A speech by HRH The Prince of Wales in Papua New Guinea

Your Excellency, Prime Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen,

[In Tok Pisin: I am the first born child of Her Majesty The Queen and am the tenth Lapan of Manus. I bring you greetings from Her Majesty The Queen of Papua New Guinea and from all my Family Members during this celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of The Queen. Was my Pisin correct?]

Mi nambwan pikinini bilong misis kwin na wanpela ten lapan bilong Manus. Mi bringim bikpela tok hamamas bilong Mejesti Kwin bilong Papua Niugini na olgeta haus lain bilong mi lon dispela taim bilong Diamon Jubili bilon misis kwin. Mi tokpisin olrite?

Thank you all for such a tremendous welcome. I am so pleased to return to Papua New Guinea and to be joining you here for so happy a celebration.

My wife, for whom this is a first visit, has for many years heard me talk about this wonderful country and its people; I am delighted that she finally has the chance to experience Papua New Guinea's warmth and beauty for herself.

This is a great day and a magnificent spectacle. We are gathered here to celebrate The Queen's sixty years of service to others. I know how honoured Her Majesty is to be your Queen, a title borne by her with immense pride and renewed by the people of this great country upon independence in 1975.

I remember those celebrations well when, as Her Majesty's personal representative, I travelled here to witness the excitement and anticipation in this nation as a new era beckoned. Papua New Guinea proudly took its own place among the Commonwealth of Nations throughout which, in this Diamond Jubilee year, there has been much rejoicing.

I can tell you that The Queen has been greatly touched by these many kindnesses and is delighted that her Diamond Jubilee is being marked so memorably here today. The theme of service to others, to which our Service of Worship referred, is at the heart of these celebrations and our visit.

My wife and I greatly look forward to meeting as many Papua New Guineans as we can, who have given their time and energies in support of their communities.

These are the people living among us, often unnoticed and unrewarded, who constitute the bedrock of our society. Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you will forgive me reminiscing a little. For I paid my first visit here nearly fifty years ago, the happy result of an extension to my school career in Australia. I have never forgotten the profound impact of that visit.

I vividly recall the powerful worship in Dogura Cathedral which affected me greatly; and, I was overwhelmed to learn that, at Wadua, the drums had been beating for several days in anticipation of my arrival.

The importance of Papua New Guinean culture has remained with me ever since. It was therefore a particular pleasure, having welcomed Papua New Guineans living in Britain to St. James's Palace a few days ago, that my wife and I could depart to the beat of a kundu drum. And what a remarkable cultural display we have seen here this morning.

The 'P.N.G. Way' has been a wonderful production, showing something of the rich and vivid cultural traditions for which this country is so rightly famous. We congratulate you for a truly magnificent performance. I should also like to add a few words about the Royal Pacific Islands Regiment, formed up before us and turned out so splendidly. I grew up with the stories of the extraordinary courage of the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels which made possible the successes of the hard-fought campaign along the Kokoda Trail. So it was the proudest moment when I became your Colonel-in-Chief in 1984.

And I am delighted to have presented your new Colours a few moments ago, not only as a reflection of your illustrious history but also to commend your recent role in regional assistance and international peacekeeping. Your service has been and continues to be an enormous credit to this country.

Yupela olgeta lida, ol pikinini, ol sumatin, ol maan na meri, ol lida bilong sios na ol pipol bilong Papua Niugini. Mi na misis bilong mi mipela lik tok tenkyu tru lon yupela olgeta lon gutpela pasin bilong hamamas yupela mekim lon mipela lon kam lon Papua Niugini. Mi sorri true mi mas lusin yu quiktime tasol mi mas go lon samplea mor country mis kwini i bossin na ples bai i kol liklik. Ayooo! Bamahuta bon dirava hese baine hanamo mui.

[In Tok Pisin: Leaders, children, students, church leaders, ladies and gentlement, people of Papua New Guinea. My wife and I would like to thank you very much for your generosity and happiness in the way you have received us. I am sorry I have to leave shortly to visit some other countries of which The Queen is Sovereign and where it might be a little cooler! Goodbye and God Bless you all.]