The Royal Correspondent

On December 2, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II attended the British Military Tournament at Earls Court in London, England.  Click here to view photos.

On November 22, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh hosted a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in honor of the President of Turkey, Abdullah Gül’s, three-day state visit to Britain.

To view photos please click here.  To read Queen Elizabeth’s speech during the banquet please click here. 

Photo courtesy of: Daylife/Reuters

On November 22, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh officially welcomed the President of Turkey, Abdullah Gül, and his wife Hayrunnisa, with a traditional ceremony  in London, England.

According to the newspaper, Telegraph, upon the President’s arrival at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall:

… a 41-gun royal salute, fired from nearby Green Park by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, could be heard in the distance.

The Band of the Coldstream Guards then played both Britain’s and Turkey’s national anthems. President Gül and the Duke of Edinburgh undertook the inspection of a guard of honour made up of 101 soldiers and three officers from the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.

After the traditional welcoming ceremony they made their way back to Buckingham Palace where they viewed an “…exhibition of Turkish Artefacts from the Royal Collection, in the Picture Gallery…” at the palace.

To watch a video as well as to view photos from today’s event please click the links below:

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Source: Telegraph

Photo courtesy of: Daylife/AFP

On November 18, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Guildford, England to attend a service at Guildford Cathedral to celebrate its “…50th anniversary of the dedication of the religious building.”  Also, on that day the queen visited East Surrey College with H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh.

To view photos please click the links below:

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Source and photo courtesy of: Daylife

On Tuesday November 15, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II met with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan at Buckingham Palace.

Later on in the afternoon, Queen Elizabeth II knighted one of the most successful English horse trainers, Sir Henry Cecil, during an investiture ceremony held at Buckingham Palace. After the ceremony, Sir Cecil noted, “I’m very honoured to receive this, this is the biggest honour I’ll get in my lifetime.”

To read more about today’s investiture ceremony please click here.  To view photos please click here.

Photos courtesy of: Daylife/WPA and Sky Sports

On November 11, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Margate, England.  During their visit the royal couple toured the Turner Contemporary art gallery, a new café, and the RNLI Lifeboat station.  To view photos please click here. 

Yesterday evening, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh attended the opening of the new exhibit, Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination, at the British Library.

This unique collection of medieval and Renaissance illuminated manuscripts. Collected by the kings and queens of England over 800 years these treasures are outstanding examples of the decorative and figurative painting of the era. Together they are our most vivid source for understanding royal identity, moral and religious beliefs, learning, faith artistic trends and the international politics of the period. source

To view photos please click here.  To learn more about this exhibit please click here.  

Photo courtesy of: Daylife/Reuters

On October 29, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh completed their tour of Australia, but before they left the queen attended a “Great Aussie Barbecue” along the banks of the Swan River in Perth.

In her farewell speech in front of  tens of thousands of well-wishers the queen stated that she and the Duke of Edinburgh had “…enjoyed our visit immensely…”

We have been overwhelmed by your kindness and support… I can think of no more fitting way to end my visit… than in this idyllic Swan River setting which I have enjoyed on so many occasions. Once again we will return to the United Kingdom with fond memories.

To watch videos as well as to view photos please click the links below:

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Source: AFP Photo courtesy of: Daylife/AP

On October 28, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II attended a gala banquet “…as part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)…” in Perth, Australia.  Prior to the evening’s event the queen attended a brief luncheon with the new heads of commonwealth governments held at the Government House.

To view photos please click here and here. 

Photo courtesy of: Daylife/M.Meares/Pool

On October 27, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited Clontarf Aboriginal College where she watched basketballers and Australian Rules footballers in action and visited a cookery class where kangaroo stew was on the menu. She did not sample the exotic fare but remarked, “Smells good.” On being presented with a small pot of stew, she asked, “Recently made?”

Three young Aboriginals presented the queen with a Aussie Rules ball, while others handed her a bouquet of flowers, one of hundreds she has received since arriving in Australia. Her Majesty has accepted the floral gifts wherever she has been, passing each bunch down a progression of staff members.

Meanwhile, the Duke of Edinburgh  visited the University of Western Australia to view some world-leading mining exploration technology from Anglo-Australian giant Rio Tinto. Whilst there he met the company’s chief executive Tom Albanese, who described the visit as “an honor”. 

Later in the afternoon, the royal couple attended a reception at the Government House hosted by West Australian Premier Colin Barnett ahead of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II officially opening the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on Friday.

To watch a video as well as to view photos please click the links below:

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Source: AFP

Photo courtesy of: Daylife/L.Baker

On October 24, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Brisbane, Australia.  The royal couple cruised the Brisbane River where thousands of people lined along the banks and bridges to catch a glimpse of the 85-year-old monarch.

After the cruise the royal couple strolled through the South Bank rainforest before “…the Queen opened the area’s newest feature, Rain Bank, a stormwater harvesting centre.”  In her speech at the re-dedication ceremony for the Rain Bank Queen Elizabeth II noted:

It was with great sadness that I followed the terrible consequences this past year of your normally peaceful river rising up and overwhelming this popular public space.  Nine months later we are here to pay tribute to the resilience and courage of Queenslanders who bravely picked up their lives and rebuilt them after great adversity.’ source

After the re-dedication ceremony the queen and the duke attended a private reception for the survivors of the January 2011 Queensland floods.

To view photos please click here.  To watch a video please click here.

Source: SMH.com.au

Photo courtesy of: Daylife/T.Blackwood/AFP

On October 21, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II delivered a speech in the Great Hall at an invitation-only parliamentary reception held at the Government House in Canberra.

In her speech, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has expressed admiration for people who showed courage during a “difficult year” of heavy flooding in Australian towns and a devastating earthquake in New Zealand’s second largest city.  She also spoke about the dozens of Australian armed forces in Afghanistan who have lost their lives, and the two soldiers who were awarded the Victoria Cross. After her speech Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh had a chance to speak one on one with many of the guests at the reception.

And, finally Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II sat down with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and then Opposition Leader Tony Abbott at the Government House.  Meanwhile, the Duke of Edinburgh presented three Australians the World Fellow Award during a small ceremony also held at the Government House.

To watch videos as well as to view photos from today’s event please click the links below:

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 Sources: AP and The Herald Sun

Photo courtesy of: Daylife/T. Blackwood/AFP

On October 20, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the Floriade Flower Festival in Canberra, Australia. Hundreds of locals cheered and waved from the banks of Lake Burley Griffin as the royal couple arrived to the festival by boat. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh also had a chance to tour the grounds of Government House in Canberra this afternoon as well as attend a tree planting ceremony.

Click the links below to watch a video as well as to view photos.

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Source: ABC Australia

Photo courtesy of: Zimbio/Pool

On October 19, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived in Canberra, Australia to begin their 11-day official visit to the lovely land down under.

Upon their arrival the royal couple were met by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Governor-General Quentin Bryce and ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher as well as hundreds of well-wishers. After a 21-gun salute the royal anthem and the Australian national anthem were played then it was time to met the people who have waited for hours to see Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  The royal couple will visit various cities throughout the country including Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.

To watch a video of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh’s arrival as well as to view photos please click the links below:

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Photo courtesy of: Zimbio/Pool Sources: ABC.au