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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Bahamas Information Services Updates 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.
“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.
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.
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