queen elizabeth visit to pakistan

'Historical ties': A look back at past visits to Pakistan by British royals

Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will arrive in Islamabad today (October 14) on a five-day visit, which aims to further improve ties between the two countries.

The Royal couple, according to British High Commissioner in Pakistan Thomas Drew, will visit the "breadth and depth" of Pakistan and as did their predecessors — William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II; his mother Princess Diana; and father Prince Charles — the couple hopes to meet as many Pakistanis as possible during the visit.

"I have always been struck by the warmth in Pakistan towards the royal family, and the fond memories of previous visits," said Drew ahead of the couple's arrival.

Here, Dawn.com takes a look back at the past visits to Pakistan by British royalty.

1961: The Queen's first visit to erstwhile dominion

Queen Elizabeth, 34 at the time, undertook a royal tour of the far eastern countries in 1961, which included visits to Pakistan, India, Iran and Nepal.

Her state visit to Pakistan, which since 1956 had become a republic, lasted from February 1-16, during which she was accompanied by her husband, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, and visited Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore and the northern areas of the country.

When the royal couple landed in Karachi on February 1 at 11:37am, they were greeted at the airport with a warm handshake by the then president, Mohammad Ayub Khan.

A 20-minute ceremony followed, beginning with the boom of a 21-gun royal salute. The terminal was packed with spectators eager to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.

"The Queen was wearing a chartreuse dress belted at the waist, a feather hat to match, silver grey gloves and shoes, a three-string pearl necklace, and pearl earrings. She was carrying a silver grey bag and wore a diamond brooch on the left shoulder," a Dawn report of the Queen's arrival documented at the time.

The royal couple were then given a 100-man royal salute as they stood above a carpeted dias alongside president Ayub. A navy band also played the national anthems of both countries.

The two were driven from the airport to the President's House and during the journey, they encountered cheers, music and flowers. The Queen, standing beside the president in a cream-coloured convertible Cadillac, smiled gracefully and waved back to the joyous crowds.

The royal couple stayed at the presidential residence until their departure to Peshawar on February 4.

Over the course of their stay, a number of engagements were held in Karachi in the couple's honour.

According to a programme outlined by Dawn , the first day included a visit to the Quaid's mausoleum, a visit by the Duke to Korangi Township, and a lavish state banquet by the president.

At the Mazar-i-Quaid, large crowds had gathered near the entrance and on both sides of the driveway. As the Queen approached it, white-clothed servants "quickly put on white shoe covers on the Queen's shoes before she entered the small yellow painted room containing the Mazar", reported Dawn . Once inside, the Queen laid a large floral wreath.

Meanwhile, the Duke surveyed the Korangi Township in a visit that spanned 50 minutes. He was shown around the colony, the health centre, primary school and market area.

"At the market, the Duke was attracted by an ordinary broom used in a Pakistani household and a ' deg '. He picked up the broom and peeped into the ' deg '," a Dawn report said of the visit.

That evening, at the state banquet, the Queen described Pakistan as "one of the powers in the world of Islam", and "one of the great nations in the Commonwealth". Pakistan "thus finds herself in a unique position", she said, expressing her faith that Pakistan's "contribution to international understanding will increase from year to year".

The next day's events included a naval review at the Pakistan Navy Dockyard, a citizens' reception at the Frere Hall Gardens, interaction with selected members of the press, and a dinner by the commonwealth high commissioners at Runnymede Road in Clifton.

At the Frere Hall reception attended by 5,000 cheering citizens on February 2, the Queen paid tribute to the city's residents for having faced and solved so many problems with courage, recognising that many of the people were new to the city and had arrived with nothing but their hands to work.

"That Karachi survived this invasion, kept going, and finally absorbed it in such arduous and remarkable circumstances, is one of Pakistan's most striking achievements," she said.

She paused for a moment after the speech and then suddenly said: "Aap hazraat ka bahut bahut shukria."

Her words in Urdu were met with a prolonged burst of applause by the crowd. Ayub stood up and clapped, laughing heartily.

Other activities the royal couple engaged in included a ladies reception, interaction with newsmen, a duck hunt (that saw Ayub dispensing with all formality with the Duke and bagging the majority number of ducks), and meetings with a delegation of Ismailis and a group of West Pakistan princes.

Soon after their arrival in Peshawar on February 4, the couple flew to Quetta, which they were originally scheduled to visit after Karachi. The trip had been put off due to reports of heavy snowfall but was reconsidered once the weather cleared.

From the airport, the Queen and the Duke were driven to the Quetta Residency. The entire seven-mile route was decked in buntings with the Union Jack and Pakistan flag displayed at short intervals and 30,000 people waving at the royal visitors.

Once at the Residency, the Queen planted a pine sapling, the same place where her grandfather King George V had planted a chinar sapling, 56 years before her visit.

During their brief visit to the Balochistan capital — around six hours — the Queen and the Duke were also presented with two sheep each by Sardar Mohammad Khan Jogezai, a senior Pathan leader, and Sardar Khair Bux Khan Marri, a senior Baloch leader. The gesture was a long-held custom reflecting affection for distinguished guests.

The royal couple also visited the Quetta Staff College, where they had coffee with the students and officers in the college mess.

The Queen and the Duke then flew back to Peshawar that evening.

In Peshawar, the Queen and the Duke were invited to a banquet at the Government House by Malik Amir Mohammad Khan, the governor of then West Pakistan, which was attended by 80 prominent members of society.

The next morning the royal couple attended a church service at St John’s Church, the oldest in the region. The Queen, wearing a pink dress and matching hat, was welcomed by the Assistant Bishop of Lahore, the Vicar of Peshawar, and other clergymen.

During the service, the Duke read a lesson from the New Testament after which a sermon by the Assistant Bishop of Lahore was delivered.

The day after was described by Dawn as the busiest of the tour; it saw the Queen pay a visit to the Peshawar University, Khyber Pass, Pak-Afghan border point Torkham, and Landi Kotal.

On the way to Landi Kotal, the Queen stopped at some places to have a close look at the insignia of British regiment — inscribed on barren rocks by soldiers during their stay there.

She lunched at the mess of Khyber Rifles and later visited the multipurpose Warsak dam.

