family members are, of course, in deep shock too. Queen Silvia, who appeared at an engagement at St Botvid’s Upper Secondary School in Hallunda shortly after Birgitta’s death was announced, spoke of her sister-in-law to the press: ‘It came so unexpectedly – yes, as a shock. I talked to her the day before yesterday! But she fell so badly… And then it ended. It is a great sorrow.’ Queen Silvia continued: ‘She was a very colourful person. And straightforward, she always said what she thought. There were never any frills. And she was funny! We had so much fun together.’ The Swedish Queen smiled too when she was reminded that Princess Birgitta had been among those present at a family dinner in Munich during the 1972 Olympics at the start of her romance with the future King of Sweden.
In a touching tribute to his sister, who throughout the years remained a Princess of Sweden, on the 5th December, the King ordered the flags at Drottningholm Palace and Haga Palace to be flown at half mast .
Princess Birgitta’s mortal remains will be flown back to Sweden and, following a funeral service at Drottningholm Palace Chapel, on 15 December (the third Sunday of Advent), she will be laid to rest at the Royal Cemetery in Haga Park, close by her childhood home of Haga Palace and in keeping with the wishes of the Princess. It is understood only family members and invited guests will attend. The Royal Cemetery will be open on the 16 December between 11am and 2pm to allow members of the public to visit the grave. Princess Birgitta is survived by her children, grandchildren and all of her siblings.
Princess Benedikte of Denmark was born on 29 April 1944 at the Frederik VIII Palace of Amalienborg in central Copenhagen. She was the second child of the then Crown Prince Frederik and his Swedish-born wife, Crown Princess Ingrid, who had close links with the British Royal Family (her British-born mother Margaret was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland). The Princess was baptized on 24 May in Holmens Church. Ingrid’s older sibling (born in 1940) was Margaretha who, in 1972, would ascend the throne of Denmark as Queen Margrethe II.
The Princess’ birth came at a difficult time for Denmark which was under German occupation. Civil unrest, especially among younger Danes, was on the increase and in the summer of 1944 sabotage operations were carried out in the Copenhagen area, with strikes breaking out throughout Denmark. There were serious food shortages too and a feeling of apprehension as to what the future held. Yet, within the year, Denmark was liberated from the Nazi terror. In 1946, Crown Princess Ingrid gave birth to a third daughter, Anne-Marie. The Crown Princely family were now complete.
In 1947, Benedikte’s paternal grandfather King Christian X died and her father ascended the throne as King Frederik IX of Denmark. The Princess was a shy child and only spoke when she was sure of what she wanted to say. Yet, she certainly knew how to make a point: when an English nanny called Mary was employed by Queen Ingrid, Benedikte complained repeatedly that she could not understand a word the woman said. As Margaretha was four years older-quite a gap at that age-Benedikte would, during these pre-teen years, be closer to Anne-Marie. The younger princesses tended to be referred to en famille as ‘the little ones’, right up until Benedikte was on the cusp of entering her teens. Queen Margrethe herself has acknowledged that ‘even though we grew up in a home where we saw each other daily… there was actually a lot of distance.’ She also recalls that ‘I probably wasn’t nice to Benedikte all the time. I teased her and she would get very upset.’ Although Bendedikte adored her ‘humorous’ father, he too had a teasing nature. The King also instilled in his reticent middle child that people ‘wave and they want to see you, so you have to wave [back].’ Frederik would often call out to her as they drove along in the car to remind her to acknowledge the onlookers and even instructed her on which side to wave. Margarethe has opined that her ‘reluctant’ sister had ‘a harder time adjusting to that regime’ than perhaps she had. Princess Benedikte has also mentioned that there was some sibling rivalry-hardly surprising-especially when it came to deciding who was to sit next to their mother. It must be remembered too that Queen Ingrid and King Frederik were kept busy with official engagements, so were invariably occupied. Furthermore, the children did not normally eat meals with their parents, except at weekends when they enjoyed Sunday lunch together. So this added another element of “distance”. Nonetheless, all the sisters were close to their parents and to the outside world they were seen as forming a tight family circle. Ingrid was undoubtedly a loving, but at times exacting, mother. Benedikte would remember, somewhat ruefully, that when she attended the N Zahle school, which was quite a distance away from the palace, ‘we had to walk to and from school because my mother thought it was healthy for us to have fresh air.’
Princess Bendikte (front left) with her parents and siblings.
At the time of Benedikte’s birth, woman were not permitted to succeed to the Danish throne, so there was no expectation that any of King Frederik’s daughters would ascend the throne. However, all this changed with the passing of the 1953 Act of Succession which permitted female succession to the throne following the principle of male-preference primogeniture. Benedikte’s elder sister Margrethe now became heir presumptive, while Benedikte and Anne-Marie became second and third in the line of succession respectively.
As the girls matured, Queen Ingrid, who retained some of the English customs of her late mother, loved nothing better than sitting down with her family each day at 4 p.m. to have “afternoon tea”. This fostered an atmosphere of ‘great cosiness’ especially in the winter months when the fire was lit in the sitting room. Summers were spent en famille at Gråsten Palace in Jutland; while Fredensborg Castle was the family’s home in spring and autumn. There was great fun too onboard the royal yacht Dannebrog, which visited ports all over Denmark each spring and summer in an orderly rotation. It was an ideal way for young Benedikte to become familiar with her homeland and the Danish people. On occasion, the yacht also made excursions to the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which were at that time Danish dependencies.
Initially, Princess Benedikte was educated at N Zahle’s school in Copenhagen. At that time it was a girls-only establishment. She subsequently studied at Benenden School in England, followed by a spell at a Swiss finishing school in Lausanne. This ensured that she had a good grounding in English (which was widely spoken in royal circles in northern Europe) and in French. By this time, Benedikte was becoming more self-assured and sociable. She also developed an awareness of the opposite sex and of fashion. As was typical in Scandinavian royal circles, she completed her education on a practical note with a course in fashion and design at Margretheskolen in 1965.
Princess Benedikte on the day of her confirmation in 1959.
In March 1967, at the age of 22, Princess Benedikte became engaged to His Highness Prince Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. The couple had met at the nuptials of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands to Claus von Amsberg in Amsterdam the previous year. Their marriage was celebrated in Fredensborg Palace Church on 3 February 1968. After the wedding, the couple lived in a house in the grounds of the impressive Schloss Berleburg in the north-western German town of Bad Berleburg, some six hundred kilometres south of the Danish/German border. The Schloss has been described as the ‘jewel in the crown of Germany’s most forested region.’ Wildlife, including deer, abound in the surrounding 13,000 hectare estate. It was all so different from Denmark. Unlike her sister, Anne-Marie, who resigned her right to succeed to the throne on her marriage to King Constantine of the Hellenes in 1964, Princess Benedikte remained in the line of succession. This was ‘a great wish’ of both King Frederik and Crown Princess Margrethe. As Benedikte recalled it, ‘I knew from the start that I would have these two lives.’
Princess Benedikte, Prince Richard and royal guests on their wedding day at Fredensborg Castle.
The birth of Crown Princess Margrethe’s children, Frederik (now King Frederik X) in 1968 and Joachim in 1969, underlined the fact that Benedikte’s role would now be to support the sovereign. An ideal niche was her ability to act as a Counsellor of State if both the King and the Crown Princess happened to be out of the country or were otherwise indisposed. This was not a particularly demanding role (and included signing documents and holding audiences) but it provided Benedikte with a link with her homeland which might otherwise not have been there. It was fortunate that the Princess-like her mother Queen Ingrid-was disciplined in her way of living and working, as this enabled her to juggle her role as a wife and (later) mother at Berleburg, whilst also travelling once a month to Copenhagen (where she maintained an apartment at the Amalienborg) to undertake her official duties. Over the years, these visits would increase both in terms of frequency and duration.
Nevertheless, during the early years of her marriage to Richard, Benedikte’s primary role was very much that of a wife and a mother. In January 1969 , the Princess gave birth to a son Gustav in Frankfurt. The following year she gave birth to a daughter Alexandra and, in May 1975, to a second daughter Nathalie (both girls were born in Copenhagen and they would become Danish citizens in 1998). Benedikte’s relationship with Prince Richard was excellent. They were in many ways opposites and the perfect foil to each other. He tended to be outgoing and outspoken and was not adverse to raising his voice. Conversely, as Queen Margrethe has reflected, ‘My sister never raises her voice.’ Benedikte was also more tactful. Prince Richard was also very proud of his capable wife, who put her wonderful organisational skills to work as hostess at the many large shooting parties which were held at Berleburg. She socialised with the many guests, devised the dinner menus, arranged the table decorations and coordinated the seating plan. The Prince understood too, from the outset, that Bendikte would lead a sort of “double-life” and never resented her royal duties or periods spent in Copenhagen. In turn, Richard would teach his wife all about antiques (for he was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable collector) and like any other married couple they would attend auctions together and browse antique shops.
Princess Benedikte with her elder children Alexandra and Gustav at Berleburg.
The death of King Frederik in January 1972 was a sad blow for Benedikte. He had been visibly frail for some time. With Margrethe’s children still toddlers and Queen Ingrid adjusting to a new life without her husband, Benedikte was a great support to the new Queen Margrethe II and was able to carry on with her duties as a Counsellor of State.
With the passage of time and other commitments permitting, the Princess has undertaken a plethora of engagements throughout Denmark. These increased following the death of her beloved mother, Queen Ingrid, in November 2000, as Benedikte would now assume many of her patronages. As she has previously revealed, ‘I was brought up to believe duties are not a burden but a joy.’ One can sense the influence of Queen Ingrid in that comment. The Princess is currently Patron or Chairman or Honorary Member of nearly fifty organisations in her homeland, and describing each of these in detail is beyond the limits of this article but it includes social, cultural, health and sport issues. However, here is a flavour of her involvement:
The Princess has always displayed a strong commitment to equestrian sports for she both owns and breeds throughbred horses. She is Patron of the Danish Equestrian Federation; Danish Warmblood Association (which is responsible for the breeding, selecting and sales of young horses) as well as Hestens Vaern (which deals with the wellbeing and welfare of horses). She is also involved with the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses. 2022 was to prove a spectacular year for Danish equestrian sport: At the World Equestrian Championships which took place in Herning in August, the Princess, who was Patron of the event, was overjoyed when the Danish team won a total of ten medals, five of which were gold. Princess Benedikte was also able to proudly present the Lis Hartel’s Memorial Award to her daughter Princess Nathalie, who coached the Danish dressage team. To celebrate the medal wins, Benedikte held a party at the Amalienborg’s Christian VII Palace the following month for organisers, volunteers, and riders including the Danish dressage star and gold medallist, Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour.
Princess Benedikte with foal and child (probably Nathalie) at Berleburg.
Princess Benedikte is a long-time patron of the Alzheimer’s Association in Denmark and invariably presents the association’s annual Research Prize. The event is often serenaded by a “Dementia Choir.” The Association is involved in providing advice to sufferers, their families and carers. It also undertakes research into why dementia occurs, as well as examining new methods of treatment and care. On-line forums have also been introduced. In recent years, the Princess has opened a dementia-friendly garden and participated in a “dance-to- remember” event in Roskilde.
Her Royal Highness is also interested in work among the young and vulnerable. Four years ago she took a role as Patron of Hellebro which provides accommodation, welfare facilities, residential training and work experience opportunities for the homeless. On one occasion, the Princess visited the organisation at Christmastime and kindly arranged for the St. Annæ Girls’ Choir (of which she is also Patron) to provide a choral selection as part of the Saint Lucia celebrations which features a procession of candle-bearing young women dressed in white, all of whom are led by a young “Lucia bride” wearing a crown or garland of candles. Non-alcoholic mulled wine and nibbles were served and by the time Her Royal Highness departed, everyone seemed uplifted.
The Princess also has a long association with the Scout movement, as did her late mother Queen Ingrid, whom she succeeds. A keen girl scout in her youth, she is patron of the Girl Scouts, as well as of the Danish Scout Corps. Benedikte is also involved with the World [Girl] Guide Foundation and has, since 1984, been a board member of the Olive Baden-Powell Society (named after the wife of the founder of scouting, Lord Baden Powell) which oversees strategies for the advancement of Girl Scouting and Girl Guiding worldwide. In 1993 the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts presented Princess Benedikte with their prestigious Silver Medal for outstanding service. Furthermore, on her 70th birthday she was featured on a Danish stamp wearing her scout uniform. Her Royal Highness tries to attend local camps and the Princess Benedikte Award is given out annually, in her honour, to generous benefactors.
In recent years, the Princess, as Patron of the Association for Eating Disorders and Self Harm (a patronage she has held since 2001) has become greatly concerned by ‘the prevalence’ of eating disorders and attempts at self-harm. She puts this down to us being a ‘more self-centred society’ and feels that there has developed too ‘a culture of perfection’ which a lot of people find difficult to handle. She herself has participated in ‘workshops’ held in such places as a girls’ boarding school at Herlufsholm. Benedikte has also visited the Associations offices in Copenhagen’s Dronningens Tværgade and is a keen fundraiser for the organisation. Indeed, in 2020, she received a donation of DK200,000 from Danish Freemasons as they celebrated their 275th anniversary.
Princess Benedikte and her husband Prince Richard in Stockholm at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling 2010.
However, Benedikte’s official work is not limited to the shores of Denmark. She has no less than ten overseas patronages. For instance, since 2001, she has been Patron of the Danish YMCA [Dansk KFUK] in London. Again, this role is especially poignant as Queen Ingrid previously held the position of Patron. The Princess has visited regularly, be it to open the Queen Ingrid’s Student Residence or to attend the annual Christmas Fayre or preside at the Centenary Celebrations. On the other side of the globe, Her Royal Highness is also Patron of The Princess Benedikte Institute (IPB), a non-profit civil association in Brazil which works with vulnerable children. In October 2019 she travelled to Curitiba, a city of around two million in the south, to inspect the organisations new headquarters which, in addition to administrative offices, also provides care and accommodation for around twenty children, up to the age of ten, who are awaiting court decisions on guardianship or adoption. These youngsters are often victims of mistreatment, sexual violence and or have serious impairments. The Institute also champions the rights of children and adolescents.
Princess Benedikte and grandchildren 2017
Following the death of Prince Richard in March 2017, at the age of 82 (he was said to have been suffering from skin cancer), Benedikte’s son Prince Gustav took over the running of Berleburg Castle and the estate. Gustav was in a long-term relationship with Carina Axelsson and the couple would go on to marry in June 2022. A son, Gustav Albrecht was born in May 2023 in the United States to a surrogate mother with both parents present during the birth. He is Benedikte’s fifth grandchild.
Princess Benedikte attends the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of the Princess Benedikte Nursing Home at Fredensborg.
Benedikte was the first of the three Danish royal sisters to be widowed (Margrethe lost her husband Henrik the following year; while Anne-Marie’s husband, King Constantine died in January 2023). When not in Denmark, she again occupied the house in the grounds of Berleburg Castle where she had first lived following upon her marriage to Richard. The Princess has reflected on the fact that she had ‘a nice and happy marriage’ but has also conceded that for all her love of married life at beautiful Berleburg ‘if I had not also had Denmark and Copenhagen, it would have been more difficult for me, I think.’ It had certainly given her experience of living for spells on her own. Nonetheless, she naturally misses her husband greatly, especially being able to share some ‘fun experiences’ and to discuss things with.
For a period the Princess had been involved in breeding horses with her daughter Nathalie at Berleburg. The latter is a professional dressage rider and trainer who, until her divorce in 2022 was married to horse breeder Alexander Johannsmann. She has competed for Denmark in the Olympics, winning two bronze medals. Nathalie lives in the West Wing of Berleburg Castle with her children, Konstantin (born in 2010) and Louisa (2015). Benedikte has often dropped by for meals and to catch up with her grandchildren. She is particularly amused that Louisa has recently become interested in football; while Konstantin is a devotee of handball.
Meanwhile, Princess Alexandra currently lives with her second husband Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille on his family estate at Egeskov Castle on the Danish island of Funen. The couple married in 2019. She has two children (by her first marriage to a German nobleman, Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth) Richard (born in 1999) and Ingrid (2003). Princess Benedikte is a frequent visitor to Egeskov and has spent Christmas there in recent times.
Although the Princess intends to celebrate her birthday privately with family and friends, her diary has been busy over the past few weeks, as many of the organisations with which she is involved have sought to commemorate this milestone 80th birthday. On 19 April a birthday dinner was held at Sølyst in Klampenborg. Seventy guests attended and the event was organised by Friends of Dressage and the other equestrian organisations of which Benedikte is Patron. Then, a few days later, Her Royal Highness was guest-of-honour at a concert by the Saint Annæ Girls’ Choir who were celebrating their 50th anniversary. The Princess has a long-standing connection with the choir and was a treated to a selection of well-known Danish songs. However, the event which literally moved her to tears, was the opening of an exhibition, “Princess’ Dresses” at the Koldinghus Museum in Kolding, Jutland. Twenty of the Princess’ dresses were placed on show (including Benedikte’s wedding dress [over which she lingered for some time] and a maternity dress). Most of the costumes were designed by the Danish designer Jørgen Bender, who also counted Queen Ingrid and Queen Margrethe as esteemed clients. Her Royal Highness is the Honorary Custodian of Royal Danish Collection Koldinghus. Also attending the opening with her were Princess Benedikte’s cousin Count Ingolf of Rosenborg and his wife Countess Sussie.
