WANTED: Nanny for Prince George for Tour Down Under

THE Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are on the lookout for a nanny to look after baby George on their trip to New Zealand and Australia in April, Britain's Daily Mail newspaper has reported.

Proud mum and dad William and Kate, with their baby Prince George

The royal couple's current nanny, Jessie Webb - who looked after Prince William when he was a child and came out of retirement to tend George - has reached the end of her contract.

Mrs Webb, 71, took the job on the condition that she would work only for three months, the newspaper reported. "Mrs Webb is still at Kensington Palace and William and Kate are keen to retain her services, but they are discreetly looking for extra help for the month-long trip this spring," the paper said.


The Duke and Duchess did not hire a maternity nurse after George's birth last July. Instead the couple moved into the Middleton family home in Berkshire so that Kate's mother, Carole, could help out.

When they moved to Kensington Palace last September, they persuaded Mrs Webb to join their household.

It had been rumoured that Carole Middleton could join the tour Downunder to help look after George. However, aides insist that will not be the case and the couple will instead hire a new nanny.

Prospective candidates would need to be experienced, discreet, trained in paediatric first aid and demonstrate an ability to cope in stressful situations, Janine Bayley of nanny recruitment agency Rock mybaby.co.nz said.

"We have placed nannies and babysitters for some high profile families including Hollywood actors while visiting in New Zealand," Mrs Bayley said. "We find their expectations just the same as other families, although we do encourage the nannies not to become star struck.

"At the end of the day, parents want someone who is responsive to their child's needs, able to provide a quality, educational environment and someone who knows how to have fun. Regardless of where we are in society, we just want the very best for our children."

The royal entourage may include a housekeeper and Kate's personal hairdresser, Amanda Cook Tucker.

Royal Nannying: Five keys to success

• Mum is the word. Discretion will be vital as the ravenous media look to exploit any means to find fresh angles on the visit. The nanny should be occasionally seen, but certainly never heard.
• Sleep is over-rated. With near constant travel and a packed diary of obligations to fulfil, the royal couple will be constantly on the move. The nanny can expect to be on call 24/7.
• Say cheese. Photo ops for baby George will be par for the course and there's every chance the nanny will get caught in the lens at some point. A constant smile would be a good idea.
• Keep calm and carry on. George soils his nappy while meeting John Key? No drama. It's just another day at the office. Hand me the wipes.
• A way with children. It may seem obvious, but if wee George isn't taken with his nanny that is going to be one long trip from Kensington Palace and back.

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Denmark’s Crown Prince Couple Arrive in Sydney

On a stunning Sydney morning Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederick walked out onto the Sydney Opera House steps to wish “Happy Birthday” to the 40-year-old Australian icon.

The couple are patrons of the birthday celebrations, representing the perfect contemporary union of Denmark and Australia, a symbol for our union decades ago with Danish architect Jorn Utzon.

In the crowds is Jan Utzon, Jorn’s architect son, proud to be here to see his father’s work gleaming so brightly in the sunshine.

A throng of school children greet the Crown Princess who is the picture of elegance in a silver dress with blue floral designs and impressively towering Jimmy Choo heels.

The children are from class 5A of Redlands School. Ten-year-old Stephanie tells me she is incredibly excited to be here and has been practising her curtsey.

Her fellow classmate Carl Hansen is Danish and has been here in Sydney for four years. He’s the son of Danish Consul Michael Hansen and has met Crown Princess Mary before.

Carl is a huge fan of the Australian-born Crown Princess and thrilled to be able to share his special connection with his school friends.

Also in the crowd are retirees Shirley and Terry Perrott from Canberra. They’re in Sydney to see Lisa McCune and Teddy Tahu Rhodes South Pacific tonight but couldn’t resist the opportunity to see Crown Princess Mary face to face. And they weren’t disappointed.

As Mary walked along greeting the crowd she spied Shirley and shook her hand.

“She’s very beautiful” a thrilled Shirley tells me afterwards. “I won’t forget this day.”

As the couple left the throng of well-wishers many waving Danish fans, the crowd clapped and cheered.

This is the first stop on a four day tour which will see the Crown Prince Couple visiting a school, Randwick Children’s hospital, a wind farm, Danish designer shops, a clutch of events at the Sydney Opera House and later today meeting NSW Governor Marie Bashir at Government House.

Images - Taken by Prudence Upton

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Prince Harry to Visit Australia

Britain's Prince Harry makes a speech at the Friends of the Forces Awards in London on July 13, 2010. The royal will visit Australia next month for events in Sydney marking the Royal Australian Navy's centenary of service, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said. (AFP/File) 

Britain's Prince Harry will visit Australia next month for events in Sydney marking the Royal Australian Navy's centenary of service, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Monday.

"Whilst Prince Harry visited Australia privately in his gap year in 2003, this will be his first official visit to Australia," Abbott said in a statement.

"During his visit next month, Prince Harry will attend the International Fleet Review in Sydney to mark the centenary of the first entry of the Royal Australian Navy's Fleet into Sydney."

Abbott said Australians had great warmth towards members of the royal family and Prince Harry, the fourth in line to the British throne, would be an "honoured visitor".

"As a member of the armed forces, Prince Harry has continued a long tradition of duty and service," he said.
"His work and advocacy for numerous charitable organisations has also been an important focus of his public life."

The Royal Australian Navy will commemorate the arrival of its first fleet 100 years ago into Sydney Harbour with a spectacular International Fleet Review from October 3. Some 54 international warships and 17 tall ships will take part.

The British royals are generally popular in Australia. The country rejected the opportunity to cut ties to the monarchy in a 1999 referendum, with just over 45 percent of voters saying "yes" to a republic.

Prince Harry's Hats-off Three Cheers Salute in Sydney Harbour Naval Extravaganza

PRINCE Harry - the playboy royal and fourth in line to the British throne - is expected to receive a hats-off three cheers royal salute from thousands of sailors on Sydney Harbour next month.