The royal couple enjoyed a weekend of festivities in Lahore as they attended a reception and a service at the Lahore Cathedral; took part in a fair; and visited the tomb of Allama Iqbal, the Lahore Fort, the Shalimar Gardens as well as the Badshahi Mosque. A grand dinner by the Army was also held in their honour.

There was even a "torchlit tattoo" performance by the West Pakistan Rangers as well as fireworks in the walled city. Prince Philip was also treated to a game of polo and the two took part in the national horse show, a nod to the Queen’s love for horses and the Duke's interest in polo.

1991: Princess Diana's first visit

Lady Diana, the Princess of Wales, arrived in Pakistan on her first official solo tour on September 23, 1991. She was described by Andrew Morton, who wrote her biography, as having a lot riding on the four-day visit.

“Before she left I remember her saying how nervous she was, knowing that some courtiers inside the Palace were keen to see her fall flat on her face,” a report by Royal Central quoted him as saying.

During the course of her visit, she met and dined with then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who had hosted a banquet in her honour at Prime Minister House.

She expressed hope that the close ties between Britain and Pakistan "will continue to flourish" and expressed happiness on behalf of Britain for Pakistan having joined the Commonwealth after an absence of 17 years.

Her engagements included a visit to a family welfare centre in the Noorpurshahan village adjacent to Islamabad, and a trip to the All Pakistan Women Association (APWA) complex. She also met 49 young scholars who had studied in Britain on scholarships funded by both British and Pakistan governments at a simple function held at Daman-i-Koh.

The Princess called on the then president, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, with whom she discussed matters of mutual interest. Later, he along with his wife hosted a dinner in her honour at the Aiwan-i-Sadar.

In a busy six-hour visit to Lahore, she visited the Kinnaird College straight from the airport, followed by a visit to the century-old King Edward Medical College. She also visited the Millat Tractor Factory, where she inaugurated a new assembly plant, the mazar of Allama Iqbal, Badshahi Mosque and Lahore Fort.

Her next stop was Chitral where she saw a programme of traditional folk dances, including the famous Kafir Kalash. She attended a reception hosted in her honour by the chief minister.

She also visited the Khyber Pass and interacted with members of the Khyber Rifles and the Chitral Scouts.

Later, she paid a visit to the Chitral Fort, where she met the former Mehtar (ruler), Prince Saiful Mulk Nasir, before returning to Islamabad.

1996: The 'queen of hearts' helps raise funds for Shaukat Khanum

The princess's subsequent visit was from February 20-22, 1996, undertaken on Imran Khan's invitation to help raise funds for Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital. Diana was accompanied by Lady Annabel Goldsmith, the mother of Khan's wife at the time, Jemima Khan, and Jemima's cousin Cosima Somerset.

She flew into Islamabad on the eve of February 20 aboard a private plane. She was received at the airport by Khan and Jemima.

That evening she had dinner at a restaurant in Lahore's Gulberg area with Khan's family and close friends.

The next day, Diana visited the hospital to oversee its facilities and engage with the doctors and patients there. She also attended an Eid Milan party at the hospital.

Of her time at the hospital, Dawn reported: "A variety show had been arranged at the Eid Milan party where children suffering from cancer presented comic skits, jokes and danced to the tunes of popular songs. Lady Diana showed a lot of affection and love for the children in distress.

"She took some children in her lap and sat caressing them. She also gave children sweetmeats and waved and smiled to those sitting at a distance from her. Later, she distributed gifts among them."

She then visited a new departmental store in Lahore's Gulberg area, before attending a fundraising dinner. The event was reported to have secured a hefty sum of Rs2.5 million.

According to Kensington Palace, her official residence, the visit was part of her continuing interest and concern for the sick and those neglected by society.

She remained a guest of Imran Khan's during her stay. Owing to the personal nature of her visit, she did not attend any official function. She was, however, provided security by the government.

At the time, her visit sparked speculations that it was meant as a snub to the then prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, and her government for not giving enough time on air to Imran Khan.

However, a hospital statement issued said: "Lady Diana has agreed on a private visit to the hospital to meet children with cancer and lend her support to the charity. There's absolutely no political aspect to her visit and the media attempt to create a scandal is both unfair and unwarranted."

1997: Diana's final visit

Lady Diana arrived in Pakistan on her third visit in May 1997 with the aim of launching an endowment fund appeal for Imran Khan's cancer hospital and research centre.

She landed in Lahore on the morning of May 22, having travelled with Khan's wife Jemima and their son Suleman Isa Khan. They were greeted at the airport by then Punjab education minister Chaudhry Mohammad Iqbal and Khan.

She was driven to Khan's Zaman Park residence, where she stayed throughout her visit. That afternoon, a lunch was hosted by the hospital management where some 55 senior doctors and officials were in attendance.

The appeal was launched at a ceremony the next evening presided over by the chief minister of Punjab at the time, Shahbaz Sharif. The event was followed by a fundraising dinner.

Diana left for London the day after, in what marked her final and briefest visit to Pakistan. She died in a car crash in Paris just three months later.

1997: Queen's second visit coincides with Pakistan's golden jubilee

The Queen next visited Pakistan 36 years later, when Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari was president and Nawaz Sharif was the prime minister, and the country was celebrating 50 years of independence.

This time, her visit was much shorter — six days — beginning on October 7. She was again accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip.

According to a royal press release at the time, the couple arrived at Chaklala, Islamabad, where a 21-gun salute was sounded as they emerged from the plane. The Queen and the Duke were received by the then foreign minister, Gohar Ayub Khan.

They were driven to the Aiwan-i-Sadar where they were welcomed by president Leghari and inspected a guard of honour.

At midday, she met prime minister Nawaz Sharif at his residence.

The Queen and the Duke that day visited the Shah Faisal Mosque. "During her visit, the Queen kept her hat covered with an off-white dupatta as a sign of respect while going round it," wrote Dawn .

She also opened a new commercial block at the British High Commission, "a manifestation of the desire of the British government to further promote its commercial and economic relations with Pakistan", according to the Queen's Press Secretary, Geoffrey Crawford, who briefed Pakistani and foreign newsmen a day in advance of their arrival.

Later in the day, the royal couple attended a reception for media representatives at the High Commission.

