Royals In Brisbane

With royal visit fever reaching fever pitch in Sydney and hardy monarchists already staking out concrete patches of the city in the hope of glimpsing King Charles and Queen Camilla, it seems a fitting time to reflect on the visitation of Brisbane throughout the years by members of the British royal family.

It all started back in 1867-68 when somewhat hapless little-known royal, Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria’s second son was despatched to the colonies for royal duties. During the Brisbane stretch of his lengthy visit he was variously subjected to a German torchlight procession and serenade (including the singing of the British National Anthem in German by Teutonic settlers keen to throw their weight behind the British monarchy), laying the foundation stone for Brisbane Boys Grammar School at Roma St and a reception at Old Government House hosted by prominent citizen Johann Heussler (ironically the original owner of the current Government House). From there he went to Sydney where things were considerably livelier as he was shot by an assailant while picnicking on Clontarf Beach. (He survived, unlike the assailant who was promptly caught and hanged).

In 1881 there was a lot less fanfare surrounding the visit of Queen Victoria’s grandsons Princes Albert and George who slipped into town and stayed at Granite House in Piddington St Ashgrove with Justice Hardy and family (the heritage listed house still stands in the quiet leafy residential street in St Johns Wood) whilst undergoing their midshipman training on the HMS Bacchante.

In 1901 Prince George (now the Duke of Cornwell and on-track-to-be-King George V) returned with wife Mary to open the newly formed Federal Parliament between May 20-25, and once again stayed in Granite House. During this visit they also laid the foundation stone for St John’s Cathedral and attended a shooting party in Warwick which fortunately resulted in no casualties.

The next visitor was Edward, the Prince of Wales who, in the halcyon carefree days before he became king, met Mrs Simpson and caused the royal scandal of the century, was sent to thank the young colony for generously and selflessly sending so many of its young men to be mortally wounded in World War I. He was met with rapturous applause and flag-waving crowds wherever he went, attending a citizen’s garden party in New Farm Park, a reception at the Queensland Club and another at the City Botanic Gardens and laying the foundation stone of Brisbane City Hall.

In 1927 his brother, the Duke of York, soon-to-be King George VI visited Brisbane with wife Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother), laying wreaths, attending balls and receptions and meeting returned soldiers.

The Duke of Gloucester was next royal off the rank, visiting in 1934 and travelling around by train. The dining car with its breakfast, lunch and dinner menus and tables set with crockery and sleeping car that he occupied are still at the Workshops Rail Museum.

1954 saw the first member of the monarchy-in-residence arrive in Brisbane, with the extensive tour by a recently crowned young and glamorous Queen Elizabeth that was universally declared a raging success and worth every bit of painting, street scaping, illuminating and so forth that had hurriedly occurred before her visit. Indeed, residents of Fernberg Rd Paddington, (which was the route taken by Her Majesty and the Duke to a reception at Government House) today still enjoy the unique garden beds and lush vegetation that were constructed to beautify their road 60 years ago in her honour.

Since the inaugural visit in 1954 there’ve been several other noteworthy visits by Her Majesty (although the Duke of Edinburgh wins the award for most frequent royal visitor to Queensland), including 1963, 1970 (with the Duke and daughter Princess Anne who, in an unusual gesture, graced the Oasis Tourist Gardens with her presence).

In 1977 as part of her Silver Jubilee Queen Elizabeth enjoyed a state reception at Cloudland Ballroom (something that surely should have ensured its survival) and in the 1980s was kept busy with visits to close the Commonwealth Games in 1982 and open Expo ’88 in 1988. After that, she didn't return until 2010 (her last visit), when she revisited the old Expo site, taking a river cruise to South Bank.

Fleeting visits have also been made by her progeny, including Prince Andrew and Fergie in 1988 and Prince Charles and Princess Diana on April 11 1983. And while King Charles and Queen Camilla have yet to step foot in Brisbane, the nearest they have gotten was to open the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018.

Perhaps the other visit to be up there in popularity with the Queen’s first visit in 1954 was that of Princess Alexandra in 1959 who charmed the crowds wherever she went before leaving them with a lasting reminder of her visit - the major Brisbane hospital which she opened and that is named in her honour.

Images courtesy of the SLQ