It is understood Harry will be accompanied by Governor-general Quentin Bryce when he takes the royal salute by sailing past some 40 warships on board a royal barge or another navy boat.

According to well-placed sources the prince is odds-on to be guest of honour at the Royal Australian Navy's centenary celebrations, however no official announcement will be made until a week before the gala event on Sydney Harbour between October 3 and 10.

"It is highly likely that Harry will be in Sydney although no details have been firmed up,'' a source said.

The International Fleet Review will mark the 100th anniversary of the arrival in Sydney of the brand new seven-ship Royal Australian Navy fleet led by the flagship HMAS Australia in October 1913.

The centenary will be officially celebrated on October 5 with a royal review by the prince of 21 RAN vessels and 19 overseas warships as well as 16 tall ships that will sail into the harbour on October 3.

Each warship will formally salute the HMAS Sydney memorial on Bradleys Head as they enter the harbour on October 4.

Prince Harry stands in front of an Apache Helicopter a few days after the royal, a trainee Apache helicopter pilot, passed the half-decade milestone to become a captain. Source: Getty Images

The review will also feature fly-pasts by 37 types of military and civilian aircraft ranging from helicopters to Hornet jet fighters.

Palace sources remain tight-lipped about any trip to Australia.

A spokesman for Kensington Palace, Prince Harry's official mouthpiece, said it simply was not currently in a position to comment.

"Announcements of overseas visits by members of the Royal Family are made in due course after an official invitation is received,'' the spokesman said.

Prince Harry visits The Royal Marines Tamar on August 2, 2013. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

On the question of whether his current girlfriend Cressida Bonas was also planning to visit Sydney at the same time, the spokesman said that was a matter for her, but there were no plans for her to accompany Prince Harry on any trip whether domestic or overseas.

Royal commentators scoffed at rumours that a royal would ever take a girlfriend on an overseas trip, as completely contrary to all protocols for any official royal or government official.

The centrepiece of the International Fleet review will be a fireworks and light show spectacular focused on the Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House on the evening of Saturday October 5.

For the first time Australia's fireworks capital will see pyrotechnics launched from the decks of navy warships.

A fleet of eight tall ships took sail on Port Phillip Bay participating in events leading up to International Fleet Day in Sydney next month. Source: News Limited

This will signal the start of the biggest party seen in Sydney since the Bicentenary with 8000 cashed up sailors and tens of thousands of revellers set to spend up to $100 million during the week-long celebration that will cost taxpayers about $6 million to stage.

A projection show will be seen on both sides of the Opera House sails, the eastern side of the Harbour Bridge pylons and the roof of the Australian National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour.

Britain's Prince Harry. Picture: Source: AP

Prince Harry or Captain Wales, 30, is a British Army helicopter pilot and Afghanistan war veteran and has visited Australia once before - in 2003, when he spent most of his time working on a Queensland sheep station.

The NSW Government has been lobbying hard for his possible visit to be turned into a full-blown Royal tour, but that is unlikely given his heavy work commitments.

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Prince George May Visit Australia Next Year as Prince William Says Royal Baby Is 'Loud But Good-Looking'

Prince William Says the New Family will be Visiting Australia Next Year

While mingling with the crowd at Anglesey county fair, William told visiting Australian couple Max and Maxine Davies, from Victor Harbor, south of Adelaide, that the new family hope to travel to Australia soon.

"George is doing really well, thank you,” he said, according to UK media reports. "We are all very hopefully coming to Australia next year."

The couple’s son, Mark Davies, said it was his mother’s second brush with royalty.

“She actually met Prince Charles, I think it was back in 1969. It was while she was on another holiday over in the UK.”

“It’s all pretty exciting, especially for mum who’s a fanatical royalist.”

Mr Davies said his parents, retired farmers who moved from Naracoorte to Victor Harbor in 2004, were about a week into a two-month trip of Britain and Europe that included visiting family near Manchester, a trip to Spain and a Mediterranean cruise.

“I haven’t heard from them just yet, but I imagine they’re just as thrilled about it as everyone over here seems to be,” the Naracoorte resident said.

Victor Harbor Bowling Club member Bill Aldridge, who plays with Max Davies, hopes his fellow player’s conversation with Prince William was enough to convince him to visit Victor Harbor while in Australia.

“We’d love him to come down to our new bowling green,” he said.

“It would definitely lift the spirits in Victor Harbor and create a bit of a buzz having royalty around, although I know the chances are pretty slim.”

The trip would echo Prince William’s trip to Australia as a baby with Princess Diana and Prince Charles in 1983, when he was less than a year old.

William also opened up on parenthood, telling the crowd that baby Prince George is "loud but good looking".

"Catherine in sorry that she cannot be here today at the County Show," William said in his speech, before chatting with locals, inspecting livestock and participating in a falconry display.

William and Kate Touch Down in Brisbane

Prince William and wife Kate have touched down at Brisbane Airport for a brief stop on their way to the UK after their royal tour. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were expected to spend about 90 minutes at the airport.
The couple flew out of the Pacific island of Tuvalu on Wednesday morning, wrapping up their nine-day tour of Southeast Asia and the Pacific on behalf of the Queen.

The trip was overshadowed by a media row over topless photos taken of Kate during a holiday at a private estate in southern France.

The Duchess looked relaxed in a light, floral-patterned, summer dress and beige patent heels as she strolled along the tarmac beside the Duke.

A tanned Prince William was equally casual in a jacket and white shirt, which was unbuttoned at the neck.

The smiling couple were escorted from their jet to the terminal by airport staff.

Their arrival in the building caused a stir among passengers waiting for flights, who rushed to get a glimpse and take photos of the young royals as they were whisked to a private lounge.

After coming up an escalator into the departure area, the couple waved to travellers as well as members of the public standing behind glass on a viewing platform on the next floor.

