Since the days of Queen Margaret in the 11th century, there have been many royal and famous visitors to Queensferry. Below we have noted just a few.
On the 4th March 1890, HRH the Prince of Wales, (later King Edward VII) was in the company of Sir William Arrol, Lord Rosebery, Sir Benjamin Baker, the Marquis of Tweeddale and others, at the official opening of the Forth Rail Bridge. The Prince drove home the last rivet which was gilded for the occasion. There are believed to be no official photographs of this historical event but the image below shows an illustration from “Our Railways” by J Pendleton, published in 1896.
1940, King George VI visited and he inspected the WRENS at Port Edgar.
Image, King George VI visits Port Edgar. © Queensferry History Group
On 2nd July 1955, HM Queen Elizabeth and HRH Prince Philip visited Queensferry
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in Queensferry. Image: © Queensferry History Group
22nd September 1959, Nikita Khrushchev, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and Nikolai Bulganin, Soviet politician both visited Queensferry. (no image of this event is available)
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17th October 1962, King Olaf of Norway visited Queensferry. The Council Chambers was used as the Norwegian HQ during the second world war. King Olaf returned to thank the people of Queensferry and Scotland for their hospitality during the war years.
Image ©Queensferry History Group
Also in 1962 Princess Setsuko Chichibu of Japan visited Queensferry, exact date unknown. (No image of this event is available).
Princess Setsuko Chichibu of Japan 1909 - 1995. Image: Wikimedia Commons
On 15th June 1953, 2nd President of India, His Excellency Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan visited. (No image of this event is available).
2nd President of India, His Excellency Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Image: Wikimedia Commons
Dr Krishna Menon, High Commissioner of India from 1957 - 1962 , also visited but no date is available
In June 1964, 1st President of Sudan, Ferik Ibrahaim Abboud also visited Queensferry.
In June 1964, 1st President of Sudan, Ferik Ibrahaim Abboud also visited Queensferry.
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On 4th September 1964, HRH Queen Elizabeth performed the opening ceremony of the Forth Road Bridge
© Collage Image, Queensferry History Group
On 2nd September 1965, Queensferry had a visit from the Fijian Rugby Team (no image of this event is available )
Fijian Rugby Team 1961. Image: Wikimedia Commons
In June 1970, Princess Margaret opened Queensferry High School, marking the 900th anniversary of the arrival of Queen Margaret in Queensferry. Princess Margaret also revisited on 14th June 1972 to receive Freedom of the Burgh of Queensferry.
Image: ©Queensferry History Group
There have been many more visits and more recently HM Queen Elizabeth opened the new road bridge- 'Queensferry Crossing' in September 2017.
Queensferry Crossing. Image constructionenquirer.com
There have also been visits from other well known faces, most stopping at the now demolished Forth Bridge Motel. Among the big names were 'The Who', 'Status Quo', 'Cliff Richard', 'The Rolling Stones' and many more.
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©Queensferry History Group 2018
