queen foreign visits

The Queen of travel

Queen Elizabeth II 1926 - 2022

Queen Elizabeth II leaves Fiji during a royal tour in February 1977. Serge Lemoine/Getty Images

The Queen of travel Journeys of a lifetime

By Francesca Street and Mark Oliver, CNN September 13, 2022

S he was traveling the moment she ascended to the throne, and for much of the next seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II criss-crossed the world. Newly married and still just a princess, Britain’s future monarch was in Kenya with husband Prince Philip in February 1952 when she learned of her father’s death and her new regal status.

During her reign she would visit more than 120 countries, witnessing first-hand the revolutions in global travel that shrank the world as her own influence over it diminished.

The Queen lived through the advent of the Jet Age, flew supersonic on the Concorde, saw regimes change, countries form and dissolve, the end of the British Empire and the rise of globalization.

Here are some of the most memorable travel moments from her 70 years as monarch.

November 24-25, 1953

Less than six months after she was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, Queen Elizabeth set off on her travels again. Her debut official state trip was an epic six-month tour of the Commonwealth -- the alliance of nations which were once British colonies. Traveling by air, sea and land she visited several countries, accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. First stop was the North Atlantic island of Bermuda, a British territory she would visit a further four times during her reign. The trip would go on to include stops in Jamaica, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Cocos Islands, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Aden (now part of Yemen), Uganda, Malta and Gibraltar.

December 19-20, 1953

At Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in June 1953, Queen Salote Tupou III of the Polynesian kingdom of Tonga won over the British public when she sat, rain-soaked, in her open carriage. They also took an interest when Elizabeth returned the visit later in the year. The two queens enjoyed an open-air feast, watched Tongan dancers and admired a tortoise that legend said was presented by explorer Captain James Cook to the King of Tonga in 1777.

December 23, 1953 – January 30, 1954

New zealand.

The Queen voyaged to New Zealand during the Antipodean summer of 1953-4. Over the course of the trip, it’s estimated that three out of every four New Zealanders got a glimpse of her. In preparation for the Queen’s visit, some New Zealand sheep were dyed in the UK flag colors of red, white and blue. The Queen returned to the country nine times over the years, including in 2002 as she marked half a century on the throne.

April 10-21, 1954

Ceylon (now sri lanka).

A visit to Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, coincided with the Queen’s 28th birthday. She visited the city of Colombo where crowds joined together to sing her “Happy Birthday.” She also visited the central city of Kandy, where she watched a procession featuring a reported 140 elephants and met local chiefs.

April 8-11, 1957

The Queen had visited France as a young princess, but her first state visit as monarch was a glamorous affair. She attended the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris, visited the Palace of Versailles, and dined at the Louvre with then-President Rene Coty. The Queen also laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe and visited the Scottish Church of Paris.

October 17-20, 1957

United states.

Having met President Harry S. Truman in Washington in 1951 during a visit before ascending to the throne, Elizabeth was no stranger to America when she arrived on her first trip as Queen. Her 1957 visit marked the 350th anniversary of the first permanent British settlement on the continent, in Jamestown. The monarch attended a college football game at the former Byrd Stadium in Maryland where she watched the home team lose to North Carolina. She met with President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the White House and later traveled to New York, where she and Prince Philip drove through the streets and admired panoramic views of the city from the Empire State Building.

February 1-16, 1961

The Queen and Prince Philip visited Pakistan in 1961, arriving in the port city of Karachi after completing a visit to India as part of a wider tour of South Asia. She drove through the streets of Karachi in an open-top car, before going on to visit Lahore, where a torchlight military tattoo took place in her honor and Prince Philip played in a game of polo.

February 26 to March 1, 1961

In Nepal, the Queen inspected troops in Kathmandu and met Gurkha ex-servicemen in Pokhara. The monarch rode on an elephant and visited the Hanuman Dhoka Palace complex in Kathmandu. She took part in the rather grim spectacle of a tiger hunt although didn’t shoot any animals herself. She instead recorded the experience on cine camera – a recording device that she often carried with her on her earlier foreign trips.

March 2-6, 1961

The Queen visited pre-revolution Iran at the end of her 1961 South Asian tour. Hosted by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, she toured ancient monuments including the ruins of Persepolis, once a capital of the Achaemenid Empire, later declared a World Heritage Site. She also saw Sheikh Lotfollah mosque in Esfahan and admired collections of the Archaeological Museum of Iran.

May 5, 1961

Vatican city.

In 1961, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to visit the Vatican. Dressed all in black, the Queen had an audience with Pope John XXIII, also attended by Prince Philip. She returned to the Vatican three more times during her reign, meeting Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis.

November 9-20, 1961

Bombing incidents in the capital Accra left officials worried about the safety of the Queen’s visit to Ghana but, after deliberation, UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan confirmed it would go ahead. During the trip, the Queen famously shared a dance with Ghana’s then-president, Kwame Nkrumah. At the height of Cold War uncertainty, this seemingly innocuous moment was seen as significant in ensuring Ghana remained affiliated to Britain and not the USSR.

May 18-28, 1965

West germany (now germany).

The Queen’s visit to West Germany and West Berlin was viewed as a symbolic gesture of goodwill in the post-World War II landscape. It was the first royal trip to German territory for more than 50 years and photographs such as one of the Queen and Prince Philip in a car driving past the Brandenburg Gate had symbolic resonance.

November 5-11, 1968

Queen Elizabeth became the first reigning British monarch to visit South America when she landed in Brazil in late 1968. During the trip, the Queen wore a striking jewelry set made of Brazilian aquamarine, gifted to her in 1953 by the Brazilian president and added to over time. The monarch also attended a football match between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and presented the winner’s trophy to Brazilian footballer Pele.

October 18-25, 1971

On the first of two trips to Turkey -- the second took place in 2008 -- the Queen visited the Gallipoli peninsula to remember the Allied soldiers who died there during World War I. The monarch also explored the ruins of the ancient Greek empire city of Ephesus. A media highlight of the visit came when she was photographed leaping ashore from a barge, after disembarking from her ship, the Royal Yacht Britannia.

