[Written by Stephen Wright]
Her Majesty the Queen was no stranger to Bermuda, having visited it several times during her 70-year reign.
Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, died today at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, at the age of 96.
After doctors placed her under medical supervision, all of the Queen’s children traveled to Balmoral.
The Queen made her first visit to Bermuda less than six months after her coronation on November 23, 1953.
Animation of the Queen at the historic St. Peter’s Church in St. George’s in 1953:
She was joined by the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the first stop on her Coronation Tour of the Commonwealth. It was the first visit to the island by a sitting monarch.
The Queen’s health is said to have taken a turn for the worse after the death of Prince Philip, who died last April at the age of 99. He was also a regular visitor to Bermuda.
A few more visits were made to the island for the Queen’s return to Bermuda in February 1975. She made further visits in July 1976 and she in February 1983, and in March 1994 she made a two-day trip.
On November 24-26, 2009, 56 years after their first visit, The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh traveled to Bermuda to celebrate the 400th anniversary of British settlement on the island.
Video of the Queen’s Royal Tour in 1953, including scenes from Bermuda
The Queen made a speech during her visit in 2009.
Her Majesty the Queen said:
“In those days, the Bermudians excelled above all as tobacco farmers, salt merchants, privateers and builders of fast schooners. Proven when I met a shipyard apprentice working on
“Bermudians can also be proud of their businesses, such as selling onions and Easter lilies to New York and promoting subtropical tourism.
“In this mild climate, tourism so close to North America continues to be an important part of economic life. More recently, Bermuda has become a successful pioneer in the highly specialized reinsurance business. Indeed, despite the challenges of the global economy, modern Bermuda relies on some very special attributes to achieve great success in these two most competitive industries.”
Photo credit: Government House:
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