That evening, the president hosted a royal banquet at the Presidential Palace for the Queen and the Duke. An investiture ceremony was also held during which the Queen was conferred the highest civil award, Nishan-i-Pakistan, and the Duke was awarded the Nishan-i-Imtiaz.

"The Nishan-i-Pakistan has been given in recognition of Queen Elizabeth's outstanding contribution to the consolidation of linkages between Pakistan and Britain and her commitment to the causes confronting the developing countries of the Commonwealth," reported Dawn at the time.

Leghari and Sharif were also awarded in turn with the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (GCMG), respectively.

It was observed at the time that the banquet had provided a rare opportunity for political rivals to sit together. Benazir Bhutto, whose government had been dismissed, also turned up as it was she who had as premier extended the invitation to the Queen to visit Pakistan.

Speaking at the banquet, Queen Elizabeth said Pakistan and the United Kingdom enjoyed a truly rich relationship, founded on a myriad of personal as well as institutional commitments. "I am confident in its future, and wish Pakistan well in its next fifty years."

She also paid tribute to Princess Diana's humanitarian work during her visits to Pakistan and thanked the people for their sympathetic response to her death.

The highlight of the visit came the following day, when Queen Elizabeth addressed a joint session of the National Assembly and the Senate.

What is more interesting, in the backdrop of current tensions between India and Pakistan, is that the Queen at the time had called for renewed efforts between the two countries to end "historical disagreements". She had stressed that with the lifting of barriers between the two largest nations of the sub-continent, the region's real potential would unleash.

"It brings friends of both countries only pleasure to see the commitment both have made this year to solve contentious issues through talks. Reconciliation will take time but the effort must be made," the Queen said in her address to the joint session of parliament.

The royal couple, the same day, also opened a British Council exhibition "Traditions of Respect" (on the influence of Islam in the West) at the Convention Centre in Islamabad. They gave a luncheon at the British High Commissioner's residence and spent the afternoon visiting the Rawalpindi Cricket Club, where they met the Pakistani and South African Test teams and watched part of the match, according to the Court Circular issued at the time.

Part of their activities also included meeting war veterans, laying a wreath at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, attending a reception in the gardens of the British High Commissioner's residence, and watching "Beat Retreat by the Royal Marine Band".

Over the course of their visit, the royal couple also visited Karachi where they attended a reception at the Governor House, followed by a lunch hosted by the governor of Sindh. The Queen inaugurated a British Trade Exhibition at a local hotel and the Duke opened a $450 million ICI plant at Port Bin Qasim.

"I feel at home in Karachi as we share the same culture and understand each other well," the Queen said.

After the laying of wreaths at the Quaid's mausoleum, the two departed for Lahore, where they were hosted by prime minister Sharif, who gave a grand banquet in their honour at the Lahore Fort.

The next day, the Queen visited the National College of Arts in Lahore where she saw the miniature art studio and sculpture studio. The NCA students also put on a string puppet show on the occasion.

The Queen paid a visit to the Kim's Gun monument after which the Bishop of Raiwind received her at Christ Church school of Pakistan.

A luncheon in her honour was hosted by the Punjab governor. She also paid a visit to the British Council where she met with people from different walks of life.

The Queen and the Duke then flew back to Islamabad. Before their visit to Pakistan concluded, the Duke was pictured visiting Aga Khan school in Chitral's Bilphok area.

2006: Prince of Wales visits quake-hit Pakistan

Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla Parker, the Duchess of Cornwall, were the next British royals to tour Pakistan, from October 29-November 3 in 2006.

Upon their arrival at the Chaklala Airbase, the royal couple was welcomed by the then federal minister for women's development and youth affairs, Sumaira Malik, along with Pakistan’s High Commissioner to UK Dr Maleeha Lodhi, UK High Commissioner to Pakistan Mark Lyall Grant and other senior officials.

The two were driven straight to Punjab House where they were lodged during their stay in Islamabad.

The next day's engagements included a meeting with then president Pervez Musharraf and his wife Sehba Musharraf at the presidency. The royal couple also met with the then prime minister Shaukat Aziz and his wife Rukhsana Aziz at the prime minister's residence.

Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla also attended the launch of the Prince’s Youth Business International (YBI) scheme for Pakistan — which aimed to help disadvantaged young people in Pakistan become entrepreneurs — held at the prime minister's residence. There, the couple interacted with some youth, saw local products and listened to pop songs in a performance by singers Hadiqa Kiani and Shehzad Roy.

As they went along viewing the exhibition stalls set up, the royal couple were presented with gifts including a chadar , a Chitrali wool cap and a model of a decorated truck.

“For my wife and I, it really is greatest possible joy to be here with you in Pakistan,” said the Prince on the occasion. “It has taken me very nearly 58 years to reach you and it’s not from want of trying, I can tell you.”

That evening, the couple attended a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner at the time, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, at the prime minister's residence.

A visit to Peshawar due to take place the next day, October 31, was cancelled owing to security concerns following a blast in Bajaur.

The royal couple instead visited the Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) in Rawalpindi where the Prince spoke about the urgent need to acknowledge the importance of understanding among faiths. “Religion does not teach us to harbour enmity amongst us,” he said at the time.

The two also visited the Taxila World Heritage Site.

The next day, on November 1, the two visited Patika, a village in Muzaffarabad struck by the earthquake that hit Pakistan the year before.

The Prince and the Duchess saw firsthand the reconstruction and aid work in progress in and around the town, being overseen by the International Committee of the Red Cross and local authorities.

Hundreds of townsfolk rushed to welcome the royal couple as they walked through the bazaar.

They visited a bridge which was rebuilt with financial assistance by Britain. The couple also visited a government high school which had been destroyed by the quake and whose 103 students and three teachers had been killed.

Later, the two went to a veterinary hospital established by The Brooke, a charity based in the UK.

That evening, they attended a banquet hosted by Musharraf and his wife at the presidency.

The following day, the royal couple visited Lahore, where they laid a wreath at the tomb of Allama Iqbal and also went to the Badshahi Mosque. The royal couple then visited the Gurdwara of Arjan Dev and the Samadhi of Maharaja Ranjit Singh where they talked to members of the Sikh community.