February 10-15, 1972

Accompanied by Prince Philip and daughter Princess Anne, the Queen was greeted on arrival in Bangkok by a carpet of flower petals. The monarch was given a golden key to the city of Bangkok, attended a state banquet and visited Bang Pa-In Palace, the Thai royal family’s summer residence, north of the capital.

October 17-21, 1972

The Queen’s visit to Yugoslavia was her first trip to a communist country. The Central European country no longer exists -- the areas that the Queen visited are now part of Croatia. During her trip, she met Yugoslav political leader Josip Broz Tito and traveled on his famous Blue Train.

February 15-16, 1974

New hebrides (now vanuatu).

The Queen and Prince Philip visited the Pacific island archipelago of Vanuatu, then known as the New Hebrides, in 1974. It’s said the royal couple’s visit to Vanuatu may have strengthened the belief among some locals on Tanna island that the Duke of Edinburgh was a divine being.

February 24-March 1, 1975

On her first of two visits to Mexico, the Queen toured ancient sites -- including the pyramids of Uxmal, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monarch also received local crafts, met school children and attended a banquet. While she was driven through Mexico City, the Queen was showered in confetti.

February 17-20, 1979

Saudi arabia.

In 1979, the Queen became the first female head of state to visit Saudi Arabia, on a tour of Gulf States. At Riyadh Airport, she was met by King Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, pictured. The outfits she wore on the trip were carefully designed in accordance with Saudi Arabia’s conservative dress code for women. The Queen arrived on a British Airways supersonic Concorde aircraft and during the visit attended camel races and toured the National Museum.

October 26-27, 1982

The Queen visited Tuvalu, a group of nine islands in the South Pacific, in 1982. Upon arrival, the Queen and Prince Philip were carried in a flower-filled canoe from sea to shore. Thirty years later, in 2012, Prince William visited Tuvalu with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, who drank a coconut from a tree planted by Queen Elizabeth on this 1982 visit.

February 26 – March 6, 1983

On a star-studded trip to the United States, the Queen toured the 20th Century-Fox studios in Hollywood with then-First Lady Nancy Reagan and met Frank Sinatra, who she’d previously met in the 1950s, at a party given in her honor. The Queen and Prince Philip also visited Yosemite National Park in California, pictured.

November 10-14, 1983

The Queen returned to Kenya in 1983 for a state visit. When she was there 31 years previously, she'd learned that her father had passed away and she had become Britain’s reigning monarch. In 1983, the Queen and Prince Philip revisited the Treetops hotel, pictured, where they were staying at the time she was told the news.

October 12-18, 1986

The Queen’s trip to China was the first -- and, so far, only -- state visit by a British monarch to China. With Prince Philip by her side, the Queen visited the Great Wall of China, pictured, as well as the Forbidden City in Beijing.

October 17-20, 1994

In 1994, in another royal first, the Queen visited Russia. Over the three-day trip, the Queen met Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, pictured here with the monarch outside St Basil’s Cathedral, as well as Russian President Boris Yeltsin. The Queen also attended the Bolshoi Ballet. In her traditional Christmas Day speech broadcast later that year, the Queen reflected on how times had changed, noting she “never thought it would be possible in [her] lifetime” to attend a service in Moscow’s famous cathedral.

March 19-25, 1995

South africa.

In 1994, after apartheid ended, South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth as a republic. The following year, the Queen traveled there, in a visit designed to renew ties between the two countries. The Queen met with President Nelson Mandela, pictured, and presented him with the Order of Merit.

October 12-18, 1997

The Queen visited India for the third time in 1997, her first public engagement since Princess Diana’s funeral just weeks before. The trip marked 50 years since India’s independence from Britain. Most memorably, the monarch visited the site of the Amritsar massacre, also known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, of April 13, 1919. She also expressed regret at a state banquet in New Delhi for the “distressing” episode in which British soldiers gunned down hundreds of unarmed civilians. The gesture was seen by some as inadequate. “The Queen is doing everything she can to make India like her. But so far it does not seem to be working,” wrote the UK’s Independent newspaper at the time.

October 4-15, 2002

The Queen visited Canada many times. In 2002, her trip to the North American country coincided with her Golden Jubilee festivities, celebrating 50 years of her reign. During the trip, the Queen attended an ice hockey game between the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks, and dropped the ceremonial puck.

March 11-16, 2006

The Queen visited Australia 16 times as Head of State. In 2006, she traveled to Melbourne to open the Commonwealth Games. She was greeted by a welcoming party in Canberra, visited the Sydney Opera House, attended a Commonwealth Day service in St. Andrew’s Cathedral and toured Admiralty House, the Sydney residence of the Governor-General of Australia.

May 17-20, 2011

The Queen’s trip to Dublin was the first time a British monarch had set foot in the Irish Republic since its 1922 independence. At Dublin Castle the Queen delivered a well-received speech on the history of Anglo-Irish relations. In County Tipperary, she also toured the medieval Rock of Cashel, pictured, once a seat of power for Ireland’s ancient kings.

November 26-28, 2015

From 1949 to 1951, before she was Queen, Elizabeth and Prince Philip lived in Malta. In 2015, the monarch paid her last visit to the island, touring the Grand Harbour in a Maltese fishing boat and waving to members of the British Royal Navy.

United Kingdom

In the later years of her reign, the Queen cut back on foreign travel, passing on the mantle to the younger royals. In more recent years, royal tours have also been looked at with more skeptical eyes, as Britain reckons with its colonial past.

While she didn't travel abroad in the later years of her reign, the Queen continued to vacation in the UK. Most notably, the Queen’s ties with Scotland remained strong throughout her reign and her residence there, Balmoral Castle, was a favorite refuge. It was at Balmoral that the Queen died on September 8, 2022.