Princess Benedikte attends the Princess’ Dress event at Koldinghus Museum in Jutland.
On 2 May, Princess Benedikte will hold a reception in the Great Hall of Rosenborg Castle for representatives of the many Danish (and overseas) organisations with which she is affiliated. There is no sense of an easing of the pace and the Princess has recently appointed a new lady-in-waiting Countess Mette Ahlefeldt-Laurvig to help assist her as she undertakes official engagements. They both share a love for all things equestrian. This appointment is also a sure sign that the Princess intends to carry on with her royal duties. Indeed, in a recent interview with newspaper Billed Bladett, Benedikte indicates that she hopes that there is still a need for her to still participate in the royal round. Certainly, there is no indication that her nephew, King Frederik X, has any intentions of not allowing his beloved aunt to continue in her current role. Why would he? The Princess also revealed that she now lives permanently in Denmark in her apartment at Christian VIII Palace at Amalienborg. Benedikte’s Copenhagen home is filled ‘entirely of things that have been in my parents’ home’ and the Princess makes use of her late mother’s desk when undertaking her administrative tasks relating to her official life. She firmly believes that ‘You have a duty to take care of the furniture you have inherited.’ Of course, she will still return to Berleburg from time to time and she currently spends a month there in the summer, when there is a three-day festival on the estate. Up to 7,000 people attend and they can participate in clay pigeon shooting, dancing, listening to music and beer drinking.
On almost the eve of her 80th birthday, Princess Benedikte has been thrilled to learn that her daughter Nathalie has lately been ‘overwhelmingly’ elected to the board of the Danish Equestrian Federation. When making her representations for the post, Nathalie admitted that ‘I can get a little angry sometimes, it comes from my dad. But my diplomacy – I got that from my mother.’ Diplomatic skills are certainly useful for the daughter, sister and aunt of reigning Danish monarchs, past and present.
As she reflects on a long life well-lived, Princess Benedikte will draw strength from her Christian faith which she regards ‘as a firm ground to stand on.’ Although not a regular church goer, she admits to enjoying the services and ‘our lovely Danish hymns.’ She praises too the role of women priests and bishops today. They now make up the majority of the ordained priests in Denmark.
Princess Benedikte joins Queen Margrethe for her 84th birthday celebrations at Fredensborg. The King and Queen of Denmark were also present.
As one assesses the Princess long life, one is conscious of a life of devotion to family and to her homeland. Her sense of duty remains as strong as ever, as does her determination to undertake her duties to the best of her ability with a speech well-researched and written, the facts and the faces of the organisations she is visiting at her fingertips. Of the three sisters, it is in Benedikte that one sees so much of her highly-organised, well-dressed and demure mother Queen Ingrid. Certainly, Queen Margrethe has openly stated in an interview with Kristeligt Dagblad in 2019. that ‘Benedikte is really the most royal of us all.’ Happy Birthday Princess Benedikt and many more of them.
80th birthday new image released by the Danish Royal House.
In late July 1941, Prince George, the Duke of Kent and youngest brother of King George VI commenced a six-week visit to Canada primarily, but not exclusively, to visit airfields which formed part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). The scheme which drew personnel from Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand-and was expanded following the fall of France in June 1940-would ultimately be responsible for the training of an estimated 131,553 Allied aircrew. Most of the training was undertaken in Canada and required the building of new air bases or the upgrading of existing facilities throughout the Dominion. The scheme was administered by the Canadian government and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) with input from the Royal Air Force (RAF). His Royal Highness was accompanied for much of the trip by his Private Secretary, Lieutenant John Lowther, as well as Flight Lieutenant P.J. Ferguson and Group Captain Sir Louis Greig. The latter was a courtier of many years standing, as well as a friend of King George VI. Greig was currently assigned to the Air Ministry. Also in the party were the Duke’s valet and a Scotland Yard detective, Inspector Evans. Wartime restrictions meant that Prince George was permitted to take only two suitcases and a haversack with him for the long trip. The Prince was no stranger to Canada having visited the Dominion with his eldest brother, the Prince of Wales in 1927 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the Confederation of Canada. In addition, he had visited Canada alone (including Ottawa) in 1926 and is said to have paid another (private) visit in 1928.
According to the diaries of the Canadian Premier, William Mackenzie-King, George VI himself was the driving force behind the visit, His Majesty being ‘quite decided’ on the matter. Indeed, the Canadian Prime Minister’s diary entry of 11 July states that the Governor-General of Canada, Lord Athlone, informed Mackenzie-King that ‘he thought the King himself had put it forward to give the boy something to do.’ Athlone opined too that ‘the British had approved the project but [he] thought that the suggestion should come from Canada.’ Mackenzie-King demurred and told Athlone (the youngest brother of Queen Mary and uncle of Prince George), that ‘if the Duke of Kent came we would, of course, welcome him cordially.’ Yet, he ‘did not feel, however, [that] I should make a suggestion..’ Ever the politician, Mackenzie-King ruminated that he would be bound to be asked questions as to ‘why I had invited him’ in the Canadian Parliament ‘and [he] did not feel’ that he ‘would be in a position to answer the question satisfactorily.’ More specifically, the reason for his lukewarm attitude towards the proposed visit was subsequently confided by Mackenzie-King to his diary on 17 July: ‘It looks to me like something cooked up between [the Canadian High Commissioner in London, Vincent] Massey and the Palace, something about which the Brit[ish] Govt. nor my own are particularly keen about.’ It must be mentioned that the Canadian Prime Minister was a complex character and his nose was undoubtedly put out-of-joint as a result of what he regarded as a lack of consultation with the government in Ottawa on the part of Buckingham Palace and of Vincent Massey. Even if such soundings had taken place, it is doubtful if Mackenzie-King would have been keen. Furthermore, there was another major factor in the equation, something which indubitably upset Mackenzie-King’s equilibrium: the Duke of Windsor (the former King Edward VIII, eldest brother of Prince George and now Governor of the Bahamas) had also recently made a request to visit Canada, where he owned a ranch in Alberta. The Canadian Prime Minister informed the British High Commissioner in Ottawa, Malcolm MacDonald, that he rather wished that the Duke of Windsor should not come at all but, if he did, Mackenzie-King reasoned that ‘they [the two royal dukes] certainly should not be here at the same time’ as ‘this would give rise to many questionings and might give rise to serious embarrassment.’ Fortunately, the visits of both royalties were scheduled so that they did not overlap. After meeting and entertaining the Duke of Kent following his arrival, the Canadian Prime Minister then planned to take himself off to England for a visit with Winston Churchill and to pay his respects to Queen Mary at Badminton.
Meanwhile, when the tour was announced to the public around 23 July, the British press were casting all such political and court machinations to the side and wrote that His Royal Highness had ‘volunteered’ to make the trip. Prince George and his party flew overnight from Prestwick Airport in Scotland to Rockcliffe Airport, Ottawa in an eighteen-ton Consolidated Liberator Mark I bomber, AM261, of Royal Air Force Ferry Command, arriving at around 10am on 29 July (after a brief stopover in Montreal for breakfast). The flight had taken over fifteen hours and there was little room to lie down or even to stretch one’s legs. The royal visitor was welcomed at Rockcliffe by the Governor-General and the Prime Minister. During a conversation over lunch at the Governor-General’s residence, His Royal Highness admitted to Mackenzie-King that the air journey had been cold and uncomfortable. The Duke joked that although he had been given an electrically heated flying suit, there had been no where to plug it in! The Canadian premier, meanwhile, thought Prince George appeared, ‘pretty tired and nervous.’ For their part, the Canadian press were impressed that the Duke was the first member of the British Royal Family to make a transatlantic flight. They did question him on the possibility of a visit to the United States but Prince George admitted, ‘I am not sure..’ but left the possibility open. The British press, meanwhile, also unhelpfully mentioned that the former King Edward VIII and his youngest surviving brother might meet in Canada.
The Duke of Kent answers questions from the press on arrival in Ottawa, 29 July 1941
Whilst in Ottawa, Prince George stayed with his “Uncle Alge” [the family name for Lord Athlone] and his wife “Aunt Alice” [Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, the redoubtable granddaughter of the late Queen/Empress Victoria] at Rideau Hall, the Governor-General’s official residence. Also present in the happy family group were the Athlone’s daughter (and the Prince’s first cousin) Lady May Abel Smith accompanied by her children who were also currently living in Ottawa.
On the evening of 30 July, an official dinner (described by the British press as a ‘State Dinner’) of welcome, attended by seventy guests, was held by the Canadian government in Prince George’s honour at the Country Club in Ottawa. Mackenzie-King was seated between His Royal Highness and the Earl of Athlone and complained that neither was ‘easy to talk to.’ Earlier that day, the Duke had visited the Headquarters of the Royal Canadian Air Force, travelling through the crowd-lined streets of the Canadian capital in his official Buick with police outriders in attendance. Prince George ensured that he waved to the onlookers and this drew sporadic cheers from the “side walks”.
The Duke of Kent drives through the streets of Ottawa, the Canadian capital.
The following day, Prince George was also able to watch a group of Australian and Canadian pilots as they trained at The Royal Canadian Air Force [RCAF] No.2 Service Flying Training School at nearby Uplands. The visit lasted nearly four hours and the Chief of the Air Staff personally greeted the royal visitor, as did a Royal Canadian Air Force Band who provided the Royal Salute, followed by a rendition of “The Thin Red Line”, during which His Royal Highness inspected the Guard of Honour. The Duke then toured the Motor Transport Section, the NCO’s quarters and mess, the swimming pool, the hospital, the airmen’s mess and a barrack’s block. He later had drinks in the officer’s mess before lunching in the dining room. Prince George was placed at the centre of the top table. His Royal Highness subsequently toured the Ground School, the aircraft hangers and the control tower. Each of the airman or ground staff with whom the royal visitor spoke was asked their name, how long they had been in the services, and if they were enjoying their work. Some of the airmen were also questioned about night flying. While earlier reviewing the Guard of Honour, His Royal Highness’ sympathy went out the men who were clad in the heavy regulation uniforms. He paused by Aircraftsman J.E.R. Nadon and asked, “Are those uniforms hot?” Nadon is reported to have replied, “Not too bad sir.” On departing, Prince George mentioned to his Canadian hosts that he had, been ‘impressed by the efficiency of the [Uplands] Maintenance Squadron’. That same day, he also made a tour of RCAF Rockcliffe, going through much the same schedule as at the Uplands airbase. The combined tour of both of these bases amounted to seven hours in total. In the evening, an official dinner was hosted by Lord Athlone at Rideau Hall.
On 1 August, after touring the Gatineau Hills, the Duke was able to watch summer air manoeuvres by some of the many trainee pilots he had previously met at Uplands and Rockcliffe. The trainee pilots were apparently ‘picking up flying time lost during last two weeks’. The latter may have been partly due to the shooting of a Hollywood “movie” by Warner Brothers at nearby Pendleton Relief Field. This included several flying sequences, including one involving an impressive thirty-six aircraft. In the evening, the Duke enjoyed a picnic supper, with Mackenzie-King as host, during a visit to the Prime Minister’s private estate at Kingsmere Lake.
On 2 August, Prince George flew southwards to inspect RCAF Trenton, the largest air facility in eastern Canada and home to No. 1 Composite Training School [No. 1 KTS]. He was introduced to participants of the Aircrew Squadron and Disciplinarians Course. Thereafter, the Duke flew on to make an afternoon inspection of the No.1 Service Flying Training School [SFTS] at Camp Borden, said to be ‘the birthplace’ of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Scores of training planes were on the tarmac as he arrived. He ‘toured the various units’ before enduring yet another “meet and greet” session in the officer’s mess. But it was not only air force personnel: His Royal Highness also met men of the Canadian Armored Division, most of whom had given up there weekend leave to meet the royal visitor. On 3 August, after attending a Sunday morning church service with the Athlone’s, the Duke of Kent flew out from Ottawa to Winnipeg ‘on the first lap of the western section of his tour’. Mackenzie-King, confided to his diary that ‘I think the Duke’s visit, as far as Ottawa is concerned, has gone off very well.’ Praise indeed! The Prince landed at Stevenson Airport, Winnipeg and proceeded to Government House to spend the night. ‘Several hundred spectators’ lined the route of the motorcade. His Royal Highness was entertained to dinner by the Lieutenant-Governor and Mrs McWilliams. It was also at this juncture that it was announced that His Royal Highness would travel to the United States on 23 August to visit President Roosevelt at his private country estate.
The Duke of Kent at RCAF Trenton before flying to Camp Borden 2 August 1941
On 4 August, a day of high winds which curtailed many training flights, the Duke flew from Winnipeg to Regina, Saskatchewan to pay what the press described as ‘an unexpected visit’ to No.15 Elementary Flying Training School [EFTS]. The stopover was brief, lasting merely 45 minutes. Nevertheless, a guard of honour was hastily arranged (and duly inspected) and the Duke also found time meet ‘civil leaders’ and talk with a group of Americans who had enrolled in the Royal Canadian Air Force. That same day, the Duke and his party flew into RCAF Calgary (Lincoln Park) home of No. 3 Service Flying Training School, where the local Mayor was introduced to His Royal Highness. One hundred and four men stood to attention as the Royal Salute was played and the Duke made time to speak to many as he passed down the line. Prince George later visited the nearby No. 2 Wireless School [WS], travelling through the city centre in a sedan car. At the School he was greeted by a guard of honour and two Royal Canadian Mounted Police astride their horses. The station diary notes that the Duke made a thorough visit of the station hospital where he insisted on speaking to each of the patients about their ailments. He also toured the classrooms and seemed keen to listen in as the students received instruction and later questioned many of them about their experiences. As was often his custom throughout the tour, Prince George then ventured up to the third floor canteen to meet briefly with some of the diners, for he was concerned about the variety of the daily fare on offer and as to whether the portions were sufficient. He asked for copy of the menu and inspected a large walk-in refrigerator filled with fresh meat. The Duke also had an interesting encounter with a Welshman, Harry Jones. While serving as a driver in the army, he had chauffeured Prince George’s great-uncle, the Duke of Connaught and the Duke of Windsor (when Prince of Wales) during their trips to Canada. After a visit to the officers’ mess, the royal party departed Calgary by car for a few days rest at Banff.
Each morning in the mountain resort of Banff, the Duke rose early to enjoy a ten-minute swim before breakfasting with his entourage in the Royal Suite of the Banff Springs Hotel. Whenever he had a spare moment, he would enjoying cantering on a bay horse along the local mountain trails (some press reports state he rode for a distance of around ten miles). On 5 August, Prince George spent many hours ascending nearby 8,000-foot Sulphur Mountain. He took with him a simple picnic lunch of hard boiled eggs and cold meats. The following day he climbed the more demanding 9000-foot Rundle Mountain, in just over six hours, in the company of his detective, Inspector Evans. One of the Duke’s drivers, AC J.S. Botterill, commented on his ‘vitality-I never saw anything like it in my life, so help me.’ Whilst staying at Banff he was also introduced to two members of the indigenous First Nation community, Chief Charlie Bear Paw and Chef Waving Feather. Before leaving the resort at 8am on the morning of 7 August, Prince George thanked Charlie Lambe, who had been his personal waiter and gave him a gift of cufflinks bearing his cipher. Mr Lambe knew the Duke from his time working at Ciro’s night club in London. It was at this juncture that His Royal Highness learned that his friend and ADC, Wing Commander Whitney Straight had been shot down over France. He would later end up in prisoner-of-war camp from which he escaped in June 1942. Meanwhile, the British press commented that there was ‘no plan’ for a meeting between the Duke of Kent and his eldest brother.
The Duke of Kent makes an inspection of the Guard of Honour at RCAF Calgary.
The royal trip was by now attracting attention back home in Britain and the London Illustrated News ran a special pictorial feature; while the Newcastle Journal headlined ‘the Duke of Kent in Canada in Colour’ in large capital letters. Meanwhile, the Duke drove himself in a large Lincoln automobile from Banff back to Calgary, from where he subsequently flew to Vancouver and spent an hour inspecting facilities at the airport. Thereafter, it was onwards to Vancouver Island where he toured the RCAF base at Patricia Bay (home to 32 Operational Training Unit). The OTU, as it was referred to, was the ‘last stop’ for aircraft crew in their training protocol. The Duke was greeted by the Lieutenant-Governor, Mr Eric Hamber and a crowd of onlookers, estimated at 3,500. A guard of honour of one hundred airmen were drawn up on the runway for inspection. Prince George and the Lieutenant-Governor would later motor down Vancouver Island to the city of Victoria, a distance of some eighteen miles, where the Duke dined and spent the night at Government House.