A Brisbane resident, who would not give her name, said the Duchess looked beautiful.
"It's such a shame about the photos in France," she told AAP.

"People should just leave them alone - they're only human."

Japanese national Yoko Asano said she'd just arrived from the Solomon Islands and had seen the royal couple there during their recent visit.

"I'm kind of following them," she joked.

"I didn't really expect to see them here but it was good because it was less crowded here.
"I could get a good look at them."

New Zealand man Tim Bott said the brief royal visit was totally unexpected.

"I didn't even know what was going on until I saw all these guys (cameramen)," he told AAP.
"I went and had a look and saw them coming down the steps and up the escalator.

"I wasn't going to go over but I did - you kind of have to, don't you?"

The Duke and Duchess were understood to be relaxing in a private lounge while they awaited a Singapore Airlines flight scheduled to depart at 2.30pm (AEST).

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Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal Visits Queen Elizabeth

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth in Southampton on Wednesday May 23, 2012.

Princess Anne attended in her capacity as Patron of Sea Vision UK and launched the Skills, Education and Awareness (SEA) programme, connecting young people with the maritime sector and the career opportunities it offers. This Secondary School initiative is accompanied by a STEM Passport (Marine), recording ‘world of work’ activity undertaken.  STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.



Also attending were the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, and Shipping Minister, The Hon Mike Penning.

Peter Shanks, Managing Director and President of Cunard Line and Captain Julian Burgess  welcomed Her Royal Highness aboard.  She was greeted by enthusiastic crew members in the Grand Lobby before touring the ship, including the bridge, and signing the visitor's book. She then unveiled a plaque to commemorate her presence on board. 

(Source: etravelblackboard.com)

Cruise Ships Too Big for Sydney?

New giant-size cruise ships may be unable to dock in Sydney because they are too large to get under the famed Harbour Bridge, Australian officials said.

An alternative plan had been to allow them to dock at the naval base on Garden Island, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. But a review by Allen Hawke, a former Defense Department secretary, concluded that would interfere with naval operations.

Hawke suggested other options, including providing a mooring space near the Overseas Passenger Terminal or allowing cruise ships to use the cargo port at Botany Bay.

Ann Sherry, chief executive of Carnival Australia, said neither would work because passengers prefer ships to be at a dock and not moored offshore -- and because Botany Bay is unappealing. Bringing passengers in from a moored ship is also time-consuming and expensive, she said.
Industry executives said one-third of the cruise ships that are likely to visit Sydney will be too big for the Harbour Bridge by 2015. Sherry said she sees no reason why the industry and the navy could not co-exist.

''It's nonsense to say you can't have the two together,'' she said.

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Now That's Impressive Parking - Queen Mary II's Royal Arrival in Brisbane

THE world's most famous cruise ship arrived in Brisbane yesterday and it was up to Ipswich's Captain Chris Gallagher to ensure the ship's safe arrival into port.

Captain Gallagher of Karalee took control of the Queen Mary 2 at 3.30am yesterday as it floated off the coast at Mooloolaba.

He was one of two pilots guiding in the Queen Mary 2 for the final three hours of its trip before docking in the Brisbane River.

Despite its impressive size, Captain Gallagher said the Queen Mary 2 was easy to direct.

"The ship is very manoeuvrable. Despite its size it is very powerful and has an amazing propulsion system," he said.

"It's very much a team effort. It's not down to one person. There was a second commander who is like the captain and 10 other people on the bridge."

Preparations for the ship's arrival began over a year ago, and included a trip to Sydney for Captain Gallagher to meet the ship's crew.

"We actually spent a bit of time on a ship simulator at the Brisbane Airport and had a number of scenarios. We put in high winds and currents before the ship arrives so we know how it will perform once we get on board."

It was a happy moment once the ship had docked safely.

"It was exhausting. Once we got along side the dock there was a lot of relief. A high profile ship like that we don't want to it to go wrong."

He described taking control of the ship as one of his career highlights.

"It has to be. She's a very special ship and it would have to be up there when I look back on my career."

In 2009 Captain Gallagher piloted his first international vessel, the USS Ronald Reagan down the Brisbane River and into port.

Royal arrival

The Queen Mary 2 cost $1 billion to construct and is three times the size of the Titanic.

It is 345m long, 41m wide and travels at a top speed of 30 knots.

The ship has over 300 original art works, valued at over $5 million.

Charles and Camilla Royals to Visit Australia

We were hoping for William and Kate, but the palace has confirmed Prince Charles and Camilla will visit Australia next year as part of the queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

To mark Queen Elizabeth's 60 years on the throne, members of the royal family will visit every realm, Commonwealth Country, Crown Dependency and British Overseas Territory.

In pictures: Queen Elizabeth's visit to Australia

Charles and his wife will tour Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. The heir to the throne will also travel to the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man alone.

Prince William and Kate, who were rumoured to be coming Down Under, will instead tour Malaysia, Singapore, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

Party-loving Prince Harry is likely to be very happy with his itinerary, which includes Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas.

Prince Andrew will visit India, while Prince Edward and his wife Sophie will tour Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Gibraltar, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.

Princess Anne will travel to Mozambique and Zambia, Prince Michael of Kent the Falkland Islands and Uganda, and the Duke of Gloucester the British Virgin Islands and Malta.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip will stay closer to home, touring the UK including trips to Wales, Scotland and multiple destinations in England.

The monarch and her husband completed a very successful tour of Australia earlier this year, which included visits to Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.

Your say: Which member of the royal family would you like to see in Australia?

Giant Aussie Barbecue Farewells the Queen

Australia threw a giant barbecue in perfect weather to farewell the Queen after an 11-day visit in which she opened Perth's CHOGM and bolstered the stock of the monarchy in the face of Australia's apparent indifference to becoming a republic.