Later in the day, they went to the Lahore Cathedral where they met Anglican community members. They were also guests at a garden reception hosted by the city's Bishop, Dr Alexander John Malik.

Dinner, that evening, was hosted by then prime minister Shaukat Aziz.

On the last day of their trip, November 3, the royal couple headed to Hunza, where they visited the Altit village to examine the development work being carried out by the Aga Khan Development Network.

"The main purpose of the visit was to explore avenues of involvement of the Prince of Wales Development Organisation in development activities in Northern Areas of Pakistan, especially in the field of preservation and restoration of historical buildings," read a Dawn report from the time.

Accompanied by the Aga Khan — who recently hosted Prince William and Kate in London — Charles and Camilla also visited the Nangtsoq village in Skardu. There, they mingled with the village folk and expressed their interest in their traditional way of living.

They got the opportunity to visit several houses and engage with local people busy in their routine tasks.

The royal couple were informed about the civilisation, customs and culture of the people of Baltistan. They also sampled some food at a Balti food stall.

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From the archive, 13 February 1961: Lahore spectacle for the Queen

Pakistan stages a torchlight tattoo and fireworks as the Queen and Prince Philip are treated to a full weekend of entertainment

Lahore, February 13 The West Pakistan Rangers tonight put on a torchlight tattoo in honour of the Queen and Prince Philip which for spectacle, precision, ingenuity, and vigour could hardly be excelled by any army in the world.

Into the blackness of the huge stadium a set piece of firework display burst into light to open the tattoo: 500 men in white uniforms, each bearing two flaming torches, marched, counter-marched, moved in intricate formations, and built up patterns and shapes so that at one moment the darkness was alight with flaming centipedes and the next with blazing birthday cakes.

The corps of military police were as reckless and as skilled as motor-cyclists could be; the Rangers drilled again with rifles; from a flaming human fort tracer bullets seared through the sky; a thousand and fifty bandsmen played “A Hundred Pipers”; and finally “Long live Queen Elizabeth” was spelled out in coloured torches.

Lahore has certainly provided a full weekend for the Queen and Prince Philip, and both the Queen’s love for horses and her husband’s interest in polo have been remembered; yesterday morning at the national horse show they saw paraded before them the country’s finest horses as well as its prize cows, buffalo, and sheep, and this afternoon Prince Philip played in a polo match and showed the watching thousands that he knows how to take a fall.

Today began with morning service at Lahore Cathedral, where the Queen and the Duke drove, standing side by side, in an open car, to the tremendous pleasure of the vast crowds who had turned out to see them again. The Duke read the second lesson and the congregation, many of them Pakistanis, sang the psalm in Urdu.

After luncheon the Queen began a round of engagements by visiting Badshahi Mosque, one of the largest in the world, and laying a wreath on the tomb of Allama Iqbal, the poet, philosopher, and political thinker, who conceived the idea of a Moslem State in the Indian subcontinent. From there she went to Lahore Fort, another of the city’s monuments, to a rally of girl guides, and on again to meet members of the All-Pakistan Women’s Association in the Shish Mahal Gardens.

Meanwhile Prince Philip was on the polo field. In the warming-up period his mount slipped and he was thrown heavily to the ground. He picked himself up and, rubbing an arm, walked over to find another pony. During the game two other players suffered a similar fate.

Lahore appears more excited over the visit than any other city in Pakistan. The crowds both yesterday and today have been dense along the streets and the police have used considerable energy wielding their sticks and flicking the leather thongs on their batons to restrain them.

From a distance it would seem that there must be countless broken heads, but with few exceptions what has looked so fierce has really been a show of what could happen if the motions of lashing out failed to act as a deterrent.

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Did you know Queen Elizabeth II ruled Pakistan for 4 years?

Was crowned queen of 7 independent countries in 1952; dubbed Pakistan as 'one of the powers in the world of Islam'

Queen Elizabeth II’s reign encompassed to a large degree Britain’s declining global influence, from an empire that once bestrode the world to a middle-ranking economy.

During her time as queen, the footprint of her monarchy shrank dramatically, but at her death, she was still head of state of the United Kingdom and 14 Commonwealth countries or realms.

At her coronation in 1952, Elizabeth II was crowned queen of seven independent countries: the United Kingdom, Pakistan , Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Ceylon, which later changed its name to Sri Lanka.

Where she remained queen, the role was largely ceremonial, and her duties were carried out by one of her governor generals — a viceroy who effectively acts as head of state.

Elizabeth II was the first queen of Pakistan, taking over her father King George VI's role as monarch, and reigned over the country till March 23, 1956, when Pakistan became a republic.

Read Pakistan offers condolences to UK over Queen's demise

Pakistan spent almost Rs482,000 during her coronation which former prime minister Muhammad Ali Bogra justified by saying that Pakistan being a member of the Commonwealth "has to fall in line with other sister Dominions on such occasions".

Her coronation gown was embroidered with floral emblems of each Commonwealth nation and featured three representing Pakistan: wheat, cotton and jute.

However, her role as queen of Pakistan remained minimal and uneventful as she intentionally abstained from interfering in the country and its politics, while her governor-general played a ceremonial role.

The Diplomat cites the example of then governor-general Sir Ghulam Muhammad who had fired prime minister Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin in 1953 for attempting to equalise the power of West and East Pakistan. The premier had endeavoured to reverse this by appealing to the queen, but she refused to intervene.

Her reign over the country was abolished in 1956 after Pakistan adopted a republican constitution.

Visits to Pakistan

The late monarch visited Pakistan twice during her rule, in 1961 and 1997.

During her first tour from February 1-16, 1961, Elizabeth II – aged 34 – was accompanied by her consort Prince Phillip and journeyed to Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore and the northern areas.

She was received by former president Ayub Khan and presented with the 21-gun royal salute. In her remarks, Elizabeth II dubbed Pakistan as “one of the powers in the world of Islam” and “one of the great nations of the Commonwealth.

About her visit, British publication, The Guardian  said that Pakistan had staged a torchlight tattoo and fireworks function, as the Queen and Prince Philip were treated to a “full weekend of entertainment”.

Her second visit to the former colony was 36 years later, in 1997 when Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari was president and Nawaz Sharif was the prime minister. Her tour coincided with Pakistan’s golden jubilee as the country celebrated 50 years of independence.