Naturally, Prince George could not make a visit to Vancouver Island’s historical capital without a tour of the imposing Parliament House, so next morning he drove there and was met by the State Premier, T.D. Patullo and other local politicians. Later, His Royal Highness had a meeting with Major General Ronald Alexander, General Officer Commanding, Pacific Command at his headquarters at Esquimalt Fortress. His Royal Highness also visited Western Air Command (RCAF) and subsequently lunched with the Commander, Air Commodore A. E. Godfrey at the Union Club. The Lieutenant-Governor and the heads of other branches of the military were also present. Prince George then toured a barracks of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) at the naval base at Esquimalt and later watched an army ‘formation’ display by ‘young militiamen’ at Work Point military camp. In the evening, after dining at Government House, the Duke returned to RCAF Patricia Bay and flew over to Vancouver where he and his entourage stayed privately at “Shannon” the home of Major and Mrs Austin Taylor.
On 9 August, the Duke drove to Richmond, just south of the city of Vancouver, to tour the Boeing aircraft plant, as well as to visit RCAF Station Sea Island, the location for No. 8 Elementary Flying Training School which made use of Tiger Moth aircraft. According to the station diary, “Air Commodore Kent”, inspected both trainees and flying instructors, before ‘thoroughly’ touring the air station.
Duke of Kent tours Boeing aircraft plant near Vancouver August 1941
Thereafter, Prince George and his party undertook an afternoon tour of Burrard Dry Dock where Bangor Class Minesweepers were being built for the Royal Canadian Navy. His Royal Highness also toured the neighbouring North Van Ship Repairs Yard, which had just been re-tooled so as to construct minesweepers, at the behest of the Canadian government. Three new launch ways had recently been built at this site and the Duke was given ample opportunity to inspect the facilities. It is clear from local photo archives that His Royal Highness made time to speak to many of the shipyard workers, as well as some war veterans from World War I. It so happened that the Prince was keen on naval history (having previously served in the Royal Navy as a midshipman) and he was Patron of the Society for Nautical Research. Prince George also met with patients at the Shaughnessy Military Hospital in Oak Street. He was particularly moved to speak to Percy Hart (described as an ‘old timer’ in the Vancouver Sun), who had been hospitalised there with arthritis since 1923. Indeed, he had been a patient when Prince George last visited the hospital with the then Prince of Wales in 1927. News of his visit soon reached locals and as he prepared to depart in his open-topped official limousine, he was surrounded by a large crowd.
Duke of Kent visit Burrard Dry Dock, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Duke of Kent arrives at Parliament House, Victoria on Vancouver Island.
The Prince then commenced his journey towards Edmonton by train that evening. En route he again enjoyed at stopover for a couple of days, this time at Jasper National Park, where he dined privately in his private mountain lodge with Charles E Hughes, a retired Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. The Duke also swam regularly in Lake Beauvert and indulged in some climbing. On finally reaching Edmonton by rail on 13 August, the Duke was cheered by thousands as the royal motorcade advanced through the streets of Alberta’s capital city. The welcome was described in the station diary of RCAF Edmonton as the ‘ the most spontaneous and enthusiastic greeting yet received on the tour.’ The Duke first visited the No. 2 Air Observer Corps [AOS] where he toured classrooms at the Radio Technical School. He then inspected No. 16 Elementary Flying Training School where, after signing the register in the Administration Building, he spent a considerable time watching the trainee pilots taking off and landing. Prince George also asked questions of officers, trainee pilots, mechanics and other ground staff during a subsequent tour of the radio room, the hangars and the officers’ mess. His Royal Highness was then introduced to Mr Thomas Bull, a veteran of the Great War. Interestingly, Mr Bull had at one time helped with the construction of a summer house in the garden at Windsor Castle and he was keen to know if the building was still standing. The Duke was pleased to confirm that this was indeed the case, it currently being used by the King and Queen. On departing, His Royal Highness praised the ‘speedy expansion’ of the Air Training Plan.
On the morning of 14 August, the Duke paid a visit to RCAF Medicine Hat, Alberta (home of No. 34 Service Flying Training School). Many of the men at this air station came from Britain. Somewhat unusually, he first attended a Civic Reception in the Town Hall before making a ‘thorough’ inspection of the guard of honour of one hundred airmen. The station diary keeper notes that His Royal Highness made time to speak to around twenty-five of the Guard. Starting his tour in the “Station Sick Quarters”, Prince George’s tour of inspection encompassed ‘practically every building.’ Prior to taking lunch in the Officer’s Mess, the Prince was happy to pose with many of the airmen to have pictures taken. Lieutenant Lowther later wrote a letter of thanks to the Commanding Officer, Group Captain Ellis, stating that ‘His Royal Highness was greatly impressed with all he saw..’ and sent ‘his warmest congratulations on the efficiency of No. 34 Service Flying Training School.’ It was just the sort of morale boost that was needed.
In the afternoon, His Royal Highness flew in his Lockheed-Hudson aircraft to No. 32 Service Flying Training School at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The facility had recently been expanded to enable the Allied airmen to spend around sixteen weeks learning to fly Harvard and Oxford aircraft. Once again a large proportion of the trainees hailed from Britain and the local Leader-Post newspaper described the air station as ‘a little bit of Britain transplanted to the broad Canadian prairies.’ There was also a contingent of trainee pilots from Norway. The Duke was entranced by all he saw and spent a ‘considerable’ time up in the ‘watch tower’ watching planes as they landed and took off. This was also the perfect viewpoint to watch the excavation work currently being undertaken to further extend the runways. Prince George later visited the No. I Aircraft Hangar, the Ground Instructional Block, a barracks, drill hall and the station hospital, where he spoke to many of the patients. Word of the royal visit had clearly reached the local population and His Royal Highness went over to speak to a crowd of two hundred onlookers who had gathered outside the air station boundary fence. The Prince subsequently took tea in the officer’s mess where he was formally introduced to the Mayor of Moose Jaw, Mr Corman and the Town Clerk, Mr Craven. The party then left for RCAF Regina (his second visit) where he landed at 7.30pm and spent the night at Government House. During this brief stopover, His Royal Highness was able to meet up with Flight Lieutenant Robert Leavitt, who had spent a week, in May 1940, piloting the Duke in his Hudson aircraft over the north of France. Leavitt had only recently been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for undertaking dangerous reconnaissance work over Norway.
On 15 August, the Duke left RCAF Regina at 9.30am to fly to the No. 12 Service Flying Training School located at RCAF Brandon. The royal party arrived in good weather at 11am prompt. No guard of honour was deemed necessary. Nonetheless, the diary of the air station shows His Royal Highness was still expected to inspect fifty ‘Security Guards’. He subsequently toured the maintenance hangar and the hospital (stopping to ask each patient the reason for their stay and what post they were training for). The Duke then paid a visit to the officer’s mess to to enjoy an ‘informal’ lunch. By 13.30 he had departed to inspect the No. 2 Manning Depot for new recruits located nearby. The royal visitor was determined to be thorough and spent an hour touring the barracks, the athletic grounds and watching a demonstration of the different stages in the training of raw recruits, be it in rifle drill, foot drill, marching or saluting. The royal visitors then returned to the main Brandon airfield to fly eastwards to RCAF Carberry, home of No. 33 Service Flying Training School to make a ‘surprise’ visit and participate in the ‘great event’ of the day, the “Wings Parade” at which the sixty-three Graduate-Pilots of the out-going course received their flying badges. Although this visit was a brief one, Prince George insisted on pinning the Emblem on each of the graduates.
The Duke of Kent at Government House, Winnipeg with the Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba and Mrs McWilliamsThe Duke of Kent during his tour of Hawker Hurricane production line at the Canadian Car and Foundry at Fort William, Ontario.
The Prince next progressed to RCAF Winnipeg (less than two weeks after his previous visit to the airfield) the home of No. 5 Observer Corps (OC) and temporary home to No. 14 Elementary Flying Training School. The Duke was asked to present the Starratt Memorial Trophy to the most outstanding trainee of air observers, LAC E.K. Campbell. The latter was also presented with a ‘navigational watch.’ In addition, Prince George met with the other trainees, instructors and officers. The royal party then progressed to No. 8 Repair Depot to view a group of mechanics and engineers at work. Thereafter, the Duke was introduced to civilian pilots attached to the Winnipeg Air Observer School Ltd. His Royal Highness also made a brief speech which was mentioned in the British newspapers, ‘I did not expect the [air training] scheme to be so impressive.’ Apparently, it was already ‘twenty-per-cent more advanced than those in charge hoped for.’ He added enthusiastically, ‘I shall have much to tell them in England.’ Finally, His Royal Highness visited MacDonald Brothers Aircraft factory. MacDonald’s built many of the training aircraft used by the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, including the Avro Avian. The company also undertook airplane repairs on other wartime models such as the Tiger Moth. At the end of what had been a very busy day, the Duke met with members of the Polish Community at Government House, Winnipeg. He was also introduced to a delegation from the Czech-Slovak Military Mission to Canada, who were on a recruiting mission on behalf of the RAF. Many Czechoslovak airmen would subsequently fly for the Allies.
Thereafter, the Duke enjoyed a few days free of duties at the summer home of the late E W Kneeland, a wealthy Winnipeg grain merchant, at Lake of the Woods Island near Kenora, Northern Ontario. He then travelled, early on the morning of 19th August, to pay a visit to the RCAF Fort William, home of No. 2 Elementary Flying School, where he inspected the new barracks block, viewed the recreation room and even toured several storage buildings. Subsequently, Prince George visited the production line of Canadian Car & Foundry which was situated close-by. The plant built Hawker Hurricane aircraft including the Sea Hurricane, which the press described as a ‘navalised version’ of the Hurricane. The royal visitor was pictured for posterity talking to both men and women on the assembly line. This sent out an important message to the world, as women were now increasingly in war production in Canada, the United States and in Britain too. Thereafter, the royal party made a tour of the shipbuilding yard in the neighbouring town of Port Arthur.
The Duke of Kent with a Bren gun during his visit to John Inglis munition factory near Toronto, 21 August 1941.
The Duke of Kent travelled to Timmins by air on the morning of 20 August (where he was greeted by crowds estimated to be in the thousands and spent an hour 4,000 feet down a gold mine). He subsequently flew four hundred miles southwards to Toronto, where he made a visit to the original “Little Norway”, a training camp and school for expatriate Norwegian airmen then situated at Toronto’s small island airport on Lake Ontario. Prince George later dined with the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and Mrs Matthews in the Vice-Regal Chambers of Parliament House. Next morning, His Royal Highness paid a ninety-minute visit to the John Inglis munitions plant where he was pictured inspecting a Bren gun (the plant was one of the main producers of this item). He also paid a visit to No. 1 Initial Training School of the RCAF at Eglinton in nearby Scarborough where, in addition to speaking to flying officers, the Prince inspected the kitchen and spoke to the chef about culinary matters, once again demonstrating his concern for the welfare of those serving in the military. There was also rumoured to be a secret RCAF research facility at this site, though whether Prince George visited that establishment remains unclear. In addition, the Duke made a visit to the De Havilland aircraft factory at Downsview Park, Toronto where the legendary Tiger Moth training plane was constructed, as was the twin-engine Mosquito combat aircraft. Both these aeroplanes were vital to the success of the Allied cause and this morale-boosting visit was just what was required.
The Duke of Kent at the munitions plant of John Inglis and Co. Oshawa, Ontario. 21 August 1941
On 22 August, the Duke of Kent was present at the opening of the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. He made a speech to those attending in which he stated that ‘We are determined and confident that these temporary clouds shall pass and that much better days are to come for all classes of people. The knowledge that Canada is producing an ever-increasing volume of necessary weapons of war is a constant inspiration to the never-flagging courage of our people.’ At this time, Prince George also visited No.1 Manning Depot for RCAF trainees which was located on the National Exhibition site: He spoke to one of the workers in the YMCA canteen, a Mrs J. H. Domine about her work and conditions.
The Duke of Kent speaks to a Mrs Domine during a tour of the canteen at No.1 Manning Depot, Toronto.
The following day, the royal entourage visited RCAF Oshawa, to open the No. 20 Elementary Flying Training School. The Duke, according to the station diary, was taken to a reviewing stand at the Parade Square and after speaking to officials, he was asked to declare the flying school ‘open’ which he duly did in a ‘short but well-delivered speech.’ Thereafter, he inspected the ‘pupil-pilots’ and their instructors, expressing his ‘admiration for the appearance of all ranks.’ Prince George then viewed motorised military equipment currently being produced at the General Motors Company plant nearby. Whilst there, he again had the chance to meet a group of military veterans. He later returned to RCAF Oshawa to change into civilian dress for his flight to La Guardia Airport in New York. Before departing, the Duke presented his chauffeur for the last few days in Toronto area, Sergeant Earl Baxter, with a pair of cufflinks bearing his distinctive royal cypher. Kind touches such as these did not go unnoticed.
After a brief stopover in New York, where no less than two hundred patrolmen, detectives and traffic police had been assigned to secure the royal party’s route through the city, the royal motorcade proceeded ‘upstate’ towards President and Mrs Roosevelt private Springwood estate, at Hyde Park, situated on the eastern shore of the Hudson River, some four miles north of Poughkeepsie. The Duke arrived just in time for dinner that evening. As the Duke confided to waiting reporters at La Guardia, this was the first time he had met the President since a previous encounter in the Bahamas in 1934 when he and his wife, Princess Marina, were on their honeymoon. On Sunday, the Prince’s host took his guest on a tour-the press described it as a ‘preview’-of the newly-completed Franklyn Roosevelt Library. The President was keen to ensure that his royal visitor viewed an eclectic selection of the items on display-mostly statues and art work-for this inaugural exhibition at the Library. Further ‘highlights’ included the chance for a royal dip in the Roosevelt’s private swimming pool up and being driven by Roosevelt in his specially-adapted car on a tour around the two-hundred-acre estate. In the evening, the Duke and the President travelled by ‘special train’ overnight to Washington D.C., arriving at Union Station the morning of Monday, 25 August. The Duke and his party then flew immediately down to Virginia from Anacosta air station, visiting an operational unit at Langley Air Force Base, as well as touring the Navy Yard at Norfolk (‘the most important naval centre on the Atlantic seaboard’) which was currently being expanded to better supply the combat ships that were required. At the latter the Duke was greeted in person by Admiral Manley H. Simons, District Commander of the 5th Naval District and cheered by workmen as he progressed through the yard. There was a visit too to Newport News Shipyard which specialised in the construction of aircraft carriers. His Royal Highness returned to Washington to spend an overnight at the White House. A dinner was held in Prince George’s honour (attended by eighteen guests who included his kinsman, Dickie Mountbatten, his wife Edwina and Harry Hopkins, who frequently travelled to Britain as Roosevelt’s “envoy”). That the President and the Duke of Kent had managed to spend some “quality” time together was seen as advantageous to the British cause, for with the United States not yet having entered the Second World War, the King and Churchill had been particularly anxious to sustain the “special relationship” between Britain and its long-time ally.
Meanwhile, Mrs Roosevelt had confided to the press that the Prince, like his brother King George VI, ‘was very shy and thoughtful.’ Nevertheless, His Royal Highness remained determined to raise Britain’s profile in wartime in the States: The following morning he was given the ideal opportunity: After a brief tour of the Presidential mansion and West Wing, the Duke paid a visit to the National Press Club where he made an upbeat speech underlining his confidence in an Allied victory. He emphasised that ‘the more material aid the United States furnishes, the quicker Britain will win’ adding that morale in his homeland ‘was good’. On a lighter note, His Royal Highness teased his American hosts that he had not seen an orange or a banana for months until his recent arrival in Canada.
Prince George subsequently visited Baltimore, on 26 August, the home town of the Duke’s sister-in-law, Wallis Warfield (whom the local Mayor insisted on calling “Our Wally”). His Royal Highness inspected bombers being built for the Royal Air Force at the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Plant. Again, this factory had recently been enlarged due to the Allies desperate need of combat aircraft, such as the A-22 Maryland Bomber. During the visit, the Duke addressed some of the 13,000 workers at the plant and imparted another rousing, patriotic message, ‘You are playing a vital part in our fight. Every hour you work not only saves the lives of our men, women, and children, but brings victory nearer.’ Before leaving, His Royal Highness was introduced to one hundred and fifty officers of the British Merchant Navy. He also inspected Canadian troops at nearby Camp Holabird. Tom Hanes, an American journalist was allowed to accompany the Duke throughout the Baltimore visit and described him as ‘just another good guy…who is trying his level best to handle a tough job.’ Hanes asked Prince George for his views on the current American defence effort: ‘Marvellous. The spirit is wonderful. Please say for me that we deeply appreciate the tremendous accomplishments of American industry.’ The journalist noted that the royal visitor was drinking bourbon and the Prince admitted he did not care for “Scotch”. However, he had praise indeed for American journalists, feeling that they ‘ have given me quite friendly treatment…They’re fine fellows.’ A deft public relations treat on the part of the Duke!