The Queen and Prince Philip left Australia on Saturday for the 16th, and possibly final, time following a community barbecue on the banks of the Swan River attended by an estimated 100,000-plus people.

The picture-postcard scene - under a "big blue Australian sky" as West Australian Premier Colin Barnett noted - was not lost on the Queen.

"I can think of no more fitting way to end our visit than in this idyllic Swan River setting," the Queen told tens of thousands of flag-waving Aussies whose sausage sizzle purchases were all going to charity.

"Once again we return to the UK with fond memories of our warm welcome on our 16th visit to this beautiful country."

The Queen praised Australia for hosting a "most successful" CHOGM, saying the nation had endeared itself to the international community through its professional excellence, generosity and goodwill.

"We have enjoyed our visit immensely," she said.

"We have been overwhelmed by your kindness and support."

The Queen is no stranger to barbecues, either as a guest or host.

When Prime Minister Paul Keating visited her at Balmoral castle in Scotland in 1993, to tell her most Australians felt the monarchy was an anachronism, she offered him the choice of a formal dinner or a barbecue.

Mr Keating took the Aussie option.

The Queen, dressed down to tweeds, drove him in her Land Rover to a remote hut on her estate where Prince Philip was busy cooking the steaks.

Mr Keating has told how the Queen asked him to help her fetch the plates from the boot.

And when the barbecue was over she asked him to help with the dishes, which he did.

This time the hosting duties were reversed, and Lyn Barnett, the WA premier's wife, gave Prince Philip a gift which will come in handy if he has another Keating moment - an Aussie barbecue cookbook.

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh waved at throngs lining the streets on their motorcade from Government House.

Perth's Bell Tower rang in welcome as they arrived on the Swan River foreshore, where the Queen addressed the crowd and enjoyed a leisurely walkabout.

Wearing a pink and white silk dress, she spoke with celebrity chef Anna Gare, and told her she was very excited about the fresh food movement among Australian youngsters.

"I told her England's Jamie Oliver has had a huge influence on cooking in Australia," Ms Gare said.

Jill Bishop, from Gidgegannup, told the Queen: "It's been wonderful to have you here" and Her Majesty replied: "It's been wonderful to be here."

Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi, the last person to farewell the Queen, said: "She was just adorable."

During her Australian visit the Queen had audiences with Governor-General Quentin Bryce, Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

She paid tribute to Australia's fallen soldiers at Canberra's War Memorial, and had lunch with a number of notable Australians including Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush, horse-racing legend Bart Cummings and indigenous leader June Oscar.

Perth easily turned on the biggest crowds of her visit, but in Brisbane, where she met flood and cyclone victims, an estimated 45,000 well-wishers cheered her on a boat trip.

In Melbourne she officially opened the new Royal Children's Hospital almost 50 years after opening the original.

In Perth she visited an Aboriginal college and opened CHOGM with an appeal to leaders of more than 50 countries to implement bold reforms to rejuvenate a beleaguered Commonwealth.

Republicanism has been on the wane in Australia since the failure of the 1999 referendum, and the Queen's visit capped a purple patch for the royals, highlighted by Prince William's marriage earlier this year to Catherine Middleton.

Many commentators have been calling this her last tour of Australia in light of the 85-year-old monarch's age.

But a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman insisted the tour did not have the feeling of a final event, and the monarch was "delighted" with the warmth of the reception she received.

"It's almost a coming home for the Queen," the spokeswoman said.

"She has a huge fondness for Australia.

"A lot of Australians have worked in her household.

"There's no sense at all of 'Thank you and goodbye'."

(By Doug Conway, AAP Senior Correspondent, ninemsn.com.au )

Queen Bids Farewell to Melbourne After Whirlwind Visit

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh left Melbourne's sunny skies and arrived to inclement weather in Perth.

A crowd of more than 400 people braved the wet weather to sneak a peek at the royal pair touching down at Perth International Airport at 4.20pm, five minutes ahead of schedule.

WA Premier Colin Barnett and his wife Lyn, as well as Defence Minister Stephen Smith, were on the tarmac waiting for the Queen to arrive.

As she emerged from the plane, the Queen was greeted by loud cheers from the waiting crowd who had been gathering all afternoon.

Earlier in the day during her whirlwind tour of Melbourne, the Duke of Edinburgh was every inch the exasperated commuter when he took a tram ride through the city with the Queen.

As soon as the royal couple stepped aboard the public transport vehicle he waved his hand and ordered driver Joyleen Smith to set off as they were running late.

It is the first time the monarch has travelled by tram since she boarded one during the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002.

In honour of the royal passengers the white Z3-Class vehicle had been transformed with a red, white and blue exterior colour scheme and inside it had been refurbished and restored.

A dot-matrix screen at its front displayed the words "royal tram" while a smaller one was lit up with the monarch's initials "ER''

Ms Smith, a tram driver for almost seven years, described today's event as an honour.

She added: "When they got on I said hello to the Queen, and Philip said 'come on driver lets go, were running late', so I thought we better go.

"He said it with a smile on his face and I know hes got a wicked sense of humour."

The pair boarded the tram at Stop 13 in Melbourne's Federation Square and travelled along St Kilda Road to a reception and lunch with local politicians at Government House, before flying to Perth late this afternoon.

Earlier they had been held up during a walkabout through the square as dozens of well-wishers had wanted to hand flowers and presents to the royals as tens of thousands looked on.

The royal couple sat facing each other with the Premier of Victoria, Ted Baillieu, and his wife Robyn sat side by side close by.

The monarch may be more used to travelling in a chauffeur driven state Bentley or Rolls Royce but she appeared at home on public transport.

They used a myki - a pre-paid travel card - but it is not known if they chose the two-hour zone one fare costing $3.80 or opted for the cheaper $2.80 senior citizen option.

Four mounted officers from Victoria Police escorted the royal tram which travelled at walking pace, around 3mph, during the eight minute journey.