She remained in the country from October 7-13, once again accompanied by her spouse Prince Philip.

According to a royal press release, the couple arrived at Chaklala, Islamabad, where they were yet again presented with a 21-gun salute as they stepped off the plane. The Queen and Duke were received by the then foreign minister, Gohar Ayub Khan.

During this visit, Elizabeth II also addressed the joint sitting of the Parliament of Pakistan on October 8, 1997, where she urged “renewed efforts to end historic disagreements” between India and Pakistan.

Her Majesty #QueenElizabethII addressing the joint sitting of Parliament of Pakistan 🇵🇰 on 8th October, 1997. @RoyalFamily @ForeignOfficePk @NASpeakerOffice @GovtofPakistan @SenatePakistan @AP_Archive pic.twitter.com/S4xfnSmblk — National Assembly of Pakistan🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) September 8, 2022

She later met with Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto, who was serving as the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, and other political leaders.

PHOTO: Twitter 

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The Royal Watcher

Queen in pakistan, 1961.

Happy 70th Pakistan Independence Day! Every year on August 14th (15th for India), Pakistan celebrates Independence from Britain. Though the Queen hasn’t been Queen of Pakistan since 1956, we are covering some of the royal visits to Pakistan today, including the Queen’s State Visit to Pakistan in 1961 below-

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The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh landed in Karachi in February 1961, where they were welcomed by the Nawab (King) of Kalabagh (a family friend of my maternal great-grandparents), the then Governor of the then West Pakistan. They attended a series of welcome ceremonies, drove through Karachi in an open vehicle, visited the tomb of the founder of Pakistan,Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and then attended a garden party at Government House in Karachi. Click HERE and HERE to to read more about the Garden Party. In the evening, President Ayub Khan hosted a Banquet for the Queen (wearing the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara and the Delhi Durbar Parure ) and Duke.

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The next stop was Peshawar and the North West Frontier, where the Queen and Duke visited the Khyber Pass and attended a Banquet at Government House in Peshawar, where the Queen wore  Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara .

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The Queen and Duke also visited Lahore, where they attended a reception, a service at Lahore Cathedral, a fair, viewed a parade, visited the Shalimar Gardens, and the Badshahi Mosque. Click HERE to read more. They were also the guests of honour at an Army Dinner in Lahore, for which the Queen wore the  Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara .

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The Queen and Duke also visited Dhaka, the capital of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), where the Queen attended a Banquet hosted by the Governor of East Pakistan wearing the  Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara .

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The Queen of travel

Queen Elizabeth II 1926 - 2022

Queen Elizabeth II leaves Fiji during a royal tour in February 1977. Serge Lemoine/Getty Images

The Queen of travel Journeys of a lifetime

By Francesca Street and Mark Oliver, CNN September 13, 2022

S he was traveling the moment she ascended to the throne, and for much of the next seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II criss-crossed the world. Newly married and still just a princess, Britain’s future monarch was in Kenya with husband Prince Philip in February 1952 when she learned of her father’s death and her new regal status.

During her reign she would visit more than 120 countries, witnessing first-hand the revolutions in global travel that shrank the world as her own influence over it diminished.

The Queen lived through the advent of the Jet Age, flew supersonic on the Concorde, saw regimes change, countries form and dissolve, the end of the British Empire and the rise of globalization.

Here are some of the most memorable travel moments from her 70 years as monarch.

November 24-25, 1953

Less than six months after she was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, Queen Elizabeth set off on her travels again. Her debut official state trip was an epic six-month tour of the Commonwealth -- the alliance of nations which were once British colonies. Traveling by air, sea and land she visited several countries, accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. First stop was the North Atlantic island of Bermuda, a British territory she would visit a further four times during her reign. The trip would go on to include stops in Jamaica, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Cocos Islands, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Aden (now part of Yemen), Uganda, Malta and Gibraltar.

December 19-20, 1953

At Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in June 1953, Queen Salote Tupou III of the Polynesian kingdom of Tonga won over the British public when she sat, rain-soaked, in her open carriage. They also took an interest when Elizabeth returned the visit later in the year. The two queens enjoyed an open-air feast, watched Tongan dancers and admired a tortoise that legend said was presented by explorer Captain James Cook to the King of Tonga in 1777.

December 23, 1953 – January 30, 1954

New zealand.

The Queen voyaged to New Zealand during the Antipodean summer of 1953-4. Over the course of the trip, it’s estimated that three out of every four New Zealanders got a glimpse of her. In preparation for the Queen’s visit, some New Zealand sheep were dyed in the UK flag colors of red, white and blue. The Queen returned to the country nine times over the years, including in 2002 as she marked half a century on the throne.

April 10-21, 1954

Ceylon (now sri lanka).

A visit to Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, coincided with the Queen’s 28th birthday. She visited the city of Colombo where crowds joined together to sing her “Happy Birthday.” She also visited the central city of Kandy, where she watched a procession featuring a reported 140 elephants and met local chiefs.

April 8-11, 1957

The Queen had visited France as a young princess, but her first state visit as monarch was a glamorous affair. She attended the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris, visited the Palace of Versailles, and dined at the Louvre with then-President Rene Coty. The Queen also laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe and visited the Scottish Church of Paris.

October 17-20, 1957

United states.

Having met President Harry S. Truman in Washington in 1951 during a visit before ascending to the throne, Elizabeth was no stranger to America when she arrived on her first trip as Queen. Her 1957 visit marked the 350th anniversary of the first permanent British settlement on the continent, in Jamestown. The monarch attended a college football game at the former Byrd Stadium in Maryland where she watched the home team lose to North Carolina. She met with President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the White House and later traveled to New York, where she and Prince Philip drove through the streets and admired panoramic views of the city from the Empire State Building.

February 1-16, 1961

The Queen and Prince Philip visited Pakistan in 1961, arriving in the port city of Karachi after completing a visit to India as part of a wider tour of South Asia. She drove through the streets of Karachi in an open-top car, before going on to visit Lahore, where a torchlight military tattoo took place in her honor and Prince Philip played in a game of polo.

