Press Release
ROYAL
VISIT 29 JULY 2006
The
Queen completed her 80th Birthday cruise on the
Hebridean Princess when the vessel berthed at
Stornoway Harbour on Saturday 29 July at 1230.
In
advance of the vessel's arrival, a massive Security
operation was launched at the Port's No. 3 Pier,
involving Port Authority Staff, Northern Constabulary,
Strathclyde and Metropolitan Police.
A
large crowd of some 500 had congregated on the
pier, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Royals.
The Queen had chartered the luxurious cruise vessel
'Hebridean Princess' for the 8-day cruise of the
Western Isles to celebrate her 80 th birthday.
It was a nostalgic trip down memory lane for Queen
Elizabeth, who used to cruise the Western Isles
on the Royal Yacht Britannia in the 70s and 80s.
The Queen was surrounded by her immediate family
on what was deemed a private cruise, with no official
engagements being planned for that week.
The
'Hebridean Princess' arrived with full colours
flying at 1230 hours, by which time the East Side
of No. 3 Pier had been sealed off to the public
for security purposes. All the luggage for the
Royal Party was firstly unloaded into a fleet
of 4 Range Rovers specially shipped to the island
to transport the Queen and the Royal Family.
The
Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh disembarked at
1430 to be greeted by Deputy Lord Lieutenant John
Murdo Morrison. They were immediately followed
by other members of the Royal Family including
Prince Andrew (HRH Duke of York), the Earl and
Countess of Wessex, Princess Anne, (the Princess
Royal), her husband Rear Admiral Timothy Laurence,
and Camilla the Duchess of Rothesay. Once ashore
they were whisked away in the Royal Transport,
slowing momentarily whilst passing the waiting
crowd at the adjacent Ferry Terminal. They were
driven to Stornoway Airport where they joined
the Royal flight, taking them to their mainland
destination, thought to be Aberdeen , and then
onwards to Balmoral.
Prince
Charles remained on board the 'Hebridean Princess'
and was due to disembark at Scrabster on Sunday
30th . The vessel sailed from Stornoway at 1530
with the lone Prince waving from the poop deck.