Among the two horses that led the way was Super Impressive, a former racehorse that had earned around $1.5 million during its former career.

The royal couple waved at the thousands who lined their route and the crowds cheered and screamed in response.

The Queen is greeted with a letter as she walks through Federation Square. Picture: Alex Coppel

Their journey took them along part of the route of the number eight tram which runs from the Brunswick depot to Toorak.

Ms Smith, who drives trams along the inner-city routes one, eight and 19, said she had taken commuters along the stretch of track used by the royals hundreds of times.

She added: "A couple of times I got a little overwhelmed and thought I was going to cry - all the people were waving at her. At one point I even waved at someone I recognised.

"But despite being nervous at first it was overwhelming, what an honour to drive the Queen."

Before boarding the tram the Queen was met by a forest of flags and a sea of smiles as she swept through Federation Square.

Some staked their places beside the metal barricade flanking the red carpet four hours early, excited children bearing bouquets at the front.

And others brought home-made signs, hoping they would be a magnet to the monarch.

The welcome was warm, in fact too warm for some as a few onlookers seemed to succumb to heat stroke after hours in the full sun.

But the Queen's arrival eclipsed even that as thousands almost filling the square fell respectfully silent.

Children perched on shoulders and in the few trees. Arms in the crush stretched high to photograph Her Majesty, aiming vaguely towards an occasionally visible pink hat.

"She's so short, damn it,'' one woman complained, but for most in the crowd, near enough was better than good enough.

Cecelia Egan held a sign. Australia Loves Our Queen, and the Queen returned the love, moving close and appreciating the handiwork.

"I said 'thank you for coming','' Ms Egan said.

"I am so pleased she read the sign. I could see her eyes reading it, then she gave a beautiful little gracious sign and moved on.

"My life's complete ... now I can die.''

Eliza Comerford, 9, staked a spot near the metal barriers at 8.30am, and was rewarded for her patience when the Queen saw a Welcome Queen Elizabeth sign, came over and took her flowers.

"She said 'Thank You','' Eliza said excitedly.

After about 20 minutes walking the red carpet, taking bunch after bunch of flowers, the Queen waved and moved on to the royal tram.

After the Occupy Melbourne protests, black glove-wearing police checked men who didn't look to fit in, running checks on their names.

No details of arrests were immediately available.

After a short ride down St Kilda Rd the Queen was then driven in her Range Rover to Government House for a reception and lunch.

A group of anti-carbon tax protesters assembled near Government House, armed with banners reading "Welcome, your Majesty, please dissolve parliament," and "carbon tax corruption".

Inside Government House the Queen mingled with everyday Victorians, current and former politicians and former governors.

But there was a clear focus on everyday Victorians, particularly flood and fire victims.

The Queen then had a lunch with 60 VIPs in the state drawing room before signing a guest book and an official photograph

She left Government House at about 2.45pm, making her way back to the airport where she flew to Perth for the final stop on her royal tour.

The Queen visits the Clontarf Aboriginal College and attend a state reception at Government House in Perth hosted by WA Premier Colin Barnett.

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Hail Victoria! Long May Melbourne's Royal Reminders Reign

Doing away with monarchy's monuments would be madness - even for a republic.

WHEN the Queen arrives this morning on her visit to the state named in honour of her great-great grandmother, it is worth recalling Queen Victoria's profound influence on a place she never visited, but probably thought of occasionally.

India may have been her jewel in the crown - this at a time when the crown was clustered with imperial gems - but I am sure little old Melbourne, tucked down among the garnets, below the diamonds and sapphires, warranted an occasional look through the royal loupe.

Melbourne is really Queen Victoria's town. Not perhaps as much personally - even if her majesty had visited, it would have been hard to imagine her taking the No. 8 tram down St Kilda Road - but more in terms of civic heritage and the very formation of this great city. Melbourne's beginnings were more or less contemporaneous with Queen Victoria's: our settlement began two years before she ascended the throne in 1837. Our inner-suburban terrace housing, along with the parks and gardens that allow the city breathing space, evolved with stately enterprise and care, providing grace and dignity.

The apogee of Victorian Melbourne was William Wardell's Government House, which surmounts the Royal Botanic Gardens like the topmost tier of a wedding cake. I think of William Delafield Cook's painting of the house's belvedere tower poking up through the foliage of the surrounding gardens - a view now destroyed, in modern actuality, by the Eureka building, whose erectile presence would not have amused Queen Victoria.

The present Queen will be at Government House today for lunch. Although the menu, fashion and guest list might have changed, the architecture itself remains absolutely of its period. Even though it is Italianate in style, the house is a prime example of mid-Victorian splendour, as outrageously dignified in its own sedate way as the Royal Albert Hall, in London's Kensington, is a monument to the more adventurous realm of arts and sciences. The difference is that while the hall is a public venue, frequently jammed up to the last letter on its rooftop frieze, Government House is still a vice-regal citadel; it should, as I have said before, be open more to the public.

Thank heavens, though, that other parts of Victorian Melbourne are more accessible: in fact, this city is Victoriana personified. The name - her name - is part of the way we are. Think of Victoria Parade, Victoria Street, the Queen Victoria Market - these are names engraved in the memories of Melburnians, never to be effaced by even the most zealot-like republican. Nor should they be. If, in time, we become truly independent, it would be a form of revisionist madness to rid ourselves of such poignant and meaningful remembrances of things past.

Not that we are always conscious of such provenance. We drive down Royal Parade or Queens Road or King Street or Elizabeth Street without thinking of the origins of their names. We go to the Princess or Her Majesty's theatres not out of monarchical respect but simply to see a show. In the same way, we might run through Royal Park or the Alexandra Gardens, walk across Princes Bridge, or marvel at the Royal Exhibition Building, taking their names for granted yet still extracting infinite pleasure simply because they are there.

