NASSAU, The Bahamas -- Prince
Harry was greeted by scores of cheering fans as he walked into Rawson
Square to officially open and view an exhibition depicting the reign
of his grandmother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as part of her Diamond
Jubilee celebrations.
“The Bahamas holds
a special place in Her Majesty’s heart. Her love for this realm and
you, the Bahamian people, stretches back over decades, right to that
first visit in 1966,” Prince Harry said during his address.
Governor General His Excellency
Sir Arthur Foulkes and Joan Lady Foulkes led the list of dignitaries.
Also present were Leader of the Opposition, the Hon Perry G. Christie;
Cabinet Ministers; members of the Senate and of the House of Assembly,
members of the Judiciary, other Government officials and members of
the Diplomatic Corp.
“I stand before you with
a deep sense of pride at being asked to convey to you a message of good
wishes from The Queen on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee,” Prince
Harry said.
He highlighted the accomplishments of The Bahamas during the 60-year
reign of his grandmother, whose coronation was held on June 2, 1953.
Photo: Kristaan Ingraham
“During the 60 years of my
Grandmother’s reign, The Bahamas has flourished in education, where
90 per cent of your teachers are Bahamian-trained; in sports, where
you plan to send a team to London for the Olympics; your development
and infrastructure, which has seen such rapid growth, both in public
works and such forward-looking projects as The Elizabeth Estates, which
is named after my grandmother. These provide good, low-cost housing
to Bahamian families,” Prince Harry said.
He added, “The Bahamas has made these huge strides, guided with surety
by its political leaders and its eight Bahamian Governors-General -
from Sir Milo Butler to Sir Arthur Foulkes. As a country, its growth and prosperity
are matched only by its continuing power of welcome.”
Prince Harry said he hoped
it would be his first of many visits to this country; his experiences
he would be “showing off about” to his brother Prince William
and this wife the Duchess of Cambridge.
Photo: Kristaan Ingraham
He concluded his speech by
quoting The Bahamas’ motto on its Coat-of-Arms, “Forward, Upward,
Onward, Together”, which he said, “So encapsulates The Queen’s
extraordinary life-long commitment to service and community.”
Following his remarks, Prince
Harry cut the ribbon and unveiled a portrait of his grandmother erected
alongside the statue of Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth II’s great-great
grandmother. The Governor-General then escorted him on a tour of the
exhibition displayed in Rawson and Parliament Squares.
Most notably were The Queen’s
first Official Visit in 1966, the opening of the Commonwealth Heads
of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 1985 and her return Official Visit
in 1994.
NASSAU, The Bahamas -- Prince Harry arrives in Rawson Square to officially open an exhibition in honour of the Diamond Jubilee of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II , Sunday, March 4, 2012. (BIS photo/Derek Smith)
Photo: Kristaan Ingraham
Photo: Kristaan Ingraham
Photo: Kristaan Ingraham
Photo: Kristaan Ingraham
SLIDE SHOW photos: Kristaan Ingraham
Photo: Kristaan Ingraham
NASSAU, The Bahamas -- Prince Harry receives a portrait of himself, sketched by artist Jamaal Rolle, during the opening of an exhibition in honour of the Diamond Jubilee of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, held in Rawson Square, Sunday, March 4, 2012. (BIS photo/Derek Smith)