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Here’s every country Queen Elizabeth II visited in her 70-year reign

From Algeria to Zimbabwe, the Queen visited at least 117 different countries

Queen Elizabeth II, who died earlier today , was probably the best-travelled monarch in history. In her 70 years as UK monarch, Her Maj apparently travelled to at least 117 different countries – and covered over a million miles, according to The Telegraph .

The Queen travelled for loads of reasons, from ceremonial openings to official state visits, but she got around so much primarily because she was head of state for the Commonwealth: a political association of countries that were largely conquered by Britain back when it was an imperial power. RECOMMENDED: How the world is paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

In fact, Elizabeth II wasn’t just the Queen of the United Kingdom: during her time on the throne, she reigned over a total of 32 sovereign countries. Having started her reign in the final years of the British Empire, she ruled over a number of former British colonies as they became independent sovereign states. Many, but not all, later cut ties with the monarchy and became republics.

Queen Elizabeth II reigned, at various points, over Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Ceylon (later Sri Lanka), Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, the Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tanganyika (later Tanzania), Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda and, of course, the UK . She was also proclaimed as queen by Rhodesia, the predecessor to Zimbabwe.

By the time of her death, she was still the queen of 15 countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the UK. She was the Queen of Barbados until November 2021, when the Caribbean nation became a republic.

As you’d expect, the Queen visited all of these places – and plenty more – during her 70-year reign. Here is a full list of all the countries and states the Queen travelled to during her reign, and the dates when she visited.

Algeria (1980)

Antigua and Barbuda (1966, 1977, 1985)

Australia (1953, 1963, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2002, 2011)

Austria (1969)

Bahamas (1966, 1977, 1985, 1994)

Bahrain (1979)

Bangladesh (1983)

Barbados (1966, 1977, 1985, 1989)

Belgium (1966, 1993, 1998, 2007)

Belize (1985, 1994)

Bermuda (1953, 1975, 1983, 1994, 2009)

Botswana (1979)

Brazil  (1968)

British Virgin Islands (1966, 1977)

Brunei (1998)

Canada (1957, 1959, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2010)

Cayman Islands (1983, 1994)

Chile (1968)

China (1986)

Cook Islands (1974)

Cyprus (1961, 1983, 1984, 1993)

Czech Republic (1996)

Denmark (1957, 1979)

Dominica (1966, 1985, 1994)

Estonia (2006)

Ethiopia (1965)

Fiji (1953, 1963, 1970, 1973, 1977, 1982)

Finland (1976, 1994)

France (1957, 1972, 1992, 1994, 2004, 2014)

Gambia (1961)

Germany (1990, 1992, 2004, 2015)

Ghana (1961, 1999)

Grenada (1966, 1985)

Guyana (1966, 1994)

Hungary (1993)

Iceland (1990)

India (1961, 1983, 1997)

Indonesia (1974)

Iran (1961)

Ireland (2011)

Italy (1961, 1980, 2000, 2014)

Jamaica (1953, 1966, 1975, 1983, 1994, 2002)

Japan (1975)

Jordan (1984)

Kenya (1952, 1972, 1983, 1991)

Kiribati (1982)

Kuwait (1979)

Latvia (2006)

Liberia (1961)

Libya (1954)

Lithuania (2006)

Luxembourg (1976)

Malawi (1979)

Malaysia (1972, 1989, 1998)

Maldives (1972)

Malta (1954, 1967, 1992, 2005, 2015)

Mauritius (1972)

Mexico (1975, 1983)

Morocco (1980)

Mozambique (1999)

Namibia (1991)

Nauru (1982)

Nepal (1961, 1986)

Netherlands (1958, 1988, 2007)

New Zealand (1953, 1963, 1970, 1974, 1977, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1995, 2002)

Nigeria (1956, 2003)

Norway (1955, 1981, 2001)

Oman (1979, 2010)

Pakistan (1961, 1997)

Panama (1953)

Papua New Guinea (1974, 1977, 1982)

Poland (1996)

Portugal (1957, 1985)

Qatar (1979)

Russia (1994)

Saint Kitts and Nevis (1985)

Saint Lucia (1966, 1985)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1966, 1985)

Samoa (1977)

Saudi Arabia (1979)

Seychelles (1972)

Sierra Leone (1961)

Singapore (1972, 1989)

Solomon Islands (1982)

South Africa (1995, 1999)

South Korea (1999)

Slovakia (2008)

Slovenia (2008)

Spain (1988)

Sri Lanka (1954, 1981)

Sudan (1965)

Sweden (1956, 1983)

Switzerland (1980)

Tanzania (1979)

Thailand (1972, 1996)

Tonga (1953, 1970, 1977)

Trinidad & Tobago (1966, 1985, 2009)

Tunisia (1980)

Turkey (1971, 2008)

Turks and Caicos Islands (1966)

Tuvalu (1982)

Uganda (1954, 2007)

UAE (1979, 2010)

USA (1957, 1976, 1983, 1991, 2007)

Vatican City (1961, 1980, 2000, 2014)

West Germany (1965, 1978, 1987)

Yugoslavia (1972)

Zambia (1979)

Zimbabwe (1991)

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The Queen’s 10 most memorable royal trips abroad

While most of us associate travel abroad with holidays, things were rather different for the Queen, who spent much of her lengthy reign traversing the globe in her capacity as monarch. From State visits to Commonwealth tours, she was a master (or mistress) of diplomacy, meeting a slew of high-profile world leaders (from the esteemed to the controversial), and visiting historic destinations – often in the company of her late, beloved husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. Find out more about some of her most intriguing international visits below.

Commonwealth Tour: 1953-1954 When the Queen acceded the throne following the death of her father, King George VI, in 1952, she began her reign with a monumental tour of the Commonwealth of Nations – of which she had just become head. The longest Commonwealth tour to date, it lasted an impressive six months (from November 1953 to May 1954), and traversed 44,000 miles: taking in the West Indies, Australasia (encompassing Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands), Asia and Africa. It marked a significant moment for the new Queen as she fully embraced her role and the duty that came with it, as her and her husband, Prince Philip, left the young Prince Charles and Princess Anne behind for much of the trip. The family were then reunited in Malta, before they all sailed home together via Gibraltar aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia.

