When did Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visit Hong Kong and what did they see? Did she back a winner at the races?
On the first visit by a reigning British monarch, her majesty visited Kwai Chung container terminal, industrial areas in Tsuen Wan and Happy Valley racecourse
Queen Elizabeth, the world’s longest reigning monarch, visited Hong Kong twice while the city was a British territory. Her first visit was in May 1975 and was so successful that it later inspired the building of a sports stadium. Her second visit came in October 1986.
The queen’s visit in 1975 marked the first time a reigning British monarch had visited the city. She arrived with her husband Prince Philip for a four-day visit on May 4 to an enthusiastic welcome of Gurkha pipers, flag-waving crowds and gun salutes, as described by the South China Morning Post at the time.
Commemorative stamps and coins were issued to mark the occasion and the Post published a royal souvenir pull-out on May 8 under the headline “Queen’s charm captured colony’s heart”, with the issue’s front cover featuring the first colour image published in the paper.
The queen and her husband Prince Philip saw the whole spectrum of Hong Kong society at the time – hawkers, soldiers, taipans, public servants, reporters, students, estate residents, jockeys, shareholders and, above all, children, reported the Post.
The royal couple packed in City Hall, Morse Park, Oi Man Estate, Hung Hom railway station, the University of Hong Kong, the Kwai Chung container terminal, industrial areas in Tsuen Wan and Happy Valley racecourse during their four-day visit.