Yet, in some other areas of life, we have shown independence and common sense. It was not that long ago that Sir Robert Menzies unilaterally decided to call Australia's unit of decimal currency the Royal; just as well the dollar prevailed. Maybe that was the tentative beginning of republican sentiment. But the Queen still appears on our coinage and on the $5 note - which is correct, as the Queen is still our head of state.

When I last checked, Australia was still a constitutional monarchy, and, whatever one's views on how long this should continue, proper respect and traditions have every reason to be upheld as well as preserved. That, in the end, is the whole point of maintaining heritage rather than feeling compelled to reinterpret it or, worse, deny it.

Monuments, it should be remembered, serve a double purpose: to remind as well as enlighten. Such reminders, though, are not always pleasant. In Moscow some years ago, I visited the Graveyard of Fallen Monuments, a cemetery without a single human body. This hybrid of necropolis, playground and sculpture park is reserved for the detritus of the Soviet era: the statuary, symbols and signs of the once-feared, now disgraced people who ruled back in the USSR. Thus a statue of Stalin, on its side, rubs stony shoulders with a chipped bust of Brezhnev. Not so far away, there stands in brooding isolation the statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky, founder of what became the KGB, which was toppled outside the Lubyanka in the revolution 20 years ago.

For all its doom and gloom, this graveyard was encouraging as it represented a sense of cultural preservation essential to remind generations of terrible times as well as the good. For the same reason, this is why a goodly chunk of the Berlin Wall still stands where it was first erected, in 1961.

In this part of the world, it is also crucial to keep our heritage intact. Not to remind us of despotic rule, but, conversely, of a system that has held us in good stead and enabled us to reach this stage of self-determination.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/hail-victoria-long-may-melbournes-royal-reminders-reign-20111025-1mi0t.html#ixzz1bq4Fhpfb

Brisbane Tourism News: Queen Elizabeth's Four-Hour Visit to Brisbane Leaves Lasting Impression

SHE spent just over four hours in the state that bears her name but the Queen's visit left a lasting impression on a recovering Brisbane.

More than 45,000 people crowded into South Bank to welcome Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh to Queensland for maybe the last time.

Despite soaring temperatures, the crowd swelled - as many as 30-people deep in some sections - waiting for a glimpse of the Queen.

After a trip down the Brisbane River, she later comforted flood and cyclone victims and thanked volunteers who helped the state through its summer of disasters.

Ben Conway, 8, was one of the lucky ones to meet the monarch. The last time he wore his Queen's Guard's outfit, it was among his school mates at a Rochedale State School cultural day.

Yesterday, the little boy from Daisy Hill got to don the ceremonial uniform of the palace foot guards again.

But this time he got to meet the Queen.

Ben was among a handful of excited children plucked from a crowd of more than 45,000 at South Bank to meet Her Majesty.

The 85-year-old monarch and the eight-year-old Queensland boy may not have exchanged many words, but they shared smiles and a photograph instead.

Asked about whether he was nervous, Ben declared "not at all", insisting "I had fun".

It was Ben's mother, Barbara, who was more overawed by the occasion.

The family emigrated from England a decade ago to settle in southeast Queensland.

Mrs Conway, 44, said she made the outfit for Ben to wear to a cultural day where students wore costumes from another country.

Brisbane Tourism News: Queen Elizabeth's Four-Hour Visit to Brisbane Leaves Lasting Impression

Melbourne prepares for the Queen

MELBOURNE will have a distinctly royal flavour tomorrow, when the Queen arrives in town.

Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will start their public tour of Melbourne at 12.30pm.

Their walk will start from the Ian Potter Centre through Federation Square, and they will then board the Royal Tram.

The tram will travel south down Swanston St to Government House Drive.

The Queen and the Duke will then transfer to a car to make their way to Government House for a state reception.

Public viewing access will be at Federation Square, along the eastern side of Swanston St and the eastern side of Government House Drive.

The Royal Tram will run on Melbourne’s networks for a year after the Queen’s visit.

“Melburnians have always been proud of our tram network and the Queen’s tram ride in Melbourne will add to its rich history,” Premier Ted Baillieu said.

While there have been reports of Occupy Melbourne protesters disrupting the visit, their intentions will not be known until this evening.

The group claims on their Facebook page the Queen has never been discussed in its general assemblies.

But minutes posted on its website show her visit came up in discussion in its fourth and seventh meetings.

“Mitch (affiliated with Socialist Alliance, Resistance, Refugee Action Group, Climate Action…) proposed that we occupy a space before the Queen comes to Melbourne,” state minutes from the seventh meeting.

Group members did not reach a decision, but it is expected they will come up with one tonight.

Queen Arrives for 16th Australia Visit

Canberra student James Rhodes received a nod from the Queen - but the 11-year-old may have cost himself the chance of a personal word with Her Majesty.

James was one of more than 200 children who lined Canberra's RAAF Fairbairn airfield on Wednesday to greet Queen Elizabeth II as she touched down in a British Airways 777 for her 16th visit to Australia, along with the Duke of Edinburgh.

Two students from every local school were asked to be part of the official welcoming party.

As they waited, James - unwilling to hold on to the bunch of flowers he'd brought for the Queen any longer - passed them to his Charles Conder Primary schoolmate, Emily Prior.

Emily was summarily handpicked to meet Her Majesty for a quick chat.

"He was the one that brought the flowers, but he didn't want to hold them," the excited 11-year-old told AAP.

"He's such a gentleman."

She told the story to the Queen, who thanked them and said that she was pleased to be in Australia.

James was hard-pressed to say if he was entirely happy he'd palmed the flowers off, but was still pleased he'd come within arm's reach of Australia's monarch.

Asked what Her Majesty meant to him, he said: "She's a nice old lady that's the same age as my grandmother, so be really nice to her!"