USA: 1957 Although she had visited the USA prior to becoming Queen, October 1957 marked Elizabeth II’s first visit to the country in her capacity as monarch. She was hosted by the 34th US President, Dwight D Eisenhower, for a four-day State trip, during which she visited New York City, Washington DC and Williamsburg in Virginia. Eisenhower had first met Elizabeth when she was a young princess, so the reunion carried particular poignancy for them both.

India: 1961 India had been part of the British Empire within the Queen’s lifetime, with her own parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother (then Queen Consort) having been the last Emperor and Empress of India until the British Raj was dissolved in 1947. Coming in light of England’s problematic imperial history, it marked a new chapter in relations between the two countries when the Queen and Prince Philip made a State visit to India in 1961 – the first trip by a reigning British Monarch since the country gained its independence. The previous visit had taken place some 50 years before, in 1911, when King George V and Queen Mary of Teck were proclaimed Emperor and Empress of India at the Delhi Durbar.

Silver Jubilee Commonwealth Tour: 1977 To mark the significant milestone of 25 years on the throne, the Queen undertook a special Silver Jubilee tour in 1977. The monarch and Prince Philip travelled over 56,000 miles, visiting 14 Commonwealth countries, such as Western Samoa, Australia and New Zealand, as well as making their first ever trip to the island nations of Fiji and Tonga. The Queen is said to have personally wished to undertake such an ambitious tour, in order that she could share in her Jubilee celebrations with as many people as possible.

Germany: 1990 Although the Queen had paid numerous previous visits to West Germany during her reign, her trip in November 1990 marked her first journey to the country since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 – a significant historical moment as the Cold War de-escalated across Eastern Europe. The Queen was hosted by President Richard von Weizsäcker, and was greeted by some 600 children waving Union Jack flags as she visited the Laarbruch RAF base for an inspection. Making a rare trip alone, rather than in the company of the Duke of Edinburgh, the monarch then went to have tea with Von Weizsäcker at his Hammerschmidt Villa in the German city of Bonn.

Russia: 1994 Another historic event was the Queen’s visit to Russia in October 1994, constituting her first trip to the country. Hosted by Boris Yeltsin, the first president of Russia following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, a spokesman for Yeltsin commented on the significance of the moment, stating, ‘We realise that the British queen would never have visited a Communist country’. The Queen was joined by her husband, Prince Philip, first visiting Moscow (where they stayed at the Kremlin as Yeltsin’s guests), before going on to St Petersburg.

South Africa: 1995 The Queen visited South Africa as a young princess with her parents and sister, King George VI, his Queen Consort (later the Queen Mother) and Princess Margaret, and turned 21 during the tour. In a speech broadcast from Cape Town on her birthday, the future Queen pledged her commitment to the Commonwealth, promising that her ‘whole life… shall be devoted to your service’. Yet the dawn of Apartheid in 1948 meant the Royal Family did not visit the country for a number of years (despite the Queen technically being its monarch until 1961). So it was an important moment when the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh travelled to South Africa aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia in March 1995, coming as a gesture of support to its new government after the end of Apartheid, when they were hosted by new President Nelson Mandela.

Golden Jubilee Commonwealth Tour: 2002 To mark the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne, the Queen undertook a special Golden Jubilee Tour to visit four Commonwealth countries – Jamaica, New Zealand, Australia and Canada – kicking off in February 2002. Festivities were somewhat subdued, however, in light of the sad death of the Queen’s younger sister, Princess Margaret, earlier that month. Yet there were some memorable moments during the trip nonetheless, such as a power cut during a banquet on the final night of the Queen and Philip’s stay in Jamaica.

Canada: 2010 Elizabeth II was technically the Queen of Canada, albeit as a constitutional monarch with a largely symbolic function, represented by Governor Generals and Lieutenant Governors within the country. It’s perhaps unsurprising, therefore, that she has visited Canada more than any other country: an impressive 27 times during her reign. The most recent trip was in the sumer of 2010, when the monarch and the late Prince Philip were hosted by the 27th Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean. The couple’s visit coincided with Canada Day on 1 July, which they celebrated on Parliament Hill in Ontario. There, the monarch gave a speech to a crowd of some 100,000 revelers, wishing them ‘all the very happiest Canada Day.’

Malta: 2015 The Queen had not been abroad for some seven years prior to her death. Her most recent international trip, however, was to Malta, for the 24th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November. Despite the official nature of the visit, during which she attended a summit with the theme of ‘The Commonwealth – Adding Global Value’, Malta also carries particular sentimental significance for both the Queen and her late husband, Prince Philip, who accompanied her on the trip. The royal couple lived in the country from 1949 to 1951, while Philip was stationed there as a naval officer before his wife became Queen. It is said to have been an extremely happy time for the young couple, adding particular poignancy to the fact that their 2015 visit was their last trip abroad together.

Queen Elizabeth II: the most travelled monarch in history

• 8 September 2022
• Mhairi Mackenzie
• Follow @SW_Londoner

The Queen famously never had a passport. Granted in her name to British citizens, the Queen did not need to provide herself with the document in order to travel.

If The Queen had had a passport however, it would have been filled to the brim with stamps detailing her travels which spanned over seven decades of her reign.

The most travelled monarch in history

The Queen was the most travelled monarch in history. She represented the United Kingdom on over 260 official visits and travelled at least 1,032,513 miles on her tours, the equivalent to 42 trips around the earth. 

The average Briton has visited seven countries in their lifetime; during her reign, The Queen visited over 120. 

Charles Anson was The Queen’s Press Secretary from 1990-97 and accompanied her on all official visits during this period.

Anson said: “The visibility of the Queen abroad is so important for the peoples of different countries. 