February 26 to March 1, 1961

In Nepal, the Queen inspected troops in Kathmandu and met Gurkha ex-servicemen in Pokhara. The monarch rode on an elephant and visited the Hanuman Dhoka Palace complex in Kathmandu. She took part in the rather grim spectacle of a tiger hunt although didn’t shoot any animals herself. She instead recorded the experience on cine camera – a recording device that she often carried with her on her earlier foreign trips.

March 2-6, 1961

The Queen visited pre-revolution Iran at the end of her 1961 South Asian tour. Hosted by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, she toured ancient monuments including the ruins of Persepolis, once a capital of the Achaemenid Empire, later declared a World Heritage Site. She also saw Sheikh Lotfollah mosque in Esfahan and admired collections of the Archaeological Museum of Iran.

May 5, 1961

Vatican city.

In 1961, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to visit the Vatican. Dressed all in black, the Queen had an audience with Pope John XXIII, also attended by Prince Philip. She returned to the Vatican three more times during her reign, meeting Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis.

November 9-20, 1961

Bombing incidents in the capital Accra left officials worried about the safety of the Queen’s visit to Ghana but, after deliberation, UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan confirmed it would go ahead. During the trip, the Queen famously shared a dance with Ghana’s then-president, Kwame Nkrumah. At the height of Cold War uncertainty, this seemingly innocuous moment was seen as significant in ensuring Ghana remained affiliated to Britain and not the USSR.

May 18-28, 1965

West germany (now germany).

The Queen’s visit to West Germany and West Berlin was viewed as a symbolic gesture of goodwill in the post-World War II landscape. It was the first royal trip to German territory for more than 50 years and photographs such as one of the Queen and Prince Philip in a car driving past the Brandenburg Gate had symbolic resonance.

November 5-11, 1968

Queen Elizabeth became the first reigning British monarch to visit South America when she landed in Brazil in late 1968. During the trip, the Queen wore a striking jewelry set made of Brazilian aquamarine, gifted to her in 1953 by the Brazilian president and added to over time. The monarch also attended a football match between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and presented the winner’s trophy to Brazilian footballer Pele.

October 18-25, 1971

On the first of two trips to Turkey -- the second took place in 2008 -- the Queen visited the Gallipoli peninsula to remember the Allied soldiers who died there during World War I. The monarch also explored the ruins of the ancient Greek empire city of Ephesus. A media highlight of the visit came when she was photographed leaping ashore from a barge, after disembarking from her ship, the Royal Yacht Britannia.

February 10-15, 1972

Accompanied by Prince Philip and daughter Princess Anne, the Queen was greeted on arrival in Bangkok by a carpet of flower petals. The monarch was given a golden key to the city of Bangkok, attended a state banquet and visited Bang Pa-In Palace, the Thai royal family’s summer residence, north of the capital.

October 17-21, 1972

The Queen’s visit to Yugoslavia was her first trip to a communist country. The Central European country no longer exists -- the areas that the Queen visited are now part of Croatia. During her trip, she met Yugoslav political leader Josip Broz Tito and traveled on his famous Blue Train.

February 15-16, 1974

New hebrides (now vanuatu).

The Queen and Prince Philip visited the Pacific island archipelago of Vanuatu, then known as the New Hebrides, in 1974. It’s said the royal couple’s visit to Vanuatu may have strengthened the belief among some locals on Tanna island that the Duke of Edinburgh was a divine being.

February 24-March 1, 1975

On her first of two visits to Mexico, the Queen toured ancient sites -- including the pyramids of Uxmal, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monarch also received local crafts, met school children and attended a banquet. While she was driven through Mexico City, the Queen was showered in confetti.

February 17-20, 1979

Saudi arabia.

In 1979, the Queen became the first female head of state to visit Saudi Arabia, on a tour of Gulf States. At Riyadh Airport, she was met by King Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, pictured. The outfits she wore on the trip were carefully designed in accordance with Saudi Arabia’s conservative dress code for women. The Queen arrived on a British Airways supersonic Concorde aircraft and during the visit attended camel races and toured the National Museum.

October 26-27, 1982

The Queen visited Tuvalu, a group of nine islands in the South Pacific, in 1982. Upon arrival, the Queen and Prince Philip were carried in a flower-filled canoe from sea to shore. Thirty years later, in 2012, Prince William visited Tuvalu with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, who drank a coconut from a tree planted by Queen Elizabeth on this 1982 visit.

February 26 – March 6, 1983

On a star-studded trip to the United States, the Queen toured the 20th Century-Fox studios in Hollywood with then-First Lady Nancy Reagan and met Frank Sinatra, who she’d previously met in the 1950s, at a party given in her honor. The Queen and Prince Philip also visited Yosemite National Park in California, pictured.

November 10-14, 1983

The Queen returned to Kenya in 1983 for a state visit. When she was there 31 years previously, she'd learned that her father had passed away and she had become Britain’s reigning monarch. In 1983, the Queen and Prince Philip revisited the Treetops hotel, pictured, where they were staying at the time she was told the news.

October 12-18, 1986

The Queen’s trip to China was the first -- and, so far, only -- state visit by a British monarch to China. With Prince Philip by her side, the Queen visited the Great Wall of China, pictured, as well as the Forbidden City in Beijing.

October 17-20, 1994

In 1994, in another royal first, the Queen visited Russia. Over the three-day trip, the Queen met Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, pictured here with the monarch outside St Basil’s Cathedral, as well as Russian President Boris Yeltsin. The Queen also attended the Bolshoi Ballet. In her traditional Christmas Day speech broadcast later that year, the Queen reflected on how times had changed, noting she “never thought it would be possible in [her] lifetime” to attend a service in Moscow’s famous cathedral.

March 19-25, 1995

South africa.

In 1994, after apartheid ended, South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth as a republic. The following year, the Queen traveled there, in a visit designed to renew ties between the two countries. The Queen met with President Nelson Mandela, pictured, and presented him with the Order of Merit.

October 12-18, 1997

The Queen visited India for the third time in 1997, her first public engagement since Princess Diana’s funeral just weeks before. The trip marked 50 years since India’s independence from Britain. Most memorably, the monarch visited the site of the Amritsar massacre, also known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, of April 13, 1919. She also expressed regret at a state banquet in New Delhi for the “distressing” episode in which British soldiers gunned down hundreds of unarmed civilians. The gesture was seen by some as inadequate. “The Queen is doing everything she can to make India like her. But so far it does not seem to be working,” wrote the UK’s Independent newspaper at the time.

