28.2.10

QUEEN ELIZABETH II TO GIVE PRESIDENT ZUMA PRIVATE TOUR OF COLLECTION


PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA WILL BE GIVEN A FASCINATING 'HISTORY LESSON' THIS WEEK WHEN THE QUEEN SHOWS HIM A SPECIAL, PRIVATE EXHIBITION OF MEMORABILIA REVEALING BRITAIN'S TIERS TO SOUTH AFRICA. SCORES OF GIFTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, LETTERS, SPEECHES AND OTHER ARTIFACTS WILL BE ON DISPLAY ON EIGHT TABLES IN THE FIRST FLOOR PICTURE GALLERY AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE, WHERE THE PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA AND ONE OF HIS THREE WIVES ARE STAYING AS GUESTS OF THE QUEEN AND PRINCE PHILIP. THE FIRST TABLE WILL HAVE MEMORABILIA, INCLUDING PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS, FROM THE FIRST VISIT BY THE QUEEN, THEN PRINCESS ELIZABETH, TO SOUTH AFRICA WITH HER PARENTS, GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH, AND HER YOUNGER SISTER, PRINCESS MARGARET, IN 1947. THE FUTURE QUEEN CELEBRATED HER 21st BIRTHDAY IN CAPE TOWN WHEN, IN A SPEECH BROADCAST ON RADIO FROM CAPE TOWN, SHE MOVINGLY DEDICATED HER LIFE TO THE SERVICE OF THE COMMONWEALTH. THE PRESIDENT, WHO STARTS A TWO-DAY STATE VISIT TO BRITAIN ON WEDNESDAY, WILL BE SHOWN A SPRIG OF ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS, KEPT AND LABELED BY HER GRANDMOTHER, QUEEN MARY, FROM PRINCESS ELIZABETH'S 21st BIRTHDAY CAKE. ALL THE MATERIALS ON SHOW COMES FROM THE ROYAL COLLECTIONS, THE ROYAL ARCHIVE OR IT BELONGS PERSONALLY TO THE QUEEN OR PRINCE PHILIP. ONE OF THE TABLES IS DEVOTED TO 1994-96, WHICH INCLUDES THE INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA ATTENDED BY PRINCE PHILIP. THE DISPLAY WILL INCLUDE AN ORNATE AND VALUABLE CHESS SET GIVEN AS A PRESENT TO PRINCE PHILIP BY PRESIDENT MANDELA ON HIS STATE VISIT TO BRITAIN IN 1996. PRESIDENT ZUMA WILL ALSO SEE A SET OF THE 'GREAT MAN BUTTONS' GIVEN TO THE QUEEN IN CAPE TOWN BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN 1995 DURING HER STATE VISIT. THE BUTTONS SHOW THREE PHASES OF PRESIDENT MANDELA'S LIFE: DARK DAYS (HIS TIME IN JAIL), SILVER DAY (FREEDOM) AND GOLD DAYS (HIS TIME AS PRESIDENT).

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