VISIT TO DOMINIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 8 March 1948, Page 5

VISIT TO DOMINIONS

King And Queen Coming To N.Z. Noxt Year LONDON, March 5. Bfickingham .Palace . has anriQunced "that their Majestie?, with Priii'cess Margaret, will viftit New Zealand and Australia earfy in 1949. ■ ' The text qf the Palace aunoudGern'ent is: "In response to the suggestion by his Prime Ministers in New" Zealand • and Austr.aha, his Majesty has gracjouMy corjsented to vjsit these countries in the early part of 1949. Hjs Majesty willhe accompanied by the Queen an'd Princess Margaret." Reuter's Court ^correspondent learns that Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh . will not acconipany their Majesties. The correspondent says the invitation to their Majesties to make the yisit" came a few weeks ago. Tlie correspoudeut continues tliat if is understood that, although. such de- • tails are only in tlio vaguest discussion stages, tlie King's Flight, w-hich, under its captain, Air Commodore ... E. H. Fielden, was used in South Afi'ica, wil] • again be used for covefing' tlie great distances in New Zealand .and Australia. His Afajestv's absence will again, in volve the setting up of a Cou'nciU-pf Btate, under the Regene.y Act, to car-ry-out .Royal functions while he Is absent. . Princess Elizabeth, witn the Duke of., Gloucester, would be a member of this council. t Their Alajesties, as Duke and Duehess of Yorlt, visited New Zehlgnq and Australia in 1927. This, however, will be the first visit of a reignino. Bovereign to eitlier Dominion. His Alajesty, under the Rtatute- of West .minster, is Iving separately of New Zealand and Australia. This will be -their Majesties' fourth great overseas tour. Their. Alajesties visited Canada arid the United States in 1939, when plans for them to sail in the battle-cruiser Kepukse were cancelled because of the state of emergcncv in Europe. Their Alajesties in stoad m.ade the outward voyage in the. Empress of Australia, returning in the Empress of Britain. "