THE CAR CARRYING THE QUEEN MOVING THROUGH CROWDED STREETS ON JOURNEY INTO THE CITY, THE QUEEN AT THE RACE MEETING, AND ATTENDING THE STATE BANQUET.




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Background: BRITAIN'S QUEEN ELIZABETH ARRIVED IN KHARTOUM, THE CAPITAL OF SUDAN, YESTERDAY (MONDAY) AT THE BEGINNING OF A FOUR-DAY VISIT.A BUSY DAY AWAITED HER AS SHE AND HER HUSBAND, THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH DROVE THROUGH CROWDED STREETS FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE REPUBLICAN PALACE.AMONG THE ENGAGEMENTS WAS A RACE MEETING - IN WHICH THE RUNNERS WERE CAMELS, AND A STATE BANQUET AT WHICH THE QUEEN WAS GUEST OF HONOUR.

THE THREE-MILE ROUTE FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE PALACE WHERE THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE WERE TO STAY WAS LINED WITH THOUSANDS OF ENTHUSIASTIC SUDANESE.SOME STOOD AND WAVED AS THE ROYAL CAR EDGED ITS WAY ALONG THE ROAD, WHILE OTHERS RAN ALONGSIDE THE CAR CHEERING AND SHOUTING.ONLY A FEW DAYS EARLIER THIS HAD BEEN SCENE OF DEMONSTRATIONS BY OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE COALITION GOVERNMENT OF SERR EL-KHALIM KHALIFA.THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE, BOTH CONSPICUOUS IN WHITE STOOD UP FOR THE WHOLE JOURNEY, SMILING AND WAVING TO THE CROWD.

AN AFTERNOON ENGAGEMENT WAS A VISIT TO A RACE MEETING - AT HOME ONE OF THE QUEEN'S FAVOURITE OCCUPATIONS.BUT THIS TIME THE JOCKEYS WERE RIDING CAMELS - NOT HORSES.ONE OF THE RACES SHE WATCHED WAS OVER TWO AND A HALF MILES, AND THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE WATCHED THROUGH BINOCULARS AS THE JOCKEYS, RIDING SIDE-SADDLE, URGED THE LUMBERING BEASTS TOWARDS THE FINISHING LINE.

THE DAY ENDED WITH A STATE BANQUET AT WHICH THE QUEEN WAS GUEST OF HONOUR.THE ROYAL COUPLE WERE OFFICIALLY WELCOMED BY DR.TIGANI ELMAHI, HEAD OF THE SUDANESE SUPREME COUNCIL.IN HER SPEECH OF REPLY, THE QUEEN REMEMBERED THE PERIOD WHEN SUDAN WAS JOINTLY ADMINISTERED BY EGYPT AND BRITAIN, AND SUDAN'S SUBSEQUENT INDEPENDENCE.

SHE SAID: "THE SUDAN IS ONE OF THE OLDER INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES OF AFRICA TO WHOM THE STRESSES OF FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE ARE NOT ENTIRELY UNKNOWN.WE HAVE WATCHED WITH PARTICULARLY SYMPATHY DURING THESE TIME OF STRESS BECAUSE WE, THE BRITISH, HAVE A PROFOUND AND UNSHAKEABLE ATTACHMENT TO THE PRINCIPLE OF INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT".

THE PRESENT ROYAL VISIT TO SUDAN IS THE FIRST BY A REIGNING BRITISH MONARCH SINCE THAT OF THE QUEEN'S GRANDFATHER, KING GEORGE V IN 1912.

(MEANWHILE PLANS ARE GOING AHEAD FOR ANOTHER TOUR BY BRITAIN'S QUEEN.THIS WILL BE TO GERMANY IN MAY - AND IT WAS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED IN BONN TODAY - WEDNESDAY - THAT SHE WILL SPEND A SHORT TIME IN WEST BERLIN.