October 4-15, 2002

The Queen visited Canada many times. In 2002, her trip to the North American country coincided with her Golden Jubilee festivities, celebrating 50 years of her reign. During the trip, the Queen attended an ice hockey game between the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks, and dropped the ceremonial puck.

March 11-16, 2006

The Queen visited Australia 16 times as Head of State. In 2006, she traveled to Melbourne to open the Commonwealth Games. She was greeted by a welcoming party in Canberra, visited the Sydney Opera House, attended a Commonwealth Day service in St. Andrew’s Cathedral and toured Admiralty House, the Sydney residence of the Governor-General of Australia.

May 17-20, 2011

The Queen’s trip to Dublin was the first time a British monarch had set foot in the Irish Republic since its 1922 independence. At Dublin Castle the Queen delivered a well-received speech on the history of Anglo-Irish relations. In County Tipperary, she also toured the medieval Rock of Cashel, pictured, once a seat of power for Ireland’s ancient kings.

November 26-28, 2015

From 1949 to 1951, before she was Queen, Elizabeth and Prince Philip lived in Malta. In 2015, the monarch paid her last visit to the island, touring the Grand Harbour in a Maltese fishing boat and waving to members of the British Royal Navy.

United Kingdom

In the later years of her reign, the Queen cut back on foreign travel, passing on the mantle to the younger royals. In more recent years, royal tours have also been looked at with more skeptical eyes, as Britain reckons with its colonial past.

While she didn't travel abroad in the later years of her reign, the Queen continued to vacation in the UK. Most notably, the Queen’s ties with Scotland remained strong throughout her reign and her residence there, Balmoral Castle, was a favorite refuge. It was at Balmoral that the Queen died on September 8, 2022.

A Look Back at Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, and Other Royals on Their Tours of Pakistan

The British monarch and her family have been visiting the country for decades.

Queen Elizabeth waved to the crowds as she rode in a convertible through the streets of Karachi.

Wearing a glittering tiara, Queen Elizabeth arrived to a luncheon given by the Governor of Peshawar.

The Queen was introduced to President Muhammad Ayub Khan in Lahore, Pakistan.

Queen Elizabeth, wearing a gorgeous ball gown, and Prince Philip arrived at a gala in Lahore.

Queen Elizabeth shook hands with members of Pakistan's cricket team after their game against England.

When Princess Diana visited Pakistan by herself in 1991, she wore a striking green dress, a sheer floral head covering, and oversized sunglasses at the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan.

The Princess held two young patients from Imran Khan's cancer hospital in Lahore, Pakistan.

Princess Diana looked stunning in a soft pink beaded Catherine Walker gown, which she paired with pearl earrings at a reception in her honor.

Diana posed with the women of Islamabad, who wore their brightly-colored dresses for the occasion.

Diana wore a traditional garland around her neck and held a bouquet at the Norpoor Family Welfare Centre in Islamabad.

The Queen returned to Pakistan in 1997, and wore a bright yellow polka-dotted dress as she stood with Pakistani leaders at the Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad.

The Queen went on a tour of the Shah Faisal Mosque, wearing a scarf over her hat and stocking feet as a sign of respect.

Queen Elizabeth spoke at a banquet hosted by the President of Pakistan Farooq Leghari. In her speech, she reflected on the tragic death of Princess Diana.

Local school girls threw flower petals as Queen Elizabeth visited their school.

The Queen looked lovely in blush as she planted trees in Islamabad.

On their 2006 visit, Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla met with staff and students at Fatima Jinnah University, an all-women's school in Islamabad.

This image shows Duchess Camila talking with a student at Fatima Jinnah.

Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla posed while touring Jaulian, a World Heritage archaeological site in Taxila.

The royals visited historic Badshahi Mosque in Lahore. Camilla wore a headscarf and long pants in respect of the dress code.

The Duchess of Cornwall chose a royal blue quilted jacket for the presidential banquet in Islamabad.

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Queen Elizabeth memorable photos from her visit to Pakistan

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Harry Styles pays heartfelt tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

• Queen Elizabeth’s memorable photos from her visit to Pakistan.
• The Queen was greeted with a royal salute of 21 guns and then a royal salute of 100 guns.
• The royal couple was also the first to visit Mazar-e-Quaid.

Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom from February 6, 1952, until her death on September 8, 2022. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days was the longest of any British monarch and the second-longest recorded of any monarch of a sovereign country.

Elizabeth II, the late British Royal Queen, made two trips to Pakistan. A 1961 instance and then a 1997 one When Queen Elizabeth traveled to Pakistan in 1961, she did so with Prince Philip. She was 34 years old at the time. She was there from February 1 through February 16, 1961.

She traveled to the northern regions of Pakistan, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta. Mohammad Ayub Khan, the president at the time, welcomed the royal couple when they arrived in Karachi. A royal salute of 21 guns and then a royal salute of 100 guns were fired to welcome the Queen. The royal couple was the first to travel to Mazar-e-Quaid.

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Tatler Archive: Royal Tours of Pakistan ahead of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's tour

By Rebecca Cope

Queen Elizabeth II pictured during a royal tour of Pakistan in February 1961

The Queen attends a State Banquet held in a marquee with Ayab Khan and Prince Philip in 1961

The Queen outside the Badshhi Mosque in Lahore during her 1961 State visit to Pakistan

Diana, Princess of Wales and Jemima Khan during their visit to Imran Khan's cancer hospital in Lahore, Pakistan in April 1996

Diana, Princess of Wales wearing a Chitral Scout uniform during her visit to Pakistan in September 1991

Diana, Princess of Wales surrounded by the officers of the Kyber Rifles atop Michni Point at The Khyber Pass in 1991

Diana, Princess of Wales wears a traditional shalwar khameez as she sits with Jemima Khan during a visit to Imran Khan's cancer hospital in Lahore, Pakistan in April 1996

Diana, Princess of Wales, receives bouquets of flowers as she is welcomed to Lahore by Imran and Jemima Khan in April 1996