“Whether people live under monarchies or whether they have toppled them, time and again I saw that people couldn’t help but have an affection for the Queen and the values that she embodied when they met her.”

Seeing is believing

The Queen’s extensive travels are, for Anson, symbolic of the attitude she expressed time and again throughout her reign: she had to be seen to be believed. 

As monarch, the Queen saw travel as an important tool to develop Britain’s relationship in a globalised world.

Britain’s close relationships with nations such as Canada and Australia are clear from the frequency of the Queen’s visits, who travelled to the countries 27 and 18 times respectively during the course of her reign. 

But The Queen’s visits were not limited to major nations or those established on the international stage. Other visits, such as her 1982 trip to the eight square-mile Pacific island of Nauru- the world’s smallest island country- displayed the Queen’s commitment to the Commonwealth and to enhancing Britain’s relationship with the wider world, no matter how small. 

Touring the globe

The 1953 Commonwealth Tour, the first the Queen made after her coronation, saw her visit 13 countries and travel over 44,000 miles in seven months. 

For Anson, this aspect of the Queen’s travel will never be seen again.

“Traditions are changing, and I don’t think we will ever see travel in the way that The Queen did again, in terms of tours and the length of time she was away for.” 

Making history

Close to home and further afield, the Queen made history as the first British monarch to visit a number of countries throughout her reign. 

The Queen’s landmark visits to China in 1986 and to Hungary in 1993 represented the first time any British monarch had officially visited either nation, and was a decisive moment in the history of relations between both countries and the UK. 

Historic visits were also made closer to home in 2011 when the Queen became the first British monarch in a century to visit the Republic of Ireland, cementing the 1998 Good Friday agreement between the two nations. 

End of an era

The Queen made her last trip abroad to Malta 2015 accompanied by Prince Philip. 

Although she Queen continued to receive state visits from other countries until her death, her final visit abroad was a poignant end to seven decades of travel for the monarch.

Malta held a number of fond memories for the Queen as she spent three years in the country with Prince Philip, who was stationed there as a naval officer.

“This was a particularly treasured time for the Queen, who thoroughly enjoyed her time in Malta before her coronation,” said Anson.

“I can’t think of a more fitting end to a lifetime of travel and service to her country.”

The Queen’s record-breaking reign saw her travel to more countries than any other British monarch in history, and represented Britain in some countries for the first time in history. This extensive travel both within and outside of the Commonwealth spanned across her seven-decade long reign, the likes of which we may never see again.

Featured image: Wikimedia Commons /Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0)

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Queen of travel: 25 destinations visited by Her Majesty, the Queen

The Queen visited over 100 countries in her lifetime.

On 8 September, Buckingham Palace announced that Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, had " died peacefully at Balmoral ." The nation has now entered a period of mourning, both grieving for and celebrating the remarkable life and reign of Her Majesty.

Throughout her lifetime, the Queen achieved some incredible things. Not only did she provide inspiration to a post-war Britain and undertake a host of Royal duties in the UK; she also took her Royal visits further afield. With a prime focus on visiting countries in the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II is thought to have visited at least 117 countries in her lifetime. This incredible feat makes her, by far, the most-travelled monarch in Britain's history.

Even before she became Queen , Her Majesty travelled abroad when she was known as Princess Elizabeth, with her iconic 1947 tour seeing her visit South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana with her parents: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. And, after her coronation, the 1950s saw her take a huge amount of trips as monarch, travelling to everywhere from Kenya to Canada.

As the Head of the Commonwealth, the Queen made it her duty to ensure she regularly visited commonwealth countries. In fact, throughout her reign, the Queen made 200 visits to Commonwealth countries, making one third of her total overseas visits to Commonwealth states.

It wasn't just the Commonwealth countries that the Queen visited, either. She visited the USA to meet Presidents, travelled to European countries with her children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, and was the first ever British monarch to visit China on a state visit in 1986.

These are 25 of Queen Elizabeth's most iconic travel moments, reflecting her remarkable life...

Denmark, 1957

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip make a Royal Visit to Denmark. They are seen here with King Frederik IX of Denmark and Queen Ingrid of Denmark. In the image, the Queen wears a gown by one of her favourite designers, Normal Hartnell.

Netherlands, 1958

The Queen arrives at a formal event on a trip to the Netherlands. She is seen in a tiara, white fur stole and striking blue gown.

Germany, 1965

Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh are seen in a car by the Berlin Wall. At this time in history, they are visiting West Berlin.

Malta, 1967

The Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, take to the ballroom floor to dance with each other at an event in Valetta, Malta.

Austria, 1969

The Queen and her only daughter, Princess Anne, Princess Royal, attend a function together in Vienna, Austria. Both are all smiles for the event.

Turkey, 1971

Her Majesty is given a tour of the ancient city of Ephesus, Turkey. Ephesus was founded in the 10th Century BC.

France, 1972

The Queen and her oldest child, Prince Charles (now King Charles III) are seen travelling in a car in Avignon, France. Charles would have been 23-years-old in this picture.

Mexico, 1975

Her Majesty is greeted by the public on a trip to Mexico. In this photo, she smiles widely as she receives a gift of local craft items.

Japan, 1975

The Queen and Prince Philip sit together underneath umbrellas. They have just been to view Shinto Temple in Kyoto, Japan.

Her Majesty dances with Gerald Ford, 28th President of the United States, at a ball at the White House, Washington.

Zambia, 1979

In this picture, Her Majesty and Prince Philip are seen on safari in Zambia.

Vatican City, 1980

Her Majesty is seen with the Pope at the time, John Paul II. They appear deep in thought while exchanging gifts.

Morocco, 1980

The Queen is seen sitting on a sofa, looking through her handbag, in Marrakech, Morocco. She will go on to meet King Hassan as part of a state visit.

Portugal, 1985

The Queen stands surrounded by students at Evora University, Portugal. Her yellow outfit creates a striking contrast against the students' black cloaks, with the act of wearing these cloaks being performed for honoured guests.