The Queen and Prince Philip have arrived in Australia for a 10-day visit, which will take in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth and day trips to Brisbane and Melbourne.

The tour kicked off smoothly on Wednesday afternoon, with the pair greeted not only by schoolchildren and the obligatory pack of photographers, but also several hundred bystanders who lined the fence of the airbase, about 400m away.

There was a small scheduling hitch when the plane landed 20 minutes ahead of its 6pm arrival time, with the big Boeing forced to wait on the tarmac for at least 15 minutes until the arrival of Governor-General Quentin Bryce.

When the Queen emerged, she looked fetching in a blue/green coat and matching hat (plus black accessories - tote, heels and gloves), despite what is usually a 20 hour-plus flight from England.

She and Prince Phillip then descended the stairs to greet the VIPs - receiving a curtsy from Ms Bryce, but just a handshake and slight bow from Prime Minister Julia Gillard and ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher.

They listened to the standard 21-gun salute and both the British and Australian national anthems before the Queen met the official welcoming party.

She received more flowers - this time from Margaret Cunningham, who presented a similar bunch to the Queen when she first visited Australia in 1954.

The Queen then met the waiting children and their parents.

An "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" and three cheers for the Queen later, it was into a shiny black Range Rover and off to Government House, which will be the official royal residence in Canberra.

The royal duo have a big itinerary planned, which starts in earnest on Thursday with a visit to the capital's famed flower show, Floriade.

Crowds are expected to gather on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin from 10.30am (AEDT) to catch a glimpse of the couple as they make their way by barge.

More official meetings are planned for Friday, while church and a special banquet for invited guests at Government House are expected to feature on Sunday.

They will travel to Brisbane on Monday, back to Canberra on Tuesday and onto Melbourne on Wednesday before attending the opening ceremy of CHOGM in Perth on Friday week.

The royal couple will leave Australia on Saturday, October 28

By Crystal Ja

(Source: news.ninemsn.com.au)

Going Gaga for Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth II begins this week her 16th official tour of Australia, competing with Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey as the biggest celebrity visitor down under in the past year as her fame outweighs her political relevance in a country where she is officially the head of state.

Arriving late Wednesday in the capital Canberra, where she will meet Prime Minister Julia Gillard—who publicly supports Australia's becoming a republic—the queen will take trips to Brisbane and Melbourne before traveling to Perth to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

"The queen's visit now is less a factor in politics than it is popular entertainment," Richard Stanton, senior lecturer in political communication at University of Sydney, said. "She is seen today by a generation in the same way Lady Gaga is seen."

Still, it's hard to picture the queen's hand-waving and flower-show excursions inspiring the hysteria that celebrities do. Lady Gaga, for instance, was granted honorary citizenship to Sydney when she flew in for a single concert in July, and Oprah Winfrey's visit last December was celebrated with a giant "O" installed on the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

The queen's visit isn't expected to reignite a debate over cutting the links that make her Australia's head of state—as much as Australia's Republican Movement wishes otherwise. The lobby plans receptions in each of the major cities the 85-year-old queen plans to visit to push for a constitutional change making Australia a republic, with an elected president as head of state.

Support in Australia for the constitutional change is falling despite weakening cultural and economic ties to the U.K. China is now Australia's top trading partner, with the U.K. at No. 10 last year.

Australians overwhelmingly voted against becoming a republic in 1999, and while a poll two years later showed 52% favored the change, since then the trend has been down: to 45% in 2007 and 41% earlier this year, according to a Newspoll survey ahead of the royal wedding of the Queen's grandson Prince William and Kate Middleton.

A representative for the queen was unreachable for comment on the subject, though the queen herself has previously said that she wouldn't oppose Australia's becoming a republic.

And while the ruling Labor party is pro-Republican, it's not exactly firebrand. "I support Australia becoming a republic, but I have said that realistically that will only occur when the current monarch's reign ends," Defense Minister Stephen Smith said in an interview ahead of the queen's visit. "It is a sensible thing for Australia to become a republic, that is an inevitable process. I have never seen or envisaged that occurring in advance of the current monarch's reign ceasing."

The conservative coalition led by Tony Abbott is wholly against the country's becoming a republic. His office said he wouldn't support it even in the event of a change in monarch.

Australia's relationship with Buckingham Palace hasn't always been so easy-going. In 1975 the queen's then-representative in Australia, Governor-General Sir John Kerr, forced a near political coup when in an unprecedented act he used his royal powers to dismiss Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and his entire government over a financing crisis. That left a bitter taste and began a significant change in Australian political culture away from the U.K. and the royal family.

"There was a strong perception that the monarchy had played a role and that Sir John was doing the bidding of the royal family," Mr. Stanton said.

Still, the governor general—now Quentin Bryce—remains in place, continuing a system of governance that dates back to the first colony in 1788. She consults with and represents the monarch on matters from the royal image on stamps and coins to ceremonial colors for military units.

This royal trip isn't expected to be a news maker, unlike the tour by then-Princess Elizabeth in 1952; it was while en route to Australia via Kenya she learned her father had died, making her queen. Nor is it likely to match the 1868 visit by her ancestor Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria, who was shot in Sydney by an Irishman named Henry James O'Farrell. He recovered quickly, and a hospital in the city was named in his honor. (On this visit, the queen has chosen to skip Sydney.)

But any royal visit will deliver some ceremony—perhaps an argument for the royalist side in the constitutional debate. "It's nice to have a bit of color instead of the dullness of republicanism," said ardent monarchist John Armfield, a 50-year-old barrister who lives on Sydney's North Shore.

There also may be a couple of constitutional developments during the queen's trip, such as changes to the centuries-old rules governing royal succession. British Prime Minister David Cameron is seeking the consent of 15 Commonwealth nations in Perth to allow the first-born women in the royal line to ascend to the throne ahead of their brothers (Queen Elizabeth's father George VI had only daughters) and for those in the line of succession to be allowed to marry a Catholic without forfeiting their claim.