By Isaac Bickerstaff

By Harriet Johnston

Diana, Princess of Wales joins traditionally dressed Pakistani ladies at the Family Welfare Centre in the village of Noorpur Shahan near Islamabad

The Queen barefoot with her head covered while visiting the Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, in 1997

The Queen at a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister at Lahore Fort, Pakistan October 1997

The Queen is greeted by school girls waving flags as she visits a school on 10th October, 1997 in Lahore, Pakistan

The Duchess of Cornwall visiting the Fatima Jinnah Womens’ University in Rawalpindi in 2006

The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince of Wales arriving at the Fatima Jinnah Womens’ University in Rawalpindi on the third day of the Royal Tour of Pakistan in October 2006

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles visiting Pattika, an area devastated by the 2005 earthquake, November 2006

By Sinah Bruckner

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New Delhi:   In October 1961, Queen Elizabeth II made her maiden visit to India — a 23- day royal itinerary packed with receptions of costume parades, dance performances, children’s rallies, visits to industrial enterprises and factories, institutes of arts and sciences, and more.

In their book, ‘Facets of Contemporary History ‘, authors M. Thilakavathy and ‎R.K. Maya said India was in “celebrity fever” in anticipation of the visit, with old roads being renovated, people flocking to the big cities to catch a glimpse of the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip.

Over the course of her reign, she made three state visits to India — 1961, 1983, and 1997 — which were usually part of a larger tour to the region and included trips to countries like Pakistan and Nepal.

She often had kind words to offer such as noting the “warmth and hospitality of the Indian people” and referring to Pakistan as “one of the powers in the world of Islam” .

However, the Queen’s visits weren’t without their share of controversies — her remarks about the Kashmir issue during her 1997 visit to India and Pakistan caused quite a stir and created further friction between the crown and the then Tony Blair-led UK government.

The tail-end of the Queen’s life was marked by scandals closer home — most notably, the claims of racism made by Meghan Markle, a former American actress married to Elizbeth’s grandson, Prince Harry, and the sexual assault allegations against her son, Prince Andrew.   

In an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey last March, Markle, the first person of colour to be married into the royal family, made allegations about the racism she faced in the family after she married Harry.  

A brief response from Buckingham Palace shortly after the interview said the Queen intended to deal with what had become arguably one of the biggest crises of her reign “privately”.

Award-winning journalist Tina Brown notes in her latest book The Palace Papers  that after the death of Princess Diana — the former wife of the Queen’s son Prince Charles, and mother to Princes William and Harry — in a car crash in 1997, the Queen was opposed to the idea of “explosive celebrity” within the royal family.

“Ever since the death of Diana in 1997, the Queen had made it clear to all those who advised her that it could never happen again — the ‘it’ being Diana’s explosive celebrity, the problem of the British monarchy being upstaged, outshone, drowned out by one overweening, dangerously popular member of the family other than the Queen or the heir to the throne,” Brown wrote. 

It wasn’t just the scandal involving Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that the Queen had to contend with in recent times. There have been sexual assault allegations against her other son, Prince Andrew, and his alleged association with convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell .

In January, the Queen took steps to strip her son of his royal titles as he faced a sexual abuse lawsuit. A month later, the lawsuit ended in a settlement, sparing the royal family the humiliation of a trial.

Also Read: There are many reasons why Rishi Sunak lost UK PM chair. But race isn’t the main one

1997 visit to India, Pakistan

The Queen’s trip to India and Pakistan in October 1997 was the first since the death of Princess Diana. But it had been scheduled ahead of time as it sought to celebrate 50 years of independence for both countries.

In 1997 , when in Pakistan, the Queen had allegedly urged New Delhi and Islamabad to settle their long-standing differences over the Kashmir issue — a statement that did not go over well with either country.

Britain’s then-foreign secretary Robin Cook, who had accompanied the Queen on the tour, made matters worse when, during a private meeting with Pakistan’s then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, he offered to mediate a solution.

“The Indian press objected to Cook’s remarks, and Indian Prime Minister I.K. Gujral (Inder Kumar Gujral) was quoted as dismissing Britain as a ‘third-rate power’ that should know better than to interfere in a bilateral dispute,” noted a Washington Post report at the time.

The same year, the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, visited India. While paying their respects at the site of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, Prince Philip reportedly “caused a stir” when he objected to a sign indicating that 2,000 Indians had been killed in the massacre. He instead asserted that Britain reported the deaths of only 379 people.

‘Chilly’ relations with Tony Blair government

The Queen’s October 1997 visit to India and Pakistan created trouble for the Tony Blair-led UK government at home, which had come to power just four months after Princess Diana’s death in August that year.

After the Queen’s remarks about the Kashmir issue on her 1997 visit to Pakistan, Blair ordered his cabinet to undertake “a full-scale damage-control mission” to shift focus on the successes of the queen’s visit.

Allegations of a “ hidden agenda ” behind the Queen’s visit to India and Pakistan came at a sensitive time for Blair, just over a week before he was slated to meet his Indian counterpart, Gujral, on the sidelines of the Commonwealth summit in Edinburgh.

According to Brown, Blair’s royal relations had got off to “a chilly start” with his government’s decision earlier in the year to retire the royal yacht Britannia, which had been a source of much happiness for the royal family.

“In December 1997, at the ship’s decommissioning ceremony, the Queen shed a rare tear. Britannia represented not only memories of grand and glamorous state visits but also some of her happiest times with the family…. It was the only way she could holiday privately,” wrote Brown.

Despite some tensions, Blair’s government did well to quell media scrutiny of the Queen after Prince Diana’s death — a fact that, according to historian Dominic Sandbrook, rankled the Queen. 

“Nobody likes to be in someone else’s debt and I think the Queen probably did feel, simultaneously, that he had saved her, but, at the same time, she didn’t like the fact that he’d done it,” said Sandbrook last year.

Other historians like Piers Brendon have also said there was resentment towards Blair for ‘intruding’ into the royal family’s affairs.

Despite this, Blair was knighted with the highest possible ranking — Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter — in January this year.  

In a statement issued by him following the Queen’s death, Blair said: “We have lost not just our monarch but the matriarch of our nation”. 

(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)

Also Read: ‘My ancestors ruled Hindustan through force & fear. Now others will’ – Bahadur Shah after 1857

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