China, 1986

The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, visit the Great Wall of China. Her Majesty was the first ever monarch in British history to visit China on a state visit.

Cyprus, 1993

Her Majesty visits Cyprus in her capacity as Head of the Commonwealth. She wears a blue and white dress as she walks through a group of UN peacekeeping troops.

South Africa, 1995

The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, meet Nelson Mandela in Cape Town, South Africa. The group can be seen smiling at one another.

Thailand, 1996

The Queen meets King And Queen Sirikit Bhumibol in Thailand, 1996. All the Royals are seen in formal dress, with Her Majesty opting for a jewelled tiara.

South Korea, 1999

Her Majesty is seen deep in concentration while she autographs a teapot while on a visit to a shopping district in Seoul, South Korea.

Australia, 2006

The Queen is seen smiling widely amongst Australian flags in Sydney, Australia. She attended this trip to open the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006.

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Photos of Queen Elizabeth II's historic trips show she was the most-well-traveled monarch in history

• Queen Elizabeth II was the most well-traveled monarch in history.
• During her reign, she traveled more than 1 million miles, earning her the nickname "million mile Queen."
• The Queen traveled to 117 countries in her lifetime. These photos show some of her most historic trips. 

In the 70 years Queen Elizabeth II reigned, she traveled at least 1,032,513 miles, earning her the title of the most-well-traveled monarch and the nickname the "million mile Queen," according to Condé Nast Traveler.

Source: Condé Nast Traveler

Step back in time and take a look at a few of her most historic trips.

In February 1952, the then-Princess Elizabeth arrived in Kenya to meet with the governor at the time, Sir Philip Mitchell, Condé Nast Traveler reported.

A day after arriving at the Treetops Hotel in Aberdare National Park, she learned that her father, King George VI, had died. The next day, still in Kenya, she acceded to the throne, Condé Nast Traveler reported.

Five months after being crowned in 1953, the Queen flew to Bermuda as part of a six-month tour of the Commonwealth, a political association of countries that were once British colonies, CNN reported.

Source: CNN

She visited more than 10 destinations on her first tour, including a Christmas stop in Auckland, New Zealand, according to CNN.

"I set out on this journey in order to see as much as possible of the people and countries of the Commonwealth and Empire," she said during a radio broadcast from New Zealand, per Condé Nast Traveler.

And she accomplished just that. In her 70-year reign, the Queen visited 117 countries, according to The Independent.

Source: The Independent 

For over four decades, she flew via the elite Royal Air Force unit, a now-disbanded fleet of planes created in 1936 by King Edward VIII and later renamed "The Queen's Flight," according to Condé Nast Traveler.

For local trips, the Queen often rode the Royal Train, which carried the royal family and associated staff around the UK railway network, according to Condé Nast Traveler.

But her favorite way to travel was on the Royal Yacht Britannia, Condé Nast Traveler reported. The yacht was five stories tall with more than 240 staff members and nicknamed the Queen's "floating palace.

Source: Condé Nast Traveler ; Insider

The yacht retired in 1997, one of the few times the Queen publicly shed a tear, per Condé Nast Traveler. Today, the ship is anchored in Leith, Scotland, and has reopened as a tourist attraction, according to Insider.

Whether via train, plane, or ship, Queen Elizabeth's travels made milestones in British history. In 1961, she was the first British monarch to visit the Vatican, CNN reported.

She also became the first reigning British monarch to visit South America when she traveled to Brazil in 1968, according to CNN.

In 1979, she rode British Airways' supersonic Concorde aircraft to Saudi Arabia. When she landed, she met King Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, which marked the first visit from a female head of state, per CNN.

She was also the first British monarch to visit China. In 1986, she traveled around the globe and toured the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City in Beijing, per CNN.

2011 marked the first time a British monarch toured the Republic of Ireland in more than a century.

The Queen visited nearly every Commonwealth member state and island nation except Cameroon and Rwanda, according to The Independent.

Canada was the Queen's most-visited country, according to The Independent. In her 70 years on the throne, the head of state traveled to Canada 24 times.

Behind Canada for most-visited countries was Australia, which the sovereign visited 19 times, The Independent reported.

In 2015, the Queen ended her overseas travels with the Duke of Edinburgh by her side. The two traveled to the Mediterranean country of Malta, Condé Nast Traveler reported.

According to CNN, it was a symbolic final trip for the pair. From 1949 to 1951, Malta was where the Queen and Prince Philip lived before she became the Queen.

But even after her final overseas trip, the Queen continued to travel around the United Kingdom.

The Queen spent her last days at her beloved Balmoral Castle in Scotland, Insider reported. There, she died on September 8, 2022.

Read more: I visited Balmoral, where Queen Elizabeth spent her final days, after her death. I can see why she cherished this castle as a 'royal escape.'

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Remembering Queen Elizabeth II, the Most Well-Traveled Monarch in History

Throughout her long and illustrious reign, travel always played a hugely important role in the Queen’s life . As the most well-traveled monarch, she spent decades learning from other cultures around the world, repeatedly crossing the globe during her residency at Buckingham Palace. And let’s not forget that her reign actually began on foreign soil—the 25-year-old then-princess was staying at the Treetops Hotel in Aberdare National Park, Kenya , when she first learned about the death of her father, George VI, on the night of February 6, 1952. Whether it was traveling the high seas on the Royal Yacht Britannia or turning far-flung locations into must-visit holiday destinations, the Queen always knew how to circumnavigate the globe in style. Here we take a closer look at, and celebrate, her life in travel.

