Jamaica Welcomed the Queen on Six Occasions

Jamaica has been privileged to be graced by the presence of Her Majesty The Queen on six occasions during her reign, which ended on September 8, when she demised.

The Queen, along with her husband, the late Duke of Edinburgh, initially visited the island in 1953, following her Coronation the previous year. She was the first reigning Sovereign to visit Jamaica.

The Royal Couple arrived in Montego Bay on November 25, 1953, for a three-day visit. Among her engagements was the opening of the Queen’s Highway along the island’s north coast to Discovery Bay, in St. Ann.

Two days after, on November 27, The Queen knighted then Chief Justice of Jamaica, Hon. Kennedy O’Conner, at King’s House, which was the first investiture outside Great Britain.

The Queen’s next visit was in 1966 when she and the Duke arrived at Victoria Pier in Kingston, for a four-day official visit.

It was on this occasion that she delivered her first Throne Speech at the opening of Jamaica’s Parliament, and presided at the investiture of President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Herbert Duffus.

These events came three-and-a-half years after her sister, Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret, had declared open the first sitting of post-Independent Jamaica’s Parliament.

“Since then, Jamaica has shown that the confidence which I then expressed in its ability to uphold democratic traditions, has been fully justified,” The Queen stated in her speech.

She spoke on several key areas in her speech, such as agriculture, aviation, public utilities, tax laws, the stock exchange, teacher training colleges, the national insurance scheme, and mental health services.

Nine years later, in 1975, The Royal Couple, again, visited the island for five days for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference that was held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, in New Kingston.

During this visit, The Queen officially opened the Norman Manley Law School at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, St. Andrew.

Her Majesty’s next visit came in 1983 when Jamaica celebrated its 21st year of Independence.

During a State Banquet hosted in her honour at King’s House, The Queen noted that it was a “pleasure to experience, again, the warmth and colour of a Jamaican welcome.”

She noted the impact of the post-World War II recession on countries globally, including Jamaica, and lauded the “sound progress” of the government’s economic recovery efforts.

“The best measure of success of any country, whether it lives in a modern, urban, industrial or third world state or in primitive conditions, is the sense of freedom, the ability to participate in self-government, and the social and cultural development which makes its members feel that life is worth living. By [these] criteria, Jamaica has made tremendous progress in 21 years,” she stated.

In 1994, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh embarked on their fifth visit to the island as part of a wider Caribbean tour.

The occasion marked the first time that Her Majesty had visited the inner-city area of Kingston.

Holy Family Primary School and the Kingston Restoration Company’s ‘Teen’ community centre were among her stops.

The Queen’s last visit, from February 18 to 20, 2002, coincided with celebrations that year to mark her Golden Jubilee. The year also marked the island’s 40th Independence Anniversary.

Jamaica was one of only four countries visited by The Queen in commemoration of the 50th year of her reign.

In her Parliamentary address, The Queen urged Jamaicans to “protect this heritage which has served you so well, and which has allowed the talents and creative energies of Jamaicans to blossom and flourish.”

“It is equally important to seek out new ways of drawing in all members of the society to ensure every Jamaican enjoys equal opportunities for the fulfilment of their dreams and aspirations. I commend you for the initiatives you are taking to support the family, protect the young and strengthen the social fabric of this country,” she stated.

The Queen – Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor – was born in Mayfair, London, on April 21, 1926.

She was married to the late Duke of Edinburgh, His Royal Highness Prince Phillip, for 73 years, until his demise in 2021 at age 99.

She became Queen as well as Jamaica’s new Head of State, following the death of her father, King George VI in 1952, and was regarded as a steady and constant force throughout many crises and periods of challenges.

During her reign, The Queen swore in 15 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom (UK) and presided over the growth and transformation of the British Commonwealth.

Buckingham Palace announced that The Queen demised peacefully at Balmoral Castle on Thursday, September 8. She was 96 years.

The Queen’s 70-year reign made her the United Kingdom’s longest-serving Monarch.