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Australia's Royal Love Affair

When Britain's Queen Elizabeth arrives in Australia next week, protocol says she should be addressed as Queen of Australia - something that will grate with republicans who want to sever ties with Britain and appoint an Australian president.

The royal tour, possibly the queen's last to Australia given her 85 years and the long distance from Buckingham Palace, will reignite debate on whether the nation should become a republic.

Australia is a constitutional monarchy, with the British monarch its head of state who acts in predominately a ceremonial manner but has the power to approve the abolition of parliament, which happened in 1975 toppling the then government.

But republicans concede any debate will be short lived and their dream of an Australian republic and president will remain just that - for many years to come.

Time, politics and apathy have all conspired against Australia's republicans. And republicans know there is no appetite to put the issue back on the national agenda.

An opinion poll this week revealed support for the monarchy had risen to 55% of the population, while support for a republic was at its lowest level in 23 years at 34%.

"Politicians on both sides say they believe in a republic but none of them is confident of its electoral appeal to bring it forward," said Mike Keating, chairman of the Australian Republic Movement.

"It makes me feel personally, and the republican movement generally, a bit despondent about the state of Australian politics."

In contrast, Australia's monarchists, who defeated a national vote to become a republic in 1999, are giddy with excitement about Queen Elizabeth's 16th "Down Under" royal tour.

"The magic of monarchy still has a place and we saw that at the royal wedding and we will see it during the royal visit. There is great affection for the queen," said Professor David Flint, head of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM).

After their 1999 defeat, republicans thought they were given a second chance when Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was elected in 2007, promising another plebiscite on a republic.

But Rudd was toppled in a 2010 party room coup by current Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and although a republican, she heads a minority government struggling to survive and has no desire to raise the divisive republican issue.

Gillard, like many republicans, now says Australia will not become a republic until Queen Elizabeth dies, such is the affection for the queen in Australia.

Keating says "it's essentially just putting the issue off", while monarchists say no future government would dare raise the issue in the wake of a royal funeral or coronation.

"It is completely off the public agenda," said Flint. "The republican politicians say they want a plebiscite. They won't get it."

If opinion polls are correct, then Gillard will be ousted at the next election in 2013 in favour of conservative opposition leader Tony Abbott, a staunch monarchist. If that is the case, the earliest republicans can expect another vote would be after the 2016 election, and only if a republican is prime minister.

Republicans-in-waiting?

Australians have fought alongside Britain in every major war, but there has always been an anti-British streak running through the country.

Gold miners staged the failed Eureka stockade rebellion against British taxation in 1854. During a royal visit in 1868, Queen Victoria's son, Prince Alfred, was shot in an assassination attempt as he picnicked on Bondi Beach.

Twenty years ago, a small band of Australians met in Sydney to form the Australian Republican Movement. On a wet and miserable night in Sydney in July, many of the same people held a 20th anniversary dinner.

It was a "sodden night when only fools and fanatics would venture out, 150 rusted-on believers in an Australian republic gathered for an evening of warm reminiscence", founding member Mark Day wrote of the event.

"But the warmth could not hide the bleak reality. We held a party, few came and fewer noticed," said Day.

Day recalled the black humour talk of treason and sedition when the movement was formed, the optimism in the 1990s that a republic would be formed, and how the nation's "heart was broken" when the republic vote was lost.

"Twenty years on from the original push and a dozen on from the referendum, when will the time be right to have another go? Certainly not now. There is a toxic mood in public affairs at present," said Day.

"The Gillard government has its back to the wall and it appears the voters have stopped listening."

Australia's royal love affair

During Queen Elizabeth's 1963 Australian royal tour, then Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies said: "I did but see her passing by, and yet I love her till I die."

For most, Queen Elizabeth is the only monarch they have known and the emotional connection resonates with many, especially older, Australians.

Monarchist Jai Martinkovits, 24, says many young Australians also have a soft spot for the queen, just like they would their grandmother, and now a growing affinity with the young royals, like Prince William, Kate and Harry.

"The young royals are huge in raising awareness about what this institution is and why it is relevant. I think with that will flow further support for the monarchy," he said.

Martinkovits is the youngest executive director of the ACM and reflects a push to attract young Australians to the cause. ACM's Facebook has 22,000 fans and its website 12 million hits.

But it is apathy towards politics amongst young Australians that is the main reason they do not support a republic, said Martinkovits, who admits he became involved by accident when he dated the ACM secretary.

"If we look at the polls, there are two categories of people who have very, very little support for a republic. The elderly are passionate monarchists and young people are apathetic and generally conservative to change," he said.

Flint said support for the monarchy was support for Australia's stable political system and not directly driven by a desire to have a queen or king as head of state.

"I think there is strong support for the existing system which incorporates the crown," he said.

"They don't completely understand the precise role of the crown, but they have a sense that this is something that is not political and understand that you need checks and balances on power."

Australia is a nation of immigrants with one in four people born overseas and Flint believes many migrant Australians oppose a republic because of past experiences in countries where presidential power was abused.

The zenith of the republic debate in the 1990s was wrapped around the issue of national identity as it coincided with a time of reflection as Australia neared the 2000 Sydney Olympics and its centenary as a nation in 2001.

The past decade has seen the national focus shift to more pragmatic issues, bracketed by global economic woes.

Some republicans hope that from 2014, Australians will enter another period of self-examination and rekindle the republican dream.

The ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) centenaries starting in 2014 will mark Australia's greatest military battles, especially the defeat under British command at Gallipoli during World War One.

"In the years ahead we will surely reflect on the critical elements that contributed to the Australian psyche," said Day.

"Republicanism and the ANZAC image - laconic self-reliance and insolence towards the British generals - are easy bedfellows."

Source: http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/australia-s-royal-love-affair-4460454