The Queen in Windsor Great Park on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

She was the most well-traveled monarch ever 

It’s not for nothing that she is known as the "million mile Queen"—as the most traveled monarch, she covered at least 1,032,513 miles and visited 117 different countries during her reign. To put it in perspective, that’s the equivalent of 42 journeys around the entire circumference of the earth. She has visited every country in the British Commonwealth and many more besides, carrying out an incredible 290 state visits since 1952. Her first trip as Queen was meeting the governor of Kenya, Sir Philip Mitchell, on February 6, 1952, where she heard the news of her father George VI’s death, while her last tour was a trip to Malta with the Duke of Edinburgh in 2015, a fitting end to a life of overseas travel, as this was where the royal couple lived for a period when they were first married in 1947.

 Queen Elizabeth II at the Windsor Horse Show.

The Queen carried out a number of historic trips, including becoming the first British monarch to visit China in 1986, and the first in a century to tour the Republic of Ireland in 2011, but there are still places she never visited, including Israel, thought to be due to political reasons, and Greece, because of Prince Philip’s family history in the country. She always regarded travel as a vital part of her reign; as she said in her 1953 Christmas broadcast, which was recorded in Auckland, New Zealand: “I set out on this journey in order to see as much as possible of the people and countries of the Commonwealth and Empire. I want to show that the Crown is not merely an abstract symbol of our unity, but a personal and living bond between you and me.”

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in a field with some highland cattle at Balmoral, Scotland, 1972.

She had her own airline

For someone who traveled as much as the Queen, it seems only fitting that she should have had her own airline—or at least a dedicated fleet of planes devoted to serving her and the Royal Family. Established as an elite Royal Air Force unit in 1936 during the reign of King Edward VIII and known originally as “The King’s Flight,” these aircraft were charged with the duty of transporting members of the Royal Family by air on short-haul and long-haul flights. 

The Queen at Trooping The Color, riding her house Burmese, which was a gift from the Canadian Mounted Police.

It was renamed “The Queen’s Flight” when Her Majesty came to the throne in 1952 and continued to fly her around the globe in a series of smart fixed-wing planes and helicopters embossed with the Royal Crown until it was disbanded in 1995. As well as carrying the sovereign in style, "The Queen’s Flight" was also used to train members of the Royal Family to fly, most notably the Duke of Edinburgh, who received his private pilot’s licence in 1959 and was often seen in the cockpit during the couple’s tours around the world.

Queen Elizabeth II leaves Fiji during her royal tour, February 1977. Prince Philip is just visible behind her.

She traveled by rail and sea

While naturally the Queen spent much of her life hopping on and off planes, it was certainly not her preferred mode of transportation and in fact she hadn’t flown in years, not since her final trip to Malta in 2015. After that, she preferred to carry out her domestic engagements via train—she notably chose to take the Royal Train to the G7 summit in Cornwall in 2021, rather than follow in Boris Johnson’s footsteps by taking a 20-minute private flight—or her fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles. She was often spotted in her hybrid Range Rover, while her collection also included a Renault Twizy, a BMW i3, and a BMW hybrid 7-series, as well as an eco-friendly electric Nissan van used by Buckingham Palace’s gardening team.

Queen Elizabeth II meets the crowds during her royal tour of New Zealand, 1977.

Her favorite way to travel, however, was said to have been aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, which the royal couple spent several months on during the Seventies. The plushly appointed yacht came with mahogany woodwork and chintzy sofas and armchairs, designed to recreate all the comforts of home. Over the course of 40 years, Britannia traveled more than a million miles and completed 968 official voyages before being decommissioned in 1997—a date that is often cited as one of the only times when the Queen has shed a tear in public. Now it is moored at Leith in Edinburgh, where it draws more than 300,000 tourists each year.

Queen Elizabeth II visits some Mexican ruins during a state visit, 1975.

She was a travel trendsetter

When the Queen first ascended to the throne in 1952, most members of the public could only dream of travels to foreign climes, and millions in Britain lived vicariously through her glamorous and intrepid tours. But that all changed with the package holiday, which first took off in the Sixties, a period that is often hailed as the “Golden Age” of travel. Now suddenly many could emulate the sovereign’s travels. African safaris , Caribbean jaunts , and Brazilian beach trips have all become de rigeur since the Queen first went on them. And while she visited Canada the most often, having traveled to the country a staggering 27 times, it is actually in Australia where the Queen spent the most time, on one trip staying for just under two months.

Queen Elizabeth II visits the Town Hall in Sydney with Emmet McDermott in May 1970.

She draws visitors to her homes

While the journey of her sovereignty can be told through her numerous excursions abroad, the Queen has been just as much of a travel icon in her own home. Tourists from all around the world flock to the U.K. for a glimpse inside one of her royal residences, with Buckingham Palace regularly receiving more than half a million visitors during its summer opening each year, when ticket holders get the chance to see 19 of the palace’s magnificent state rooms and take a tour of the garden where her famous annual garden parties are held. Research by VisitBritain revealed that more than 60 percent of overseas visitors that come to Britain are likely to visit places associated with the royal family, and almost one-third of all inbound trips to the U.K. include a visit to castles or historic houses. Since 2018, Windsor Castle and Frogmore House have actually eclipsed Buckingham Palace in popularity, with almost 1.6 million people visiting every year. This trend started when the Queen decided to live at Windsor Castle permanently and no longer use Buckingham Palace as a full-time residence.

Queen Elizabeth II with two dogs at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, September 28, 1952.

She knew how to travel in style

The jet-setting monarch was the owner of the ultimate travel wardrobe , and any royal tour was always carried out with true sartorial flair, and cultural sensitivity. The Queen always traveled with at least three outfit changes a day, all numbered and packed in steel wardrobes with wheels, along with one all-black ensemble for mourning purposes, just in case. 

 The Queen on a visit to Blois in France.

This was one travel must-have that she learned the hard way—when flying back from Kenya after the death of her father, it was discovered that she only had a floral dress with her to wear. The plane had to wait on the tarmac in London until a black coat could be brought to her onboard, which she changed into before disembarking.

 The Queen with Prince Philip at the badminton horse trials.

