African destinations the Queen toured in her lifetime

South Africa

The Queen visited South Africa on Her Majesty’s 21st birthday in 1947. The young Princess Elizabeth was on a Royal Tour with her parents and sister Princess Margaret in Cape Town when she made an oath to the Commonwealth.

The tour was a three-month trip, travelling through South Africa and Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, by boat, train and aeroplane.

Not long after this visit, in 1948, the National Party was elected and the apartheid regime began, during which time members of the Royal Family avoided South Africa, despite the Queen being Sovereign of the country until 1961. Apartheid ended in the early 1990s with the formation of a democratic government in 1994. Kenya

Princess Elizabeth left her ailing father, King George VI, and set off for Kenya, in February 1952.

The princess and her husband, Prince Philip, visited Treetops Lodge in Aberdare National Park, a popular spot back then for viewing animals. It was there, on the slopes of Mount Kenya, that Prince Philip gave Princess Elizabeth the news of her father’s death and that she was to become Queen at the age of 25.

Uganda

Although the Queen ascended the throne during a visit to Kenya, it was a trip to Uganda in 1952 that marked her first Africa visit since her coronation.

The Queen was greeted warmly, with thousands of cheering Ugandans lining the streets. During her time there, she visited Kazinga National Park, later named Queen Elizabeth National Park in her honour.

Ethiopia

In 1965, the Queen and Prince Philip visited Ethiopia, the birthplace of Haile Selassie, Ethiopia’s charismatic emperor, who had forged a close connection with Britain during World

War II. Selassie lived in exile in Bath, England, for five years while his home country was under Italian occupation.

The Queen rode through the capital Addis Ababa, in a carriage pulled by six white horses, and was the guest of honour at a state banquet in the old palace, where in the gardens the emperor kept his ‘pet’ lions.

The royal couple stayed in Ethiopia for a week and visited the new cathedral at Axum and the Tississat Falls at Lake Tana during their stay.

Seychelles

In 1972, the Queen visited Seychelles and officially opened the country’s international airport. During her tour of Mahe, the largest island of Seychelles, she met a giant turtle that was 75 years old.

Tanzania

At the start of her African Tour in

1979, Queen Elizabeth II visited Tanzania. Her Majesty’s itinerary did not allow for much exploring. However, her son, Prince Charles, and Camilla Parker Bowles visited in 2011 and enjoyed a walking safari in Arusha National Park, famed for its large number of elephants. Malawi

The Queen also visited Malawi during her 1979 African Tour. This was about 15 years after Malawi had gained its independence from Britain. Her Majesty’s visit was a formal affair, with her and Prince Philip attending multiple receptions alongside the country’s president, Hastings Banda. The Queen wore some of her finest jewels for the occasion, including a diamond tiara.

Botswana

During her 1979 Africa Tour, Queen Elizabeth II made her only state visit to Botswana. She was welcomed by

tribal dancers and a 21-gun salute. The Queen was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and her second son, Prince Andrew.

Zambia

The final stop on the Queen’s 1979 tour of Africa, to Zambia, was almost cancelled due to security risks. Luckily, it proved a safe and successful trip.

Her Majesty’s flight from Botswana took her over Livingstone, where the famous Victoria Falls are.

Despite safety concerns, security on the ground was light and the cheering Zambians chanted “K-k-queenie” in honour of their then-president, Kenneth Kaunda.

Zimbabwe

Queen Elizabeth II visited Zimbabwe for the Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1991, however, it was not her first visit to the country.

She had first set foot there in 1947 with her father, King George VI, her mother Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.

Namibia

The Queen and Prince Philip also visited Namibia in 1991. This was the monarch’s first-ever trip to the youngest member of the Commonwealth, the only one of 50 ex-colonies that Her Majesty had never visited.

They were greeted in Windhoek by Namibia’s new president, Sam Nujoma, and his wife, Kovambo. They then travelled to Ondangwa near Etosha National Park to learn about conservation.

Mozambique

The Queen’s visit to Mozambique in 1999 was the final leg of her tour and the final country she officially visited in the 20th century. It was a whistle-stop 12 hours, and although she was welcomed by President Joaquim Chissano, the response to Her Majesty’s visit was underwhelming, with only 14 people from the country’s capital, Maputo, turning up to see her at the city hall.