Virginia's Royal Welcome

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, II and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, visited Virginia May 3rd and 4th to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the first permanent British colony in America. The Queen's first public appearance was in Richmond's Capitol Square, where visited Virginia's recently refurbished statehouse and address a special session of the General Assembly. The Queen toured the reproduction of the fort that english colonists built in 1607, more than a decade before the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth Rock. The royals also visited the Jamestown museum and archaeological and conservation sites at Jamestown. Many Virginians were hurriedly studying the rules of royal etiquette so as not to offend the royal couple. The Queen's colorful hats, and clothing captured the hearts of her adoring fans.



Over the course of my reign and certainly since I first visited Jamestown in 1957, my country has become a much more diverse society just as the commonwealth of Virginia and the whole United States of America have also undergone a major social change. - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, II, speech to the Virginia General Assembly