It’s no coincidence that the Queen often dressed in bright colors on her tours: this was deliberate, so that she would be “seen to be believed” (as the words of her famous motto go), and her senior dresser, Angela Kelly, was known to travel to future destinations weeks in advance to make sure that the outfits chosen didn’t clash with backdrops. To ensure there were no unfortunate wardrobe mishaps, weights were sewn into the hems of her skirts and dresses, so she never had to worry about a rogue gust of wind.

Queen Elizabeth II sitting on a coach to tour the Sicarsta Steel Works in Acapulco, Mexico, February  18, 1983.

She was always an intrepid traveler

The Queen never shied away from carrying out her duties abroad, whether for personal reasons—her 2002 Golden Jubilee tour, which took in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, started in Jamaica just nine days after the death of her sister—or political ones. In 1961, she traveled to Ghana amid fears for her safety, during a difficult period when the Ghanaian president, Kwame Nkrumah, was under threat of assassination. In 1991, she found herself clinking glasses with Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe, when in Harare for a summit of Commonwealth leaders.

The Queen at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

 But perhaps most famous of all was her trip to Ireland in 2011, when she became the first British monarch to set foot in the Irish Republic (the last sovereign to visit had been her grandfather, George V, a full century earlier). The four-day visit came with unprecedented security measures, with 8,000 police and soldiers on the streets. During a stirring address at the end of her visit, the Queen referred to the IRA’s murder of Earl Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh’s uncle, but emphasized that we should “bow to the past, but not be bound by it.”

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in a state coach, a Bicentennial gift from Australia.

A version of this article originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller U.K.

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During her historic 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II made a series of state visits that spanned the Commonwealth — and beyond. Five years after ascending to the throne, Her Majesty traveled to France in 1957, marking her first official visit as Queen of England.

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Elizabeth II previously traveled to France in 1948, when she was still a princess. At the time, she was pregnant with Prince Charles, who would eventually succeed her as monarch.

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Arrival at orly.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip touched down in Paris on April 8. They were greeted by a large crowd upon their arrival at Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French president.

Night at the Opera

French President René Coty invited the royal couple to the Paris Opera, where they watched a performance of the ballet “Le Chevalier et la Damoiselle.” Following the show, the queen greeted lead dancers Liane Daydé and Michel Renaud.

For the occasion, Elizabeth wore a gown by Norman Hartnell, the designer behind her 1947 wedding dress. Hartnell’s beaded creation paid homage to France, featuring motifs of the country’s national flower, the iris, as well as Napoleon’s emblem, the bumblebee. The queen accessorized with the Grand Duchess Vladimir tiara, which previously belonged to her grandmother, Queen Mary of Teck. Elizabeth also wore the Delhi Durbar necklace, an extravagant collar consisting of diamonds and several large emeralds.

Louvre Reception

President Coty hosted a dinner in celebration of the queen’s visit. Approximately 3,000 guests were in attendance at the Louvre banquet, which took place in the Salle des Cariatides. Today, the wing houses Greek sculptures.

Her Majesty donned an emerald green gown along with the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara. The diamond crown, purchased in 1898 as a wedding gift to Queen Mary, was crafted by the former crown jeweller, Garrard.

River Cruise

Accompanied by President Coty, the royal couple traveled along the Seine via yacht, where they enjoyed a fireworks display on the Pont Alexandre III.

Visiting Versailles

After exploring the grounds of France’s most exquisite chateau, a luncheon was held for the queen in the Hall of Mirrors. Her son, Charles, will also dine at the palace during his visit.

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'Home away from home': A look back through Queen Elizabeth II's official visits to Canada

Of all the countries in the Commonwealth, Canada was the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite destination, judging by how many times she graced our shores.

Over the course of her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II officially visited Canada more than 20 times, ranging from sweeping royal tours to visits for anniversaries and special events.

Canada’s relationship with the monarch has always been significant. The Queen was head of state for 16 countries in the Commonwealth, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica, among others, but of these 16 countries, the Queen has visited Canada the most.

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“My mother once said that this country felt like a home away from home for the Queen of Canada,” the Queen said during her last visit to Canada, in 2010.

“I’m delighted to report that it still does, and I’m delighted to be back amongst you all.”

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, she is the “most travelled monarch in history.”

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The first time that the Queen set foot on Canadian soil was when she was only 25 years old and still a princess — in 1951, she took her ailing father’s place to visit Canada with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Prince Philip, who died on April 9, 2021, was particularly fond of Canada, and travelled to the country 46 times in total, including his many visits by the Queen’s side.

Two years after her first visit, in 1953, she was crowned Queen. She made a brief appearance in Gander, N.L. that year during a stopover on the way to tour other parts of the Commonwealth, but wouldn’t return for an official visit of Canada until 1957.

John Diefenbaker, the prime minister at the time, was eager to strengthen ties to Britain and cement the Queen’s role in Canada, and even had the Queen preside over a cabinet meeting during her brief visit.

During that trip, the Queen also opened Canada’s new Parliament, an event that she was proud to mention in her Christmas speech later that year, the very first televised Christmas speech from a British royal ever.

“Last October, I opened the new Canadian Parliament,” she said in the speech. “This was the first time that any sovereign had done so in Ottawa. Once again, I was overwhelmed by the loyalty and enthusiasm of my Canadian people.”

But her longest trip to Canada — and arguably the most important — occurred in 1959, when she toured all of the provinces, as well as both current territories, with Prince Philip for 45 days. This is still the longest tour any reigning monarch has made of Canada, and although the Queen visited Canada many times after, she never did so on this scale again.

Buckingham Palace instructed the visit to be referred to as a “royal tour” to emphasize the importance, and to position the Queen as comfortable in her role as Queen of Canada.

Although the Queen was greeted with crowds wherever she went, travelled more than 24,000 kilometres on this trip, shook nearly 5,000 hands and attended sixty-one formal functions, according to the book “Canada and the End of Empire,” the tour was not without controversy. Indigenous people were present at many events on her tour, often meeting with the Queen to perform dances or demonstrate cultural knowledge — but any issues