The Duke of Kent (“Air Commodore Kent”) in his RAF uniform making a speech in Canada
On 27 August, Prince George returned to Canada to visit Hamilton, Ontario, where he was greeted by cheering crowds as he visited Westinghouse’s Electric Plant. Originally a small appliance factory, the facility had been re-tooled and expanded to produce anti-aircraft guns and other components, including many for the Mosquito Bomber. In the afternoon, he paid a visit to RCAF Hamilton (Mount Hope) and spent an hour reviewing No. 10 Elementary Flying Training School. He ended the day by inspecting and subsequently spending an overnight at RCAF Jarvis, the Ontario home of No.1 Bombing and Gunnery School, close-by the north shore of Lake Erie. Meanwhile, at Badminton in Gloucestershire, the home of the Duke of Beaufort, and temporary wartime residence of Queen Mary, Mackenzie-King was quizzed by the Dowager Queen about the Duke’s visit. Her Majesty had been following her youngest surviving son’s trip with great interest and showed the Canadian Prime Minister a selection of newspaper clippings, including one of Prince George at Rideau Hall with the Athlone’s. Mackenzie-King enthused that ‘some very fine movies’ had been made of the royal tour, although he also divulged that the Duke of Kent had informed him ‘that he never liked to see himself in a movie.’
The Duke of Kent speaks to John Mack of Glasgow at RCAF St Thomas, London, Ontario.
On 28 August Prince George was photographed with John Mack from Britain as he toured a No. 1 Technical Training School at RCAF St Thomas, near London, south-eastern Ontario. The site had a capacity to train up to 2,000 men at a time to work as skilled ground crew. The following day, His Royal Highness made an ‘unexpected visit’ to RCAF Cap de la Madeleine, the home of No. 11 Elementary Flying School. The Duke’s plane hade been forced to land here due to poor visibility. The air station diary notes: ‘Unfortunately for us the royal visitor had to be rushed to the [train] station at Three Rivers to catch the Quebec train [for onward travel by air to St Hubert aerodrome, Montreal]. Consequently he didn’t have time to visit our school.’
When the Duke landed at St Hubert aerodrome it was already twilight. So began his forty-hour visit to Canada’s (then) largest city. A motorcycle escort accompanied his official car, flying the Ducal standard, to Montreal’s City Hall where His Royal Highness signed the city’s famous Golden Book and was guest of honour at an evening reception (presided over by the Mayor, Monsieur Adhemar Raynault and attended by ‘high military and civic dignitaries’.) Monsieur Raynault praised the royal visitor to the local press on his ‘very fluent French’, as well as on his interest in matters pertaining to French Canada. That evening, Prince George spent the night at the aptly-named Windsor Hotel, where five hundred people crowded the hotel lobby in order to try and catch a glimpse of the royal visitor as he entered (a further 2,500 were also waiting outside so the Duke waved from a window of his suite to acknowledge their cheers). Meanwhile, the Montreal Gazette revealed that traffic around the hotel had been ‘rerouted lest it rouse Duke’. The following day, 29 August, was packed with engagements including a visit to No. 1 Wireless School at RCAF Montreal (currently housed in what had been the Nazareth School for the Blind) where the Duke was introduced to a large group of Australian and New Zealand airmen. Prince George also toured the classrooms and later lunched in the officers’ mess. During a tour of the canteen, he asked a member of staff how much beer and ale was being sold. The royal visitor then moved on to visit the huge Canadian Pacific Railway manufacturing and repair facility, known as Angus Shops. This depot-which was set over 1200 acres-was also now used to produce Valentine tanks for the war effort. His Royal Highness also paid a visit to Ferry Command: this Montreal-based organisation, operating out of RCAF Lachine (Dorval), made use of civilian pilots to deliver thousands of bombers built in Canada and the United States, fresh off the production line, to Britain during its darkest hour. Many of the transatlantic routes used by the crews (who also included trained navigators and radio operators) were new and experimental as the airmen learned to cope with dangerous conditions such as fog, blinding rain and heavy turbulence. His Royal Highness also visited the Fairchild Aviation aircraft at Longueuil, Quebec (where the Fairchild PT-19 training aircraft were being built). A selection of eleven different types of plane built in Canada were available for His Royal Highness to inspect. The Duke then made time to visit the look-out at the top of Mount Royal, where he viewed a monument erected to commemorate the visit of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in May 1939. A tea was held in the nearby “chalet” which was attended by city councillors and Mayor’s of some of the neighbouring municipalities adjoining the City of Montreal. Indeed, the Duke shook hands with ‘scores of the cities leading citizens’ during the one-hour reception. Prior to departing, the royal visitor reviewed a large contingent of air cadets and complimented them on their ‘smart appearance.’ The Ottawa Citizen newspaper revealed that as a kindness to His Royal Highness, a Montreal department store, Henry Morgan and Company, opened specially ‘after hours’ to allow the Duke to do some shopping which included the purchasing of some fountain pens. Not surprising given that the press described this day in Montreal as ‘the busiest day of his Canadian tour.’
The Prince departed St Hubert airport at 11am prompt on 30 August in a Grumman Goose amphibian aircraft for the town of Sorel, in south-western Quebec, where he toured Sorel Industries. This company was currently ‘turning out 25-pound field guns’ for the British Army. This was followed by a visit to the town’s Marine Industries which was involved in the construction of small warships (Corvettes) as well as the building of the largest all-welded vessel ever built in Canada. The New York Times revealed that Prince George was thereafter enjoying a brief sojourn at the fashionable Quebec holiday resort of Murray Bay, east of Quebec city. He was actually staying at Saint-Irénée-Les-Bains at the turreted chateau of Mr Pierre Francois Casgrain, a former Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons. For some of his time here, the went for a ‘canter’ along the Hotel Manoir Richelieu’s bridal path. On another occasion, he enjoyed a post-prandial four-hour, fifteen mile hike through local woodlands with the faithful Inspector Evans at his side. Nor was the Duke’s downtime carefree as back in London, his wife, Princess Marina, was undergoing ‘minor eye surgery’ and had cancelled her engagements for the next two-weeks.
On 2 September the Prince had resumed his tour, departing Lake St Agnes in his sea-plane for a tour of the Maritimes and an examination of eastern seaboard defences. The royal party first travelled to New Brunswick for a two-hour visit to No 8 Service Flying Training School, Moncton. This included a reception, a lunch with the officers, followed by ‘an Inspection of the Station.’ Later that afternoon, Prince George and his party flew over the Northumberland Strait to RCAF Summerside, on Prince Edward Island. This was the home base of the No. 9 Service Flying Training School. The Duke was there to inspect the new No. 2 runway. However, 70mph winds led to his Grumman aircraft having to land on a field of grass in the centre of the aerodrome, rather than on the new runway. Subsequently, His Royal Highness took tea in the officer’s mess and met members of the ‘permanent staff.’ Then, as the winds remained fierce, it was decided that Prince George would travel by car, rather than by plane, to his next engagement at RCAF Charlottetown (also on Prince Edward Island). This change in mode of transport meant that he was one-and-a-half hours late for his next engagement. This was somewhat unfortunate as Members of the Provincial government were kept waiting, as was the Lieutenant-Governor, Mr Le Page and the Commanding Officer Eastern Air Command, Air Commodore Anderson. Charlottetown was the home of No. 32 (Royal Air Force) Air Navigation School (ANS), as well as the No. 31 School of General Reconnaissance. The Duke was particularly interested in the work being undertaken there and in the equipment being used.
On 3 and 4 September, the Duke of Kent visited Halifax, Nova Scotia where he toured the RCAF facilities at Eastern Passage (east of Dartmouth), the headquarters of Eastern Air Command. He met a group of Canadian air force pilots who had recently returned from manoeuvres in England, as well as airmen who served in the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm. Most of these individuals had been involved in recent the Battle of Britain. The Prince also took the salute during a flypast and presented a new insignia to the No. 5 Squadron (featuring a gannet) at its base, RCAF Dartmouth. This squadron specialised in anti-submarine activities. In the evening, the royal party were entertained to dinner by the government of Nova Scotia. Next day, His Royal Highness inspected the “Stad”, as the local naval barracks were often referred to (official name HMCS Stadacona) and he also toured the naval dockyard. In the afternoon, Prince George departed Halifax and flew to the city of Quebec, landing in the harbour in his amphibious plane. He then drove to The Citadel, the Governor-General’s residence in Quebec City, where he was again entertained by his Uncle Alge and Aunt Alice. After attending yet another official dinner, the Duke rose early the following day to a packed schedule with six hours of engagements during which His Royal Highness visited an arsenal, before moving on to the No. 4 Manning Depot [RCAF] where he chatted to an aircraftsman in the barber shop. He also toured the depot medical clinic and spoke around a dozen patients. After lunching with the Depot Commander, the royal party made a a tour of the Valcartier Camp-some twenty miles distant-home of the Canadian Infantry Training Centre. The Duke also caught up with correspondence and wrote a letter of thanks from the Citadel in his own hand to Mrs Roosevelt ‘for all your kindness and hospitality during my visit to the USA.’ The Prince had ‘enjoyed my visit to Washington so much, I only wish it could have been longer.’ He was returning home ‘next week full of wonderful impressions of what is being done over here to help our cause.’ Thereafter, on 7 September His Royal Highness enjoyed an afternoon of culture when he accompanied his Uncle Alge and Aunt Alice on a visit to the Museum of the Province of Quebec. In the evening, the trio were guests at a dinner given by the Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec, Major-General Sir Eugene Fiset at his official residence, Spencerwood.
The “Stad” Barracks and parade ground of HMCS Stadacona, Halifax, Nova Scotia
The Duke subsequently broadcast over the radio, mostly in English, but with a portion in French, on the evening of 9 September, prior to leaving Quebec City en route to Newfoundland the following morning. Prince George said that ‘the inspiration I have received from these few weeks among you gives me additional confidence in leaving your shores..’ He also praised the ‘remarkable achievements of the Commonwealth Air Training Scheme in Canada.’ His Royal Highness also mentioned his brief visit to the United States and opined that out of the war would surely be ‘born a closer friendship and unanimity among people who spoke a common tongue.’
On 12 September the Duke of Kent flew into Newfoundland’s Bay Bulls Big Pond from Sydney, Nova Scotia in a flying boat accompanied by two escort planes. He was due to have arrived on 10 September but was delayed, yet again, by the inclement weather. During his unscheduled time in Nova Scotia, Prince George toured a steel plant in Sydney which was involved in the production of war materials. He was also able to learn of the anti-submarine operations being conducted out of RCAF Sydney. In Newfoundland, His Royal Highness was greeted by a Guard of Honour from the Newfoundland Militia and lunched with the Governor (Newfoundland was at this stage not part of the Dominion of Canada and was proud to describe itself as the “Old Colony”), Vice-Admiral Sir Humphrey Walwyn at Government House, in the capital St John’s. In the afternoon the Duke proceeded to the Feildian Athletic Grounds and took the salute at a parade of Royal Navy, United States and Canadian military forces, as well as a contingent of Newfoundland Great War Veterans and of the Newfoundland Militia. Later, His Royal Highness visited the Grenfell Institute to meet more Allied servicemen and Newfoundland naval recruits. He spoke to many and was again particularly concerned about arrangements for their welfare and comfort. Then-in the company of the Governor- he motored to Bay Bulls Big Pond and departed for the journey back home to Britain. The Duke, it was said, had ‘encouraged…by word and deed [others] to carry on in their endeavours…’ in wartime.
On the return journey to England, following his 15,000 mile tour, the Duke took the controls of the Liberator bomber he was travelling in ‘for a short time’. The press were also keen to note that His Royal Highness ‘insisted’ in observing the usual travel etiquette such as showing his passport. The Prince also remembered his family from whom he had been separated for so long. His wife Marina received the gift of twelve pair of silk stockings, whilst his eldest child, Edward received the present of the model of an American bomber. Asked by the British press, on his return home on 13 September, about his return flight from Newfoundland, Prince George observed that “It was like flying back from Paris in peacetime. There wasn’t an incident.” Meanwhile, there were calls by some newspapers for the Duke to be sent out to Canberra as Governor-General, his previous appointment having been ‘postponed’ in 1939 due to the outbreak of war. A political commentator of one journal reasoned that ‘as he recently crossed in safety to Canada’ then ‘the risk of his now going to Australia could not be much greater.’ However, these comments were largely overlooked when the Duke spoke movingly in a BBC radio address on 17 September of the success of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan: ‘this great air training organisation…which is not surpassed anywhere in the world’. He also enthused that ‘I found everywhere…an admirable spirit of comradeship, a deep consciousness of the gravity of the crisis which confronts us, and an eagerness to get on with the job, and see it through, no matter what personal circumstances it might entail.’ His Royal Highness added that ‘I was glad to be able to tell the King what I had seen and what I had heard in Canada.’ Prince George ended his address by noting, ‘the magnificent spirit and resolution of the whole Canadian population impressed me deeply.’ The Dominion Office in London stated the Duke’s tour was ‘most successful and widely appreciated.’
On 16th July 1964 it was announced by the Prime Minister’s Office in Canberra that Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent would make a thirteen-day visit to Australia, the ‘main purpose’ was to visit the £25 million British Exhibition in Sydney. The typed two-page official communique noted that this was the Princess’ first visit to Australia and ‘many would remember the sorrowful circumstances which prevented her being in Australia with her late husband, the Duke of Kent, who, before his tragic death on Active Service had accepted a term of appointment as Australia’s Governor-General.’ The visit, which the Canberra Times observed was ‘planned for informality’ and ‘to allow as many people as possible’ to see the royal visitor, commenced with several days of engagements in Canberra. It was emphasised that this was a ‘royal visit’ and not a ‘royal tour’ which was in keeping with current federal government policy, and the Prime Minister would acknowledge to his cabinet: ‘we have been aiming at short and limited Royal visits so that they may be more frequent.’
For good measure, a few days prior to the Princess’ arrival, a new ‘portrait study’ of Marina, by the English society photographer Cecil Beaton, was released. The Princess’ visit was all the more anticipated as rumours abounded that her daughter Princess Alexandra, who had enjoyed a very successful visit in 1959, was to become Australia’s next Governor-General. The rumour was unfounded.
Princess Marina photographed prior to the 1964 Tour.
Marina did not arrive unprepared. She had often spoken to Princess Alexandra about her five-week tour in August/September 1959 and her impressions of the country and people. Sir Robert Menzies, the Australian Prime Minister, had also recently dined with Marina at Kensington Palace to discuss the prospective visit. Marina had often met Sir Robert during his frequent visits to London over the years. According to Marina’s biographer, Stella King, the Princess also studied books that she and the late Duke had consulted together, as he prepared to take up his post as Governor-General in 1939, in addition to some speeches he had already drafted.
Marina’s schedule was initially neither taxing or ‘informal’ but doubtless gave the Princess time to recover from any residual “jetlag” (Her Royal Highness had travelled from London to Sydney in the Qantas Boeing 707 City of Adelaide with a brief stopover in San Francisco). Her subsequent arrival at R.A.A.F. Fairbairn, Canberra at 9.30am on 26 September was covered by Australian television in what was hailed in the local press as ‘the biggest national television link which has ever originated from the city.’ The event was enlivened by a 21-gun salute which certainly made an impression on the waiting officials (including the Governor-General) and the crowd of around 1,000 onlookers. The Royal Military College Band were also on parade. All were delighted when the Princess, dressed in a cherry red ensemble, made time to speak to many of those gathered and informed them, “What a beautiful morning it is. I can’t believe I’m here at last.” The Princess brought with her an entourage of ten including her Private Secretary Sir Philip Hay and Lady-in-Waiting Patricia Heaton. In the afternoon, a press conference was held at Yarralumla, the Governor-General, Viscount De L’Isle’s official residence in Canberra. The press reported that the Princess ‘smoked a cigarette and drank a glass of bitter lemon’ during the proceedings. Otherwise, it was a day clear of engagements which gave Marina time to familiarise herself with Government House, as Yarralumla was often referred to. The experience proved rather poignant (as would much of the tour) as she observed the blue satin-covered sofas, the silk tweed curtains, the Grecian rugs and the quality bed linen chosen by her husband, the late Prince George, in anticipation of his assuming the Governor-General’s position in November 1939. Indeed, preparations had been so far advanced that the Duke of Kent had ordered a new Rolls-Royce with which to undertake his Vice-Regal duties and a Private Secretary, Sir Eric Mieville had been appointed. However, following the outbreak of war with Germany, in September 1939, the Australian government were informed by Prince George himself that he and Marina had been forced to ‘abandon our intentions of coming out to Australia next month.’ From his reply, it is clear the Prime Minister (the then not yet ennobled Mr Robert Menzies) had viewed this as merely a ‘postponement’ of these plans.
Princess Marina arrives in Australia on Qantas Boeing 707
But returning to Marina’s current visit: On the first full day of the visit-27 September-the Princess attended Sunday Divine Service at the Church of St John the Baptist. A Greek woman, Mrs. Jones (who was married to an Englishman) stepped forward from amongst the onlookers who lined the avenue outside the church (estimated at some 200 people) and said in Greek: “Welcome to Australia.” A couple, Mr and Mrs Xago, also conversed in Greek with the Princess (who complimented them on their “lovely boy”). The Xago’s were touched by her words and returned the compliment by praising Marina’s command of Greek after such a long absence from her homeland. In the evening, the Princess dined with, Sir Robert Menzies and his wife Pattie, at the Prime Minister’s official residence The Lodge.
The following day, the tempo increased somewhat: Princess Marina paid a visit to the Australian War Memorial to lay a wreath on the Stone of Remembrance and view the Roll of Honour. Her Royal Highness also undertook a brief drive through the ‘commercial centre’ of this city (which was actually more of a large country town of 70,000 inhabitants) where she was greeted en route at Vernon Circle by schoolchildren lining the route. However, her brief journey to her next engagement (the opening of the impressive new Defence Headquarters complex at Russell Hill) was somewhat delayed when high winds blew a piece of iron sheeting into the air close-by the royal limousine. This caused the chauffeur to swerve suddenly in order to try and avoid it. Unfortunately, the sheeting hit against the car and dented one of the doors. Marina was somewhat shaken by the incident but unhurt. Unbelievably, no sooner had the Princess arrived at the Defence Headquarters than a long piece of wooden facing, with nails still embedded in it, became dislodged from the dais canopy and tumbled to the ground just yards from where she and the official party were seated. Unperturbed (Marina’s sang-froid was duly noted) the royal guest carried on with her speech in her own unhurried style. She observed that “While we pray for peace and goodwill on this earth, we are conscious of the need for steadfastness and preparedness in a world beset by friction and conflicts.” The widowed Princess then chose to be more candid, “Twenty-six years ago my husband and I were preparing to come and live amongst you-but God willed it otherwise. But for the tragedy of war [Prince George was subsequently killed in an air accident in 1942 while on active duty with the R.A.F.]-a tragedy shared by so many Australian families-we would have become intimately familiar with this vast country and its people. My husband’s appointment as Governor-General in 1938 was a moment of great joy to us both.” Princess Marina also mentioned that she found it hard to express all she felt “in what will ever be for me a deeply memorable occasion”, adding that it had been a “privilege” to be present at such a ceremony in the changing and expanding Australian capital.
A colour image of Princess Marina from the 1960’s
In the afternoon, the Princess received Heads of the various diplomatic missions in Canberra and presided over a garden party attended by 3,500 guests at Yarralumla. The Australian press were impressed by what they described as Marina’s ‘lively interest in people’ as well as her ‘engaging manner’. The fashion commentators were in raptures over her lace-appliqued silk champagne coloured outfit offset by a hat of marabou feathers and accessorised with a massive emerald and diamond brooch. Yet the Canberra Times seemed rather unsure of the Princess’ royal pedigree and wrongly described her as ‘the daughter of King Constantine of Greece.’ Actually, she was the youngest daughter of the late King Constantine I’s younger brother, Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark.
On 29 September, Marina paid a visit to the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (W.R.A.N.S) at H.M.A.S. Harman, a communications hub where she observed operatives handling messages to naval ships off-shore. Marina was an Honorary Commandant of the Australian organisation. This engagement was much more the Princess’ “cup of tea”, for she had long held historical links with the “sister” organisation in Great Britain [the Women’s Royal Naval Service or W.R.N.S.] and currently served as the Chief Commandant. The W.R.A.N.S was formed at Harman in 1941 and the base was very much regarded as the “home” of the organisation. Before departing, Her Royal Highness inspected the W.R.A.N.S living quarters (Alexandra House) which had been opened by Princess Alexandra, during her 1959 royal tour. Thereafter, Princess Marina lunched with Commonwealth High Commissioners at Yarralumla and attended an evening reception for parliamentarians in the King’s Hall of Parliament House.
Princess Marina signs yet another visitor book during the trip.
On 30 September the Princess flew in the afternoon from Canberra to Sydney, landing at Mascot Airport at 3.30 pm prompt in a R.A.A.F. Corvair. After inspecting the Guard of Honour mounted by the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, Marina also made sure to acknowledge the presence of the regimental mascot Shetland pony Septimus. From the airport Her Royal Highness drove straight to Government House and a brief visit with the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Eric Woodward. The Princess and her entourage were to stay across the harbour in the much more informal setting of Kiribilli House. Once again the fashion writers were soon busy commenting on Marina’s brocade suit and pillbox hat in a matching fabric, as she arrived for her first engagement at Sydney Town Hall, to meet 800 ‘city parliamentarians and dignitaries’. The Lord Mayor, Alderman Jensen, who greeted Her Royal Highness on arrival, seemed captivated by the royal visitor, as did the assembled crowds. Prior to entering the Town Hall, Marina made time to speak to a group of elderly people whom she noticed behind police barricades near the Town Hall entrance, before walking across George Street to greet the large crowd assembled there. This informal approach (for this was the era before “royal walkabouts”) was much commented upon. Later, the Princess entranced the waiting dignitaries inside, as she spent an hour progressing seamlessly from one group to another and ‘charming them with a mixture of down-to-earth talk.’
The following day, Princess Marina paid a four-hour visit to the British Exhibition. The objectives of the Exhibition (which complimented a “British Fortnight” currently being held in local stores and shops), was to demonstrate and strengthen the close ties which existed between Australia and Britain. After being greeted by Sir Peter Runge, the Chairman of the Exhibition, the Princess toured the Manufacturer’s Hall. Naturally, her visit caused much attention from the public. However, the press noted that despite officials panicking (and at one stage even threatening to close the exhibition during the royal visit) Her Royal Highness ‘resolutely refused to let a jostling crowd worry her.’ Instead, Marina ‘delighted the crowd with her off-beat charm,’ as she examined a pair of tables valued at £24,000 on the antiques stand of a local department store, Grace Brothers. Marina was also entranced by a Pye “manipulator” (a contraption with metal claws) which she learned could apply make-up to a lady’s face. For good measure, the Princess watched closely as the “manipulator” performed its magic, her face a study in concentration. Marina also found time to fuss over an infant who was determined to ‘see the Princess’. She also made the day of one elderly lady who asked if she would mind being photographed. Marina smiled and said “Of course not.” The only complaint came from the Princess’ security detail who said she was ‘very hard to keep track of.’ Marina’s tiring day ended with a “private” dinner given by the State Governor at Government House. However, a quick glance at the guest list reveals that her fellow diners were none other than an assorted group of local “worthies” including politicians (such as the Premier of New South Wales); members of the clergy (led by the Archbishop of Sydney); as well as the judiciary (the Chief Justice heading this section).
Princess Marina in a TV studio at the British Empire Exhibition. She is watching an coloured image of herself on a tv monitor.
On the morning of 2 October, Princess Marina presided over another important event: the opening of the new Gladesville Bridge, a six-lane bridge over Sydney’s Paramatta River. This was to replace an earlier structure from the Victorian era. The new bridge had an arch span of 1000 feet and a total length of some 1901 feet and cost £4.5million. The impressive structure linked the suburbs of Gladesville and Drummoyne. Two thousand official guests had been invited to the opening. A Guard of Honour was provided by 100 girls from the Riverside Girls’ College. Her Royal Highness not only made sure to acknowledge their presence, but made time to have a brief chat. The Princess was then greeted by the State Premier of New South Wales, Mr Renshaw and the Minister for Highways, Mr Hills. Marina was soon beckoning both of them to pull their chairs nearer to hers, the better to speak to them about the project. After making a speech, in which she praised the project as a excellent example of Australian-British partnership (the bridge was designed by a British company, Reed and Mallik) the Princess ‘snipped the ribbon with a flourish’ and declared the bridge open. She then drove over in the official limousine, stopping at the highest point to admire the view with Mr Renshaw and Mr Hill, who pointed out the old bridge below. A war widow herself, the Princess later met a group of 1000 war widows at a reception held at Sydney’s Trocadero Restaurant. Some had travelled by air to be present at the event. The press stated that the widows gave Marina ‘the most enthusiastic reception’ of her visit so far. This was unsurprising given that the Princess was the first Patron (appointed in 1948) of the The Australian War Widows Guild of Australia. This particular event had been organised by the New South Wales Guild.
Princess Marina Arrives at the Trocadero for War Widows reception.
As the visit progressed the positive plaudits continued. The Princess was ‘so charming, so interested in all she sees’ gushed the Canberra Times. A British Pathe reporter added that Marina ‘has really captured the hearts of the people of Sydney.’ Meanwhile, Marina attended the running of the Australian Jockey Club Derby at Randwick racecourse on 3 October, driving down the track in an open-topped Rolls-Royce to the delight of the 52,000 racegoers in attendance. A smaller crowd of onlookers then provided her with an informal Guard of Honour as she walked the 200 yards from her car to the Members’ Stand. The horse which won was aptly named Royal Sovereign. The prize money was an impressive (for 1964!) £7,000. Princess Marina also presented a special gold British Exhibition Cup to the winner’s owners, Mr and Mrs Angini. The Princess subsequently paid a weekend visit to the Warragamba Dam, staying at a local cottage and enjoying some relaxation as she walked through the nearby trails. She also attended Sunday morning service at the local St Paul’s Anglican Church and was pictured shaking hands with the church warden, Mr Harry Huddlestone.
Princess Marina attends an evening engagement.
Back in Sydney, Her Royal Highness attended the Anglo-Australian Tattoo at the Showground. She wore an evening dress for the occasion and it was observed that her diamond tiara and earrings sparkled as she arrived at the venue. On her final day of engagements in Sydney, 6 October, Her Royal Highness visited the New South Wales Art Gallery. She confided to the President of the Board of Trustees, Mr Eric Landker, that she painted in watercolours. The Princess also admitted that she was “not particularly attracted to abstract art”, preferring impressionism instead. However, she was keen to see some Australian artists and praised the work of William Dobell as “very strong” art. Marina was subsequently presented with a book of his works, signed by the artist himself. After visiting the gallery, Marina ventured to the up-market David Jones department store nearby to view a selection of British products on display as part of their British Fortnight event. This visit was unscheduled, but her foray into the ladies’ fashion department was widely reported in the press. The Princess then paid her second scheduled visit to the British Exhibition at the Showground. In the evening, some koala bears were brought especially from Taronga Park Zoo to Kiribilli House so that Marina could examine this marsupial in the flesh. Her schedule meant there had been no previous opportunity for Her Royal Highness to view a koala in its natural environment.
Princess Marina departs the Governor-General’s railcar at Wolloncong.
The following morning, the Princess travelled in the Governor-General’s rail car (which was attached to the rear of the South Coast Daylight Express) some 50 miles southwards to the coastal town of Wollongong, where she toured the large Australian Iron and Steel Works at Port Kembla. This final engagement proved quite a contrast with anything else Her Royal Highness had previously encountered during her visit.
The Princess departed Australia on the morning of 8 October. A crowd of 500 gathered at Mascot Airport to watch as she was given an official farewell by a naval Guard of Honour. Again the press were impressed that Marina took time to stop and speak to several of the naval ratings. They also admired the way she made a point of thanking her chauffeur for his services as she left the official limousine. As during much of the tour, the wind proved somewhat troublesome and the Princess was required to lean against the gusts as she stood on a dais during the Royal Salute. And then after kissing some of the official party (including the Prime Minister’s wife, Dame Pattie Menzies, to whom Marina had earlier given a gift of a pair of silver sugar shakers) the Princess made her way to the waiting Boeing 707 for her journey homewards via Malaysia, where she was to be the guest of the British High Commissioner, Lord Head and his wife. This stay was ‘unofficial’ according to the Canberra Times.
The Princess arrived back in Britain on 12 October to be greeted at the airport by Princess Alexandra and her husband Angus Ogilvy accompanied by Marina’s daughter-in-law, Katherine, the Duchess of Kent.
Documents in Canberra reveal that the tour cost a total of £40,050. Unsurprisingly, given the distances involved, £23,000 of this was allocated to the hiring of aircraft for travelling to, from and within Australia. Such costs came as no surprise, as the canny Australians had estimated these well in advance, even to the point of, for comparative purposes, reviewing details of the costs associated with the visits of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in 1963, and the Duke’s 1962 solo visit. Furthermore, nothing had been left to chance (Marina’s Private Secretary, Sir Philip Hay, a war veteran, was a stickler for detail) down to a list of ‘car door openers’ in the archives and the provision of daily weather forecasts.
Sadly, Princess Marina would die less than four years later and she was never to return to Australia. Yet her solo visit had succeeded in endearing her to the Australian people. It would also be no exaggeration to say that Prince George’s widow found a special comfort in making this trip to a land he would have served so well.
Around 10.30am on Wednesday 3 February, Queen Elizabeth II landed ashore in the Royal Barge at Farm Cove, Sydney to be greeted by the Governor-General, Sir William Slim, Her Majesty’s Official Representative in Australia. Elizabeth was the first reigning Sovereign to pay a visit to this far-flung kingdom which had such strong ties to the United Kingdom, for Australia’s population was largely composed of people who were descended from British stock or were recent settlers from that country. Her Majesty’s subjects were certainly ready to give the demure 27-year-old Queen a rousing welcome. Over 100,000 lined the shores around Sydney Harbour to witness the royal arrival. They almost immediately fell under her charm, as Her Majesty addressed her Australian subjects, observing that ‘I am proud indeed to be at the head of a nation that has achieved so much.’ When the Royal party departed Farm Cove to make a tour of the streets of central Sydney by car, it is estimated that 1 million people out of a city population of 1.86 million lined the route of the “Royal Progress”, with crowds as many as twenty deep at times. A particularly moving moment took place in Martin Place, where the Queen stopped at the Cenotaph to lay a wreath to commemorate Australians who had answered the call from the “Old Country” (as Britain was still referred to) and given their lives, whether this be at Gallipoli or during two subsequent world wars. An editorial in an Australian paper summed-up the events succinctly: “This day is one of the most momentous in our history.”
The Queen arrives at Farm Cove, Sydney, 3 February 1954
The Queen was scheduled to spend ten days in the State of New South Wales (NSW). Most of the time she and the Duke of Edinburgh were based at Government House in Sydney. From there the royals ventured out to carry out an eclectic mix of engagements throughout the State, some by plane due to the huge distances involved. The first engagement, however, only involved a car ride up the hill when, on 4 February, the Queen opened the Third Session of the thirty-seventh Parliament of New South Wales. From the royal throne in the Legislative Council Chamber she addressed both Houses, stating “This is the first occasion on which the Sovereign has been able to open a session of an Australian parliament. It is most fitting that this should take place in the Mother Parliament of Australia which had its birth over one hundred and thirty years ago..” In the evening Her Majesty donned an evening gown of golden tulle embroidered with sprays of wattle (Australia’s national flower) to attend a State Banquet given by the State of New South Wales in the ballroom of a local department store. Next day, Her Majesty and the Duke were greeted by 100,000 military veterans at a gathering at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park, the Queen stopping to observe the tasteful Pool of Remembrance. The royal duo subsequently were feted by 120,000 schoolchildren at three large gatherings arranged at different locations throughout the city, including the Sydney Oval, Centennial Park and the Showground. That evening was the Lord Mayor’s Ball but the Queen seemed to be tired and only remained for an hour. A crowd of 120,000 waited outside the Town Hall to see her and an estimated 2,000 had to be treated after collapsing in the pushing throngs. On the Saturday, the royal couple watched a display of life saving at Bondi Beach and travelled out to Randwick race course for an afternoon at the races, to the Queen’s obvious delight. The day ended with a gala concert at the Tivoli Theatre. However, there was no rest on the Sunday as the royal party attended morning service at St Andrew’s Cathedral. Fortunately, Monday 8 February was free of engagements.
The Queen opens the State Parliament of New South Wales, Sydney, 4 February 1954
On 9 February, the royal tour moved out of Sydney when the royals made a three-hour afternoon visit to Newcastle on the East coast of NSW. They travelled the 100 miles by train (the royal duo spending most of the journey on the rear observation platform). On arrival, they visited the City Hall for a formal welcome, met veterans and war widows at No 1. Sports Ground and were later greeted by 35,000 schoolchildren at the Showground. A choir of 500 provided a rousing rendition of the National Anthem; while others formed a tableau marking out the message: “Welcome to Our Gracious Queen”. The Queen and the Duke then toured the Broken Hill Steel Foundry at Stockton and talked to some of the workers, before flying north, some 360 miles, to Lismore to spend the night in a local hotel. In the morning, Her Majesty drove in the rain to an engagement at the town’s Oakes Oval.
Having visited the West Coast, the focus shifted to the Central West of NSW: At Dubbo, in the Orana region of the state, which was reached by air, the itinerary for the two-hour afternoon royal visit included attendance at the Dubbo Agricultural Show (which had been moved from its usual May date to coincide with the royal visit) when the royal party were treated to a display of woodchopping and a sheep shearing contest at the Showground. Yet, for small towns such as this, the burden of a royal visit was bittersweet as the costs involved were decidedly onerous. Indeed, £3650 was spent on this visit (not including decorations and civic expenses) but fortunately contributions towards defraying these costs were made by around twenty neighbouring municipalities. Over the next few days the Queen and her husband paid visits to Wollongong, Bathurst and Lithgow, returning from the latter via Katoomba to view the splendour of the Blue Mountains before descending to Sydney by train. Then it was time to take to the air to fly to Wagga, on 13 February, where the town was holding a Saturday gala day or “bushland carnival” during which the royal party viewed a boomerang throwing display.
The Queen attends an agricultural show at Dubbo, NSWThe Queen and the Duke on the Royal Train at Bathurst during a day spent in rural NSW.
The day ended with the Queen’s arrival in Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). She attended morning service on the Sunday at St John’s Church and later went privately (with the Duke at the wheel) for an afternoon drive through the Murrumbidgee Valley to visit a “show station”. However, Monday, 16 February was a busy day of engagements including an investiture at Yarralumla, the Queen’s residence in the capital, followed by the State Opening of the Federal Parliament which took place in the Senate Chamber of Parliament House, Her Majesty wearing her coronation dress and the star and ribbon of Order of the Garter for this momentous occasion, complimented by the sparkling Russian Kokoshnik tiara, a silver wedding gift to the late Queen Alexandra. Her Majesty and the Duke then took to a dais outside Parliament to review a march past by the 6,000 men of the Australian armed forces, some of whom were cadets from the Royal Military College, Duntroon. All of the Service Chiefs joined Her Majesty on the platform. That night Her Majesty attended a State Banquet at Parliament House with the finest of foods flown in from around Australia; lobsters from South Australia, oysters from northern New South Wales, Mildura Murray cod from Victoria, strawberries from Tasmania, and suckling pigs from the capital territory itself. The Queen also fitted in visits to Duntroon to present the Colour bearing her cipher to the Corps of Staff Cadets, presided over a Royal Garden Party for 3,000 at Yarralumla, laid a wreath at the Australian National War Memorial and unveiled a 220-foot high Australian National Memorial to the United States, many of whose military personnel had come to Australia’s aid in wartime. A 38-foot eagle surmounted the aluminium shaft of the monument.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the State Opening of the Federal Parliament, Canberra 1954
The royal visitors departed Canberra on 18 February and travelled by air to Sydney where the Queen and Duke presided over yet another Royal Garden Party (this time for 8000 guests) at Government House. At 5.30pm the royal party departed Government House to embark the SS Gothic (the vessel used during the Queen’s Commonwealth tour) at West Circular Quay. This “Royal Yacht” was to transport them to Hobart in Tasmania which was reached on 20 February. Two ships of the Royal Australian Navy, H.M.A.S. Australia and H.M.A.S. Anzac provided a royal escort.
On the first day of the visit to Tasmania Her Majesty and the Duke were greeted by a small flotilla of local sailing craft and crowds at Battery Point as they sailed down the River Derwent to their ship’s berth at Prince’s Wharf. After settling-in at Government House, the royal couple undertook a series of engagements which included a Children’s Rally at the North Hobart Oval, a visit to the Repatriation General Hospital for Servicemen, followed by a commemorative tree-planting at Anglesea Barracks. Her Majesty then unveiled a Sesquicentenary Memorial at Victoria Dock watched over by a crowd of 10,000. This monument commemorates the founding of Hobart in February 1804 by Lieut.-Colonel David Collins of the Royal Marines. In the evening, the royal duo were the guests of honour at a State Reception at the City Hall. The following morning, the royal party attended the Sunday service at St David’s Cathedral, the rest of the day being left free to allow for some rest and recuperation. 22 February, however, brought forth a busy schedule: the Queen opened Parliament, held an investiture which lasted some thirty minutes, attended the third Royal Garden Party of the royal tour at Government House and presided over a State Ball at City Hall. For this occasion, Her Majesty wore a gown of lilac organdie offset by a sapphire and diamond necklace, a diamond bow brooch and Queen Alexandra’s tiara.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh acknowledge the cheers from the crowds during their visit to Hobart.
On 23 February, the royalties undertook a tour of much of the north of the island, flying by air to Wynyard in North Tasmania and driving through the towns of Burnie, Ulverstone and Devonport to Cressy, where the royal party spent the night on a sheep farm belonging to a Mrs O’ Connor. All along the route children were waiting to greet the royal cavalcade with bunches of flowers, flag-waving and the singing of patriotic songs. The following morning, the Queen and the Duke paid a visit to Launceston, the second largest town of the island, where they attended a civic reception and were feted by a crowd said to number 75,000.
On 24 February the royal party flew from Launceston to Melbourne to begin the tour of the State of Victoria. It was estimated that 750,000 people lined the 11-mile route from the Essendon Aerodrome to Victoria’s Parliament House, where Her Majesty met officials of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, before travelling on to the Town Hall to be greeted by the Lord Mayor. Then it was off to Government House, the largest and most magnificent royal residence in Australia, where the royal party would make their base for this portion of the tour. The following afternoon the Queen returned to Parliament House to open the Second Session of the thirty-ninth Parliament of Victoria in the Legislative Council Chamber. This event was followed by a gathering of 70,000 military veterans at Melbourne Cricket Ground during which those gathered serenaded Her Majesty with a rousing rendition of “Waltzing Matilda”. The day ended with a State Ball hosted by the Governor, Sir Dallas Brooks, in the enormous ballroom (10-feet longer than that at Buckingham Palace) at Government House.
The Queen opens the State Parliament of Victoria in the Legislative Council Chamber, Melbourne.
On 26 February, the royal party flew briefly into South Australia for a visit to Mount Gambier where the Queen and Duke were introduced to a twelve-foot-long carpet snake. Then the royal plane landed at Kanawalla to allow the royal visitors to make a two-hour visit to Hamilton, where a crowd of 13,000 gathered to give Her Majesty a right royal welcome. The Queen and the Duke made a circuit of the Melville Oval in a specially adapted open Land Rover to greet local children. They returned to Melbourne that evening by air. The following day was mostly given up to a race meeting at Flemington Racecourse at which The Queen Elizabeth Stakes was run. The race was won by a horse, Cromis, soon to be dubbed “Australia’s best horse”, the sire of whom, Helois, had been bred and raced by the Queen’s late father, King George VI. After a brief visit to a Davis Cup tennis event at Kooyong, a State Banquet took place in the imposing Exhibition Centre, at which the Queen was presented with a rose bowl made of gold from Victoria by the State Premier. And so the tour progressed with the familiar attendance at a Sunday church service at St Paul’s Cathedral; this was immediately followed by a visit to the impressive Shrine of Remembrance to allow the Queen to dedicate new additions which had recently been made to the memorial.
The Queen presents a silver salver at the Davis Cup tennis tournament in Melbourne.
Thereafter the Melbourne days passed amid a flurry of events including a theatre visit, a Women’s Lunch at St Kilda Town Hall, a State Ball and a Royal Garden Party (the fourth of the tour). On 3 March the royal party spent the day in the Gippsland area of Victoria, flying first into the town of Sale and then proceeding by rail back to Melbourne via Traralgon, Yallourn and Warragul. The day (which included a visit to a giant open-cast coal mine) was long and the royal train, which slowed down frequently where groups of onlookers had gathered, did not arrive back until well after 7pm at Flinders Station. The Queen, however, was up bright and early next day to hold an investiture at Government House and a make a return visit to the Cricket Ground to meet local schoolchildren. Also present were 54 members of the Welsh Corgi Club of Victoria who proudly introduced their dogs to Her Majesty, who was a well-known owner and devotee of this breed. After a visit to the Repatriation Hospital, the Queen and Duke embarked a Royal train for an extensive tour over two days (5-6 March) of country areas of Victoria. Towns visited included Benalla, Shepparton, Tatura, Echuca, Rochester, Bendingo, Maryborough, Ballarat and Geelong. However, a localised polio outbreak caused last-minute changes in the schedule, such that the royal party was unable to leave the train at Castlemaine, at the urging of health officials. Locals had to be satisfied by a view of the Queen passing through and waving from an observation platform. Yet, this did not deter a 101-year-old lady being presented to Her Majesty at another stop en route. Saturday evening and all-day Sunday were spent in the Lake O’Shannassy mountain resort near Warburton. The Queen and Duke’s only foray was to attend the Sunday service at the local Presbyterian Church of St Andrews. On Monday 8 March, the royal entourage entrained to travel back to Melbourne to attend a State Reception for 8,000 guests at the Exhibition Centre. Twenty-two choirs joined together to sing a variety of tunes, while a dance band soon had many taking to the floor (when they were not partaking of the magnificent buffet). It was the final engagement in the State of Victoria.
The Queen mounts the stairs of her Qantas Airways Constellation.
The following morning the royal party boarded a specially adapted (half the seats had been removed to make a sort of flying royal drawing room) Constellation aircraft operated by Qantas at Essendon Aerodrome to fly up in to Brisbane in Queensland. The royal entourage touched down at Eagle Farm Airport, Brisbane to be greeted by the Premier of Queensland, Mr V.C. Gair at the start of nine-day tour of the State. En route to Government House, the Queen and the Duke attended a Civic Reception at the Exhibition Ground and laid a wreath at the circular Shrine of Remembrance in the city centre. Later, there was a State Reception in the former Legislative Council Chamber, the Upper House having been abolished in 1922. The temperature in Brisbane was much warmer, the humidity more intense, than in the South. After a night’s rest at Government House, the Queen and Duke were back on duty to attend a weekday service of morning prayer at St. John’s Cathedral. Then it was onwards to Parliament House where Her Majesty held an investiture. This event was followed by a Parliamentary luncheon. The afternoon schedule was interrupted when a four-year-old girl managed to climb up to the Royal Dias, during a children’s event at the Exhibition Ground, and threw her arms around the Queen who, although taken by surprise, smiled graciously. The child was quickly removed by a royal detective and returned to the care of her mortified mother. The Queen’s personal detective, Chief Inspector T. J. Clark and his colleagues were concerned enough by the incident to undertake a review of royal security to ensure that this did not happen again. Other events in Brisbane included a Civic Ball at City Hall on the evening of 10 March. Intriguingly, in the corner of the ballroom, eight koala bears clung precariously to what was described as a “simulated gum tree.” The royal couple seemed transfixed by this spectacle. The following day there was a royal awayday by air northwards to Bundaberg (where the Queen sensibly made use of a parasol to ward off the rays of the midday sun) and thence southwards by air to Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, where a group of indigenous people from the Northern Territory (which the Queen was unable to visit due to time constraints) performed intricate dances. The press noted that some people had travelled for hours by truck or bus or car from the outback to get a glimpse of Her Majesty that day. A group of bystanders informed a press reporter that they had waited eight hours under a camphor laurel with green ants biting their legs!
The Queen accepts a bouquet in Brisbane outside City Hall.
On 12 March, the royal party departed Government House and flew in the Qantas Constellation to Garbutt Airport, Townsville. Again, north Queenslanders had travelled for hundreds of miles to catch a personal glimpse of their Queen, many of whom lined Flinders Street. One of the largest events was a civic gathering of 7,000 at the Townsville Sports Reserve where 4500 children formed a tableau stating “Welcome To Townsville”; while others formed the Australian Coat of Arms. The Queen and the Duke toured the Reserve in an open Land Rover as temperatures soared to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. They were also introduced to a holder of the Victoria Cross (Lt. Colonel Murray) and watched a dancing display by Palm Islanders. The royal duo took a chance to view the town’s Olympic size swimming pool as they journeyed along the Strand which runs adjacent to the seafront. Standing off-shore was the SS Gothic, which was waiting to transport the royal party by sea to Cairns, some 200 miles to the north.
When the Royal party steamed into Cairns, the northern-most point of the Royal tour, on 13 March, they transferred to H.M.A.S Anzac which brought the them into the wharf. In addition to locals, they were greeted with a Guard of Honour, according to the press formed by “Torres Straits [Islands] Chiefs.” Also nearby were “members of former head-hunting tribes from New Guinea.” Unfortunately, there was a mishap when two of the stands, holding some five hundred persons, collapsed during the Civic Reception at Parramatta Park. Her Majesty was “distressed” to witness this scene, but apart from some minor cuts and abrasions, and a possible fractured ankle requiring a hospital visit, no major injuries occurred. The Queen was subsequently given a model sailing ketch to take home as a gift to Prince Charles as she toured an exhibition of “native crafts” which were reported to be worth between £15,000 and £20,000. The Queen and the Duke later visited the cruiser, H.M.A.S. Australia which, along with the Anzac, was to escort the SS Gothic southwards to the town of Mackay, where the Mayor had controversially chosen his own granddaughter (who did not live in the town) to present the royal bouquet. Thereafter, the royal party flew some two hundred miles south to Rockhampton to be treated to what local media described as “an imposing afternoon tea,” with several cakes baked in the shape of royal crowns, studded with sweets (to simulate jewels) and sandwiches cut in the shape of maps of Queensland and Australia. In the evening, the Queen and the Duke flew down to Brisbane-a distance of four hundred miles-in the sure knowledge that the following day had been left free of engagements. This break was necessary as the heat, humidity combined with the busy schedule had taken their toll on the resilient monarch, who was subsequently pictured wiping her forehead during a march past of 17,000 ex-servicemen at the Exhibition Ground, on the last full day of engagements in the State capital. Yet, by that evening, Her Majesty dazzled at a Governor’s Reception in the grounds of Government House.
On 18 March the royal party departed Brisbane by air for Adelaide and the beginning of the tour of South Australia. En route, they made a scheduled stop for a “150 minute visit” to the inland, geographically-isolated, mining city of Broken Hill, NSW where the Queen and her entourage were piped off the plane as they landed at 2pm. It was estimated that the crowd of 40,000 included many outbackers from the surrounding area. Her Majesty and the Duke made use of a more humble Humber Super Snipe for the Royal Progress to the civic reception at North Park. During a subsequent visit to the Flying Doctor base, the Queen inspected an ambulance plane and made a brief speech which was carried by Flying Doctor Network radio throughout the outback.
Crowds await the Queen’s arrival at Parafield Airport, Adelaide.
The royal entourage later flew in to Adelaide’s Parafield Airport which was reached in the evening, thirty minutes behind schedule. They were greeted by the Governor, Sir Robert George and his wife, Lady George. All along the ten-mile route to Government House, crowds strained for a glimpse of the royal visitors. The following day, there was an official Royal Progress by limousine through the city. The streets were filled with around 300,000 cheering, flag-waving onlookers, whilst others leaned out of balconies or windows which were decorated with streamers and banners in patriotic colours of red, white and blue. At the Town Hall the Lord Mayor, Mr Rymill, presided over the ceremony of welcome for the royals. The Queen made a brief speech, but seemed somewhat distracted by a piece of grit in her eye. This was later moved with the deft use of a handkerchief. The royal party then progressed to the State War Memorial to lay a wreath. Meanwhile diligent Girl Guides could be found lining the route at Victoria Square to give some semblance of order. In the afternoon, the Queen and her husband drove out from Government House to the Morphetville Racecourse to view the running of the Queen Elizabeth Cup. This event was organised by the South Australian Jockey Club. However, the 3,000 racegoers seemed to prefer looking directly at Her Majesty, rather than in the direction of the action on the turf. Thereafter, the royal duo travelled to the Adelaide Oval to watch a specially organised Country v City cricket match. Otherwise, it has to be said that many of the arrangements almost replicated what had occurred in the other State capitals and included, on 23 March, the Queen opening South Australia’s State Parliament, followed by her and the Duke’s attendance at a gathering of schoolchildren at Wayville Oval. In the evening, Her Majesty and His Royal Highness were present at a State Banquet at Parliament House. Nonetheless, the organisers of this leg also ensured that the Queen and the Duke undertook several day trips from Adelaide to various South Australian towns including, on 20 March, Whyalla (where indigenous dancers performed a corroboree) and Port Lincoln. This was followed by a trip westwards to Renmark and Wildura on 25 March. The latter town was actually situated over the state line in Victoria, but like Renmark, it was situated on the Murray River, and the Queen had made an express wish to view the Murray Valley Irrigation Project. She also found time to visit a local vineyard. Somehow, an investiture, a Woman’s Lunch, a Lord Mayor’s Garden Party (held at Elder Park) and an evening visit to a Royal Music Festival at Wayville Oval were slotted into the schedule on 24 March. At the Music Festival, the Queen sported a magnificent green-fire Andamooka opal pendant set in diamonds-the opal weighing a massive 203 carats. This pendant necklace-along with a matching pair of drop earrings-was a gift from the government of South Australia.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh during their Royal Progress through the streets of Adelaide.
The Andamooka Opal Pendant Necklace and Earrings-the official gift of the State of South Australia in 1954
On 22 March, the Duke of Edinburgh made a three-hundred-mile journey by air, to enjoy a five-hour visit to the Woomera “secret” rocket range. For lunch he was served kangaroo tail soup! The Queen, by contrast, enjoyed a quiet day at Government House, doubtless attending to correspondence. However, she had an unexpected visit from the Prime Minister, Mr Menzies, who flew in from Tasmania (where he had been vacationing), seeking a royal audience to discuss the serious polio outbreak in Western Australia (some of the press had stated that this final leg of the royal tour might be cancelled). After discussions with Her Majesty and royal officials, Mr Menzies issued a statement which clarified that the tour to Western Australia would continue, with adaptations (the Queen and the royal party would live aboard the Gothic, indoor functions would mostly be cancelled or held outdoors, and the shaking of hands would not be permitted).
On 26 March, the final leg of the Royal Tour of Australia began when the Queen and the Duke flew via Kalgoorlie and Boulder to Perth, the State Capital of Western Australia. It was 6.25pm when the royal party arrived at Perth Airport. Following a brief welcome from the Governor, Sir Charles Gairdner and a crowd of 2,000 onlookers, the royal party drove around seventeen miles to Fremantle to board the SS Gothic, their base during this leg of the visit. The wellbeing of the royal party, due to the current polio outbreak in Western Australia, was paramount. As a precaution, the local press noted that “no local stores” had been taken aboard the Gothic. Rather food and water had been brought in from “eastern states”. When the royal party were resting between engagements at Government House in Perth, food was to be prepared and transported there by road from the Gothic in a refrigerated ice-cream van with a police escort. Then the “royal staff”, as opposed to local staff, were to handle and serve it to the royal couple. Cutlery and linen were also brought from the Gothic for use at Government House. Another precaution to be taken was that any officials greeting Her Majesty and His Royal Highness were required to remain at a distance of six feet.
The Queen, the Duke and royal cavalcade travel through Claremont, a suburb of Perth WA
With such safeguards in place, the Queen and Duke carried on with their official programme starting at 10am on 27 March, a Saturday, with a car journey up the crowd-lined Canning Highway from Fremantle to Perth’s Government House where a meeting of the Executive Council was held. Subsequently, the Queen and the Duke toured the streets of Perth city centre, stopping en route at the War Memorial in King’s Park to lay a wreath. After a public welcome ceremony at the Esplanade-involving sixteen bands and 6,000 war veterans-the royal party returned to Government House to meet tour officials. Later, the Queen held an investiture and attended an outdoor Parliamentary Reception at Parliament House, before returning to the Gothic for the night. Sunday was free of engagements so a welcome rest was possible, the only “interruption” being a Sunday church service conducted aboard the Gothic by the Archbishop of Perth, Dr Moline. However, on Monday, the pace quickened with a visit to the University of Western Australia, a march past by 10,000 youth belonging to clubs affiliated with the National Fitness Council, a Royal Garden Party at Government House (with carefully “roped laneways” to keep crowds at length), followed by an evening at a trotting meeting at Gloucester Park. There were also the usual awaydays (to Busselton and Albany in the south by air on 30 March, as well as by road eastwards to Northam and York the following day).
At the close of the tour, 1 April, the Queen and the Duke held a gathering to bid farewell to tour officials at Government House. In the afternoon, they also attended a Civic Reception at Fremantle Oval. 100,000 people had earlier lined the verges of the Stirling Highway all the way from Perth down to Fremantle. Meanwhile, Federal officials, including the Prime Minister, Mr Menzies and the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Evatt had arrived in Fremantle to bid their Sovereign a fond farewell. They were joined by the Governor-General, who was the last person to accompany Her Majesty and the Duke to the bottom of the gangplank of the “Royal Yacht”. His Excellency then gave the royal couple a stiff military salute, surely fitting for a retired Field Marshal. The press noted that the Queen was wearing a magnificent diamond wattle brooch in her lapel (valued, according to press sources, at £25,000) which was the the State Gift from the Government and People of Australia. The Queen’s farewell message, broadcast as she departed Fremantle, in the evening, to the cheers of 40,000 onlookers (many of whom sang the words of “Auld Lang Syne”) included these touching words, “With the sounds of departure still ringing in our ears I want to say to you, my Australian people, how sad we are to be leaving the shores of your wonderful land”. As the Gothic departed the port, vessels at neighbouring wharfs sounded their sirens in a farewell salute. Guns boomed in a Royal Salute as the royal vessel moved through the harbour entrance to the open sea. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh stoically remained on deck till the shores of Australia disappeared into the horizon.
It was estimated that around 75% of the population of Australia had at least caught a glimpse of their monarch during the tour, a feat which would be unparalleled in the future. The Queen had travelled 10,000 miles by air in Australia, as well as 2,000 miles by road, much of it in Daimler limousines including a DE 36 Landaulette. The balance of the tour was undertaken by train or by sea in the SS Gothic.
The Queen would return as many as 15 times to Australia, but nothing could ever recapture the wonderful events of that first royal tour of 1954.
At around 14:13 hours Danish time on 14 January, a Tasmanian-born girl became Queen of Denmark, the first ‘Aussie’ to hold this title. But who is the new Queen Mary of Denmark? How did she meet Crown Prince Frederik? What are her interests in her official life? What hobbies does she enjoy? How has she coped with the limelight? What do the Danes think?
Mary was born on a late summer’s day, 5 February 1972, in the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Hobart, the state capital of the Australian island of Tasmania. She was the fourth child and third daughter of John and Henrietta (‘Etta’) Donaldson, who both originally hailed from Port Seton in Scotland (just down the coast from Edinburgh). While John Donaldson studied at Edinburgh University, his father, Peter (a trawler skipper) was offered a job with the Flinders Island Trading Company in Tasmania. Mary is named after Peter’s wife, her paternal grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Donaldson. When John Donaldson finished his studies in Edinburgh, he married Etta in 1963. The newlyweds both then joined the rest of the Donaldson family in Tasmania. John was fortunate to be offered a scholarship at the University of Tasmania, where he would eventually earn a PhD degree. Both of Queen Mary’s parents spoke with Scottish accents and the family was and is proud of their Scottish heritage.
Queen Mary as a baby with her Scottish mother Henrietta ‘Etta’ Donaldson.
However, when Mary was barely two, John Donaldson and his family relocated temporarily to the United States where he had been offered a position as a visiting professor at the University of Texas in Houston. During this time, Mary briefly attended the kindergarten of the Clear Lake City Elementary School. The Donaldson’s returned to Tasmania in 1975 (where John found an academic position in the science faculty of which he would later become Dean) and settled in Taroona, a suburb of Hobart, where the family purchased a house on Morris Avenue. This environment provided Mary with a secure childhood in a loving household, although Mary’s father was sufficiently strict to ensure that school homework was done (from 1978 she attended Waimea Heights Primary School, and in 1983 Mary enrolled at Taroona High School) and not too much time was spent at the beach. One pastime that Mary enjoyed was horse riding. She would later join the Southern Tasmania Adult Riding Club and purchase her own horse Bold Interest. Mary also won awards for show jumping. Meanwhile, at high school she played hockey and was elected to the school council. The future queen finished off her secondary education at Hobart Matriculation College where she achieved her Higher School Certificate in 1988.
In 1989, Mary enrolled at the University of Tasmania to study commerce and law. She is remembered for being a diligent student, but also very sociable. She graduated in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in commerce and law ( B. Comm. LLB). Like many Tasmanians Mary moved to Melbourne, where she found work as accounts executive with an international advertising agency DDB Needham. She then moved on to MOJO Partners as an Account Manager. Mary’s remit included working with Hard Rock Café and an offshoot, Melbourne’s famous Windsor Hotel. Mary Donaldson is remembered by work colleagues of that time as open and outgoing with a well-developed sense of humour.
However, in November 1997, Mary’s 55-year-old mother, who had also worked for the University of Tasmania (as an Executive Secretary), underwent heart surgery. Sadly, she died on 20 November following complications. This left the close knit family devastated. Perhaps this life-changing event made Mary Donaldson want to familiarise herself with her Scottish roots, as the following year, she made a visit to Scotland where she worked as an Account Manager for three months at the Rapp Collins, an advertising agency in Edinburgh. This extended visit gave her a chance to get to know her many relations in the area including her maternal Aunt, Catherine Murray.
Mary Donaldson
On her return to Australia, in the early months of 1999, Mary settled in Sydney where she enjoyed all the delights this wonderful city had to offer including sailing, swimming and cycling. She also kept her riding skills honed with frequent forays around Centennial Park. But the main purpose of her relocation was to advance her career and Mary found a post as an Accounts Manager at the respected international advertising agency, Young and Rubicon, where she was regarded as a safe pair of hands and a hard worker. Mary built on her time there to progress to brand team leader at Love Communications. One of her campaigns was for Tourism Tasmania who wished to promote the island’s potential as a tourist destination.
In 1999, widower John Donaldson met the British crime writer, Susan Moody who had a position as a visiting fellow at a local college in Tasmania, Franklin Hall. The couple married in 2001. Mr Donaldson began to spend more time in Europe (his wife had a home in Oxford) with a spell, in 2004, as a visiting professor of applied mathematics at Denmark’s Aarhus University followed by a period at the University of Copenhagen in 2006 . The Donaldson’s also purchased a new home together in Sandy Bay, a respectable Hobart suburb.
Meanwhile, Mary had rented a terraced house with two friends on Porter Street in Bondi Junction. However, soon this young woman’s life was about to enter a new phase. Crown Prince Frederik and his brother Joachim arrived in Sydney in September 2000 to attend the Olympic Games. They were accommodated at the Quay West hotel in the fashionable Rocks area and spent their first Saturday evening out on the town with Prince Nicholas of Greece and Norway’s Princess Martha-Louise. The royal group had arranged to meet with Beatrice Tarnawski, whose sister Katya was a good friend of Bruno Gomez-Acebo (a nephew of King Juan Carlos) at the Slip Inn. Beatrice had arranged for some others to make up the numbers and they included Mary Donaldson. Soon Mary and Frederik were in deep conversation as the group moved on to another venue, Establishment. Beatrice quickly came to the view that ‘something was afoot’ between Mary and Frederik. They saw each other a few times during his visit, but invariably Frederik had many engagements to attend.
On his return to Denmark, the Crown Prince phoned Mary frequently (some say daily). However, perhaps not wishing to leave anything to chance, Frederik decided to fly back to Australia for a prolonged visit of around five weeks. This time, with no official engagements to attend and little chance of the Crown Prince being recognised in suburban Sydney, he and Mary would go on long walks together, enjoy a barbecue or indulge in Frederik’s favourite pastime of sailing with Australian Chris Meehan and his then Danish girlfriend (and later wife), Lise Michaëla Ward, who had been a member of the Danish Olympic Sailing Team in Sydney. Subsequently, Mary Donaldson was to join the management team of Chris’s company, Belle Property in Sydney as Sales Manager. Her new boss thought her ‘deeply professional.’ Meanwhile, Frederik was also introduced to other friends simply as Frederik who came from Denmark. Many of the laid-back Australians even took to calling him ‘Fred’.
However, on 6 November, the Crown Prince had suddenly to break off his trip to return to Denmark, as his beloved grandmother, Queen Ingrid, had taken a turn for the worse. He reached home in time to spend some quality time with this Swedish-born princess, who was a great-granddaughter of Britain’s Queen Empress Victoria and thus a staunch Anglophile. Ingrid died the day following his return. Nevertheless, the Crown Prince would return again and again to Australia over the next year to cement his relationship with Mary. And still the cat was never out of the bag! The couple had now know each other for around a year, when in September 2001, Se og Hør [See and Hear] the Danish celebrity news magazine mistakenly revealed that Frederik was romancing an Australian Olympic Gold Medallist called Belinda Stowell, who had competed in the 2000 Olympics (and had indeed met the Crown Prince on several occasions as a friend). However, it was now only a question of time before the truth came out over the reason for his frequent visits to Australia and when it did, it was thanks to a scoop, in November 2001, by Anna Johannesen of Billed-Bladet, a magazine focused on royals. Anna encountered Mary Donaldson as she left her Sydney office and asked her straight-out if she was Crown Prince Frederik’s girlfriend. Miss Donaldson kept her cool and simply answered, ‘No comment.’ Ms Johannesen had the presence of mind to have a photographer on standby who quickly snapped Mary for posterity. Mary later admitted that, ‘I was so shocked that I couldn’t think of anything to say.’ Within days, this picture accompanied Ms Johannsen’s story on the front page of Billed-Bladet.
Suddenly, Mary Donaldson’s life was to change forever. The press were now omnipresent with photographers even chasing her while she was driving in the car. At one stage, Chris Meehan recalled that bodyguards had to be employed to protect Mary, who could not even leave her apartment to go for a walk. This period must also have given her a chance to reflect on the future, for only now was the reality beginning to dawn as to what a relationship with Frederik would entail. Perhaps this helped influence her decision to move to Paris in early 2002, where she taught English at a business language school, TRANSFER Etoile.
Immediately prior to this, Mary had made a brief foray to Denmark in the new year arriving via Hamburg from England (where she had been spending Christmas of 2001 in Oxford). The Crown Prince’s good friend Jeppe Handwerk and his future wife, Birgitte were waiting to pick Mary up in Germany and they all motored together up to Denmark. Frederik met them at a roadside rest stop in Jutland. He and Mary then travelled to Birkelse Estate in North Jutland, where the Crown Prince’s friend, landowner Jørgen Skeel, was hosting a new year party attended by many friends. As 2002 was about to dawn, one of the guests taught Mary to count down from ten and shout out “Happy New Year” in Danish, while jumping from a chair!
Later that same year, Mary relocated to Copenhagen where she joined Microsoft Business Solutions as a project consultant for business development, communication and marketing. She found a flat in Langelinie, which was only a few minutes walk from the Amalienborg. Little by little, she built up a small group of Danish girlfriends. The press was increasingly interested in her presence with a reward offered by Se og Hør for a picture of Mary and Frederik together on Danish soil.
During the late spring and summer of 2002, photographers snatched pictures of the couple together at a café in Aarhus and Mary was also spotted cheering on Frederik as he participated in the Dragon [Sailing] Race of Juland at Kalø. However, the most exciting encounter, from the press viewpoint, was when she and Frederik were pictured during the Christmas holidays with Queen Margrethe attending the Palads Cinema in Aarhus to watch the film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. This was interpreted by the press as a sign of approval of Mary and her relationship with Frederik. A Crown-Princess-in-waiting? Certainly, Mary must have impressed her mother-in-law-to-be when they first met over afternoon tea, an English tradition brought to Copenhagen by the late Queen Ingrid.
With such media attention, Mary was therefore pleased during this early period of her life in Denmark to receive visits from her father and his second wife, as well as friends such as Chris Meehan and Lise Michaëla Ward. Other family members and friends back in Australia were only an e-mail or telephone call away. To them she could openly discuss the difficulties of learning Danish, for behind the scenes she was receiving an intensive course of lessons (this would subsequently increase to up to three hours a day as her relationship with Crown Frederik progressed). In addition to lessons in speaking the language, this instruction would also include writing essays in Danish, as well as reading informative books (including Palle Lauring’s The History of the Kingdom of Denmark) and local newspapers. For recreation, and a chance to de-stress, Mary turned to her favourite pastime of horse riding at a farm at Birkerød.
Mary Donaldson and Crown Prince Frederik attend a wedding.
In January 2003, she and Frederik visited Tasmania as the Crown Prince was competing in the Dragon Class World Championship biennial sailing regatta with his boat Nanoq. The couple met the press at a photo call in Hobart’s harbour area during which Frederik was photographed giving Mary a kiss on the cheek. It was yet another signal that an engagement between the two was surely not far off. Thereafter, it was back to work at Microsoft and a summer holiday spent at Skagen on the Jutland peninsula. Mary was also photographed with Frederik at the wedding of some of his friends.
On a warm summer’s day in August 2003, the Danish press were invited to Queen Margrethe and her husband, Prince Henrik’s summer home, the Château de Caïx in southern France. The subject of Mary Donaldson came up and the Danish queen deftly commented, ‘We have met her, as you well know, and appreciate her.’ When asked if Mary would make a suitable daughter-in-law she replied candidly, ‘I think it will be fine.’ This seemed to give the green light to a true media frenzy.
Mary became engaged to Crown Prince Frederik on 8 October. This came as no surprise as on 24 September, the Danish court had already announced that Queen Margrethe intended to give her consent to the marriage at the State Council meeting scheduled for that date. Just prior to this, Mary handed in her notice at Microsoft. It transpired that Frederik had asked her to marry him in the traditional way during a romantic visit to Rome. On 8 October, following the 10am State Council meeting at Christiansborg Palace, the betrothed couple appeared at noon with their respective parents on the balcony of the Christian IX Palace at Amalienborg to acknowledge the greeting of a crowd estimated at 20,000. She and Frederik then faced the press at 3.30pm in the Garden Room at Fredensborg during which the future Crown Princess spoke briefly in Danish and admitted to being ‘a little bit nervous.’ At times she seemed almost overwhelmed by the rapid questions in Danish in such a pressurised environment but Frederik did most of the talking. All the assembled photographers scrambled to obtain an image of the engagement ring: an emerald-cut diamond flanked by two rubies designed by the Brazilian jeweller Mauricio Monteiro. Mary did however subsequently manage to articulate her feelings about Frederik: ‘He makes me happy. He is smart, brave and caring, and he is quite funny and charming. He is warm and he has a big heart.’ Shortly thereafter, Mary travelled home to Tasmania to attend the wedding of her older sister, Patricia.
Crown Prince Frederik and his new bride Crown Princess Mary 2004
Following the engagement, Mary received further briefings which were aimed at familiarising her with the life ahead. This included a tour of the Foreign Ministry which was useful as this government ministry would be involved in planning royal visits overseas in conjunction with the Royal House. There was also a visit to the National Bank (Danmarks Nationalbank). Following his marriage, Frederik was to receive a DKK 9,000,000 increase in his appanage payment, to cover the expenses of setting up a new home (the Frederik VIII Palace at Amalienborg was eventually allocated to the couple but required upgrading), added staff and housekeeping costs, an anticipated increase in public duties and for paying an allowance to his wife (it was estimated the latter would make up around 10% of the total). The future crown princess was also introduced to some young politicians from various Danish political parties. They discussed the world situation and what it feels like to be in the public spotlight.
Interestingly, a few days before the nuptials, there was a pre-wedding banquet at Christianborg Palace at which Mary wore the magnificent antique Danish Ruby Tiara which has its origins at the court of Napoleon. This had been a firm favourite of the late Queen Ingrid’s, having been originally brought from Sweden by Princess Louise (as a gift from her grandmother, Queen Josephine), at the time of her wedding to Danish Crown Prince Frederik in 1869. Mary would later recall that, ‘The first time I had to wear the diadem, I felt it was a great honour, but there was also a bit of pressure. It had last been worn by Queen Ingrid, who was much loved and admired by the Danes, so it came with some expectations’. She found herself questioning ‘Can I live up to them?’
The couple married in Copenhagen’s Lutheran Cathedral (sometimes referred to as the Church of Our Lady) on 14 May 2004 before an television audience estimated at 2.5 million. Guests in the Cathedral included a plethora of royals, Scandinavian presidents and the Governor-General of Australia, Michael Jeffery, who officially represented Mary’s homeland. The bride wore a wedding dress created by Danish fashion designer Uffe Frank with a veil of Irish lace first used by Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden (nee Princess Margaret of Connaught), the British-born mother of the late Queen Ingrid. She also wore a diamond tiara featuring a sophisticated fleur-de-lis design which was a wedding gift from her future in-laws. Mary’s older sisters Jane Stephens and Patricia Bailey, and her friend Amber Petty served as bridesmaids, while Frederik’s brother Prince Joachim (who was already married [in 1995] to Alexandra Manley) was the best man. The wedding reception was held at Fredensborg Castle. Queen Margrethe made an impressive speech of welcome to the new bride and, addressing Mary’s father in English, Her Majesty enthused, ‘The way we, her in-laws, have come to know Mary, we have come to love her and admire her. She possesses a great inner strength, and she radiates a calmness and a warmth that creates trust. She is now showing that courage to lay down her future in Denmark. May we always be worthy of her trust.’
Mary-who had previously held joint British and Australian nationality-became a Danish citizen on the day she married and swapped her Presbyterian worship for that of the Lutheran church. The latter step had been taken very seriously and Mary had received instruction on the Lutheran faith from Christian Thodberg, the Royal Chaplain. Mary also signed a prenuptial agreement which was not unusual in the Danish Royal Family as both Prince Henrik and Alexandra Manley were required to do so. Interestingly, there was soon a timely reminder to Mary that marrying a Prince might not always result in a fairy-tale ending, when it was announced in September that Prince Joachim and Alexandra were to divorce.
In the beginning, the royal couple settled at the Chancellery House, the late Queen Ingrid’s final home, close-by Fredensborg Palace. This would be their main base for many years, while the Frederik VIII Palace underwent extensive renovations. Thereafter, the Chancellery House would serve as the Crown Princely family’s weekend home and a swimming pool would be added to the facilities already available there. The Crown Princess’ office was quickly besieged by requests numerous public bodies, clubs and charities requesting that Mary become their Patron. These took some time to review. Yet, Mary appeared determined from day one to succeed in her role. Initially, the Crown Princess threw herself into the Danish fashion world and was named as Patron of Copenhagen International Fashion Fair. Another early patronage was the Danish Association for Mental Health. Unsurprisingly given the circumstances of her late mother’s death, so too was the Danish Heart Foundation. She took over this role from Frederik. The Crown Prince and Princess also focused on making several visits overseas in an official capacity in the spring of 2005. The first was to Mary’s homeland at the end of February. Although there was a chance to see family, the tour was packed with official engagements including four charity fund-raising dinners. It was around this time that Mary discovered she was pregnant. This was followed by a visit to Japan in April to attend the World Expo 2005 at Nagakute, with a brief visit to Thailand also included in the itinerary.
Over the coming years, Mary acquired over thirty patronages ranging from the Danish Refugee Council to the World Wildlife Fund (Denmark) to the Odense Flower Festival. Furthermore, in 2007, the Crown Princess established The Mary Foundation using a wedding gift of 1.1 million kroner which she and Frederik had received from the people of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Foundation works to foster a feeling of belonging, that no one should feel left out or alone (“People Need Love”). This is achieved by bringing together the right people including professionals, financial institutions, and other organizations to form partnerships and target help to those in need, whether it be preventing loneliness or bullying or reaching out to those suffering as a result of domestic violence. According to Mary, the driving force for her undertaking this endeavour is a strong sense of justice, allied to her difficulty of seeing a person standing alone. She is totally committed and has no difficulty in donning a football kit to play with youngsters to highlight the work undertaken by the Foundation.
In the past Mary has said that she writes most of her speeches herself, measuring each word she writes carefully. She then goes through it, practicing again and again, until she feels confident in the final outcome. This was particularly important during the earlier years as she acquired total fluency in Danish. However, there has long been a professional assurance in her delivery, such that she had become-according to Danish journalist Hanne Juul, a ‘top professional queen candidate’. This was certainly evident when she spoke with great assurance at her husband’s 50th birthday party in 2018 in a speech addressed to her husband which was a mixture of humour (tales of Frederik dressed in Lycra, as well as alluding to his bad jokes) and seriousness (when talking of their first meeting: ‘We hit the spot without aiming’). Movingly, she mentioned too that it was in the shared family moments with Frederik and their children, that she felt most grateful, most connected and most in love. Unsurprisingly, she won the award for speech of the year by the speechmaking association Danske Taler. Furthermore, when Crown Princess Mary attended an official engagement, she made sure to pay close attention to the photographers, so as to ensure that they were able to capture some interesting photos which would help to promote the cause or event she was attending. If there is a criticism it is that sometimes she could appear a little too controlled. However, this could also be viewed more charitably as professionalism.
Womens’ rights have also been close to the new Queen’s heart. As Patron of the UN Population Fund, she spoke out, in April 2014, at an Amnesty International seminar at the Hotel Nyborg Strand dealing with the theme “My Body My Rights”, during which the right of women and girls to decide on matters of sexual and reproductive matters was placed under the spotlight and debated. Mary emphasised that ‘It is a human right to decide over one’s body’ and mentioned some frightening statistics on forced marriages, female circumcision and women’s deaths due to complications while giving birth (“maternal mortality”). The investigative work she had undertaken was a ‘shocking journey.’ In 2016, the then Crown Princess was appointed Patron of the world’s largest conference on women’s and girl’s rights, Women Deliver, held in Copenhagen. This examined gender equality, education, economic empowerment, sexual health etc. Six thousand delegates from 169 countries attended. Mary now described herself as ‘ dedicated to continuing the work to ensure that girls and women are at the centre of development work.’ Last year, in connection with International Women’s Day, she attended a Gender Diversity Roundtable in Copenhagen’s UN City. This discussed diversity, equality and inclusion in times of change and digitalisation in Danish companies and organizations. Among those attending were leaders from business, academia and civil society.
In 2018, Crown Princess Mary spoke at a conference at the UN General Assembly on “Protecting Health Rights of Women and Girls Affected by Conflict”. Indeed, health promotion in general is an area in which the Crown Princess has been involved over the years. As Patron of the WHO [World Health Organisation] Office for the European Region, she regularly met with members of the WHO for updates at the Frederik VIII Palace. Most recently, Mary was involved in addressing the problem of AMR (antimicrobial resistance) which is a growing global problem that affects both human and animal health . She made a keynote speech on the subject during an international conference held last spring in Copenhagen. The aim of the conference was to foster new partnerships – across sectors and national borders – for the prevention and treatment of AMR.
Mary has often undertaken duties to do with the promotion of Danish exports. Last spring, she and her husband visited the Indian cities of New Delhi and Chennai as part of a major Danish business campaign involving thirty-eight Danish companies who were looking to penetrate this large international market. Denmark is already making a significant contribution to India’s green transition by offering sustainable solutions in terms of water and energy. Then, in mid-April, the Crown Princess visited Milan at the head of a delegation promoting sustainable urban development products. Seventeen Danish companies were represented at the event “This is Denmark “at the Alcova Exhibition Centre under the auspices of Creative Denmark, the Confederation of Danish Industry and the Danish Embassy in Rome. This promotional trip took place during Milan Design Week 2023. The Crown Princess undertook a hectic schedule of duties over two days in Milan, which included a meeting with the Mayor and a roundtable event where experts held discussions to find solutions aimed at making up to one hundred European cities climate neutral by 2030. Mary also presided over an official dinner attended by Danish and Italian guests.
The results of climate change are to be seen everywhere and in late April 2023 the Crown Princess made a four-day trip to the island states of Vanuatu and Fiji, accompanied by the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy Dan Jørgensen. The island of Vanuatu had recently been hit by two earthquakes and two cyclones. Fiji too was increasingly experiencing the consequences of global climate change. There was also a one-day stopover in Sydney where Mary took the chance to meet Danish business representatives involved in the green transition in Australia. This included visits to a number of Danish-led projects in the construction and transport sectors.
The Crown Princess Mary Centre at the University of Copenhagen was launched at the time of Mary’s 50th birthday in 2022. A particular focus of the Centre in recent times is the creation of a more sustainable society, including examining the role of individual citizens and their commitment to the “green transition” to alleviate the effects of climate change. Mary has attended meetings of the Advisory Committee.
Queen Mary, as with other members of the Royal Family, has been involved in an official capacity with the military over the years. She was initially “apprenticed”, at her own request, as a soldier at the Home Guard training centre in Christiansminde near Jægerspris in 2008. She received training in first aid, handling weapons, signalling and military drills complimented by fire and rescue work. The Crown Princess has risen through the ranks of the Home Guard from a Private in 2008 to Major á la suite in 2023. The latter promotion coincided with her attending a parade at Kastellet to mark the liberation of Denmark in 1945. Her rank will doubtless be reviewed now that Mary is Queen Consort.
Queen Mary (when Crown Princess) in Army Fatigues.
All this in addition to having given birth to four children in under six years: Christian (born 15 October 2005); Princess Isabella (21 April 2007); and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine (born 8 January 2011). The Crown Prince and Crown Princess tried to give the children as ordinary a childhood as possible with attendance at public schools. Yet, she was very much aware that Prince Christian, in particular, had an important role to play in the future, and as she observed in 2018, ‘He has a predetermined direction of life, but it is important that he understands that he must shape it himself.’ Crown Princess Mary also expressed the hope that her children would be given the space to live a normal teenage life with all that entails during their ‘transformative and vulnerable years of making mistakes’ from which they would hopefully learn lessons for the future.
The Crown Princely Couple and their four children.
Of course, by this stage, Crown Princess Mary was regarded as a completely integrated part of the Danish royal family and was well-liked by the Danish population. Over the years, the new Queen has developed her own sense of style. Sometimes she might something as simple as a denim shirt on an informal outing but the look is deceiving, for the item is by the high-end fashion brand, Ralph Lauren. For a more formal look Mary might turn to the designer Marc Jacobs for one of his trademark wrap dresses. Emilia Wickstead, Erdem and Jenny Packham are also fashion brands in favour with Mary (as they are with the Princess of Wales). Mary also favours dresses (some off the peg and relatively affordable) by Beulah of London. In terms of evening dresses, she recently attended Queen Margrethe’s New Year Ball wearing a bespoke evening gown by Lasse Spangenberg and accessorised this with a J. Furmani clutch bag. Jesper Hovring is another favourite designer for evening gowns, from whom Mary first purchased items as far back as 2009. She particularly loves shoes and will coordinate them to the outfit she is wearing. However, Mary can be more daring and has often been seen out and about with snakeskin-print heels. Shoes can last Mary for some time: not so long ago she wore a pair of Tod’s Zeppa Beige Suede Wedges which she had purchased in 2014!
Queen Mary wears a dress by Beulah of London. Note the snakeskin print shoes!
The new Queen Consort loves to sparkle. Although she had access to a plethora of jewels as Crown Princess, she has also indulged herself with new jewels. In 2012, Mary purchased an Edwardian tiara from Bruun Rasmussen auction house in Copenhagen for €8050, a very modest sum for a royal tiara. Also in her own collection is what has been referred to as the Midnight Tiara. This is of a contemporary design, which was originally made for an exhibition of tiaras at the Amalienborg and has been on permanent loan to the princess from Charlotte Lynggaard who created the piece in 2009. The Grecian-style diadem features diamond and moonstone buds and berries engulfed by rose gold, white gold and oxidised silver leaves.
To relax, Mary continues to enjoy horse-riding and attends equestrian events. However, she keeps a low profile. In recent times, she has become involved in dressage events and has ridden a a gelding called Edelman and another by the name of Wasabi. Her children are likewise interested in horse-riding as is Princess Benedikte, Queen Margrethe’s sister. Mary has also been instrumental in having a new riding arena developed at Fredensborg Castle. Historically, one had in situ there since 1720 but had subsequently fallen into disuse. All of Mary’s immediate family make use of it, as do the Guard Hussar Regiment (Gardehusarregimentet).
Queen Mary is an accomplished horsewoman, dating back to her years in Tasmania.
In 2019, Mary received a great vote of confidence from Queen Margrethe II when it was announced that Her Majesty had given her consent to Crown Princess Mary acting as Regent on behalf of the Sovereign if say she was overseas. Following, the change of throne on 14 January 2024, Queen Mary, as is now her title, will continue to exercise such a function in the event that both King Frederik and Crown Prince Christian are prevented from carrying out duties as head of state.
Interestingly, when in September 2022, it was announced, by the Danish Royal House that the children of Prince Joachim would, from 1 January 2023, be stripped of their royal titles as Princes and Princesses of Denmark, and be simply known as Counts and Countesses of Montepezat, Crown Prince Mary seemed to back her mother-in-law’s decision: While observing that ‘Change can be immensely difficult and can be painful, ‘ she also added ‘But this does not mean that the decision is not the right one.’ However, she acknowledged that sometime in the future it might well be necessary to review the titles of her own children (other than of course that of the Crown Prince). Meanwhile, Prince Joachim, who was then living in Paris, was clearly upset by the decision and told the press, ‘We are all very sorry. It’s never fun to see your children hurt like that’. When asked by a reporter what their relationship with the Crown Princely couple was like, Princess Marie, Joachim’s second wife (they married in 2008), admitted ‘It’s complicated.’ It is fair to say that Joachim, his wife and family were all still in shock at this stage. Fortunately, a year on, the dust seems to have settled and they were able to join Queen Margrethe and the Crown Princely couple and their children at Marseliborg Castle, Aarhus for Christmas 2023.
A recent study conducted by Epinion for Danmarks Radio has given the (then) Crown Princess Mary a very high approval rating, 85%. Her husband, the (then) Crown Prince was at 84%. These are similar ratings as those for Queen Margrethe. Only 4% had a negative view of Mary. Quite an achievement. It is a world away for the approval rating of Prince Joachim (43%). And the reason for Mary’s high approval ratings? The Editor-in-Chief of Alt magazine, Rikke Dal Støttrup has possibly summed her appeal to the public pretty succinctly. She finds her to be ‘Purposeful, but human. Serious, but with a sense of a humour. Controlled in crisis situations. A mother with clear values and children who dare to be themselves.’
Front (right to left) King Frederik X, Queen Mary, Crown Prince Christian. Rear (right to left) Queen Margrethe, Prince Joachim and Princess Benedikte, Folketingsalen, Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen,15 January 2024 . (Photo: Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix)
When Mary became Queen Consort, one television programme was keen to point out that she was Denmark’s first bourgeois queen. However, she is in good company in Europe for the same is true of Letitia, the current Queen Consort of Spain, not to mention Queen Sonja of Norway, Queen Silvia of Sweden and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands; while the heirs of all the Nordic thrones (and Britain’s Prince William) have also all married partners who are neither royal nor from aristocratic backgrounds. It might be said that she is a queen ‘in keeping with the times.’ Tasmania’s State Premier, Jeremy Rockcliff, congratulated the future Queen Mary, observing that ‘She is a wonderful ambassador.’ Although it is Frederik who has acceded to the throne on January 14, Mary’s role as Queen is viewed as important. Rikke Dal Støttrup has again summed this up perfectly: ‘We count on you as the worthy centrepiece.’ Historian Sebastian Olden-Jorgensen has for some time aired the view that ‘She will play a very prominent role. She will not be an invisible queen.’
RoyaltyRobert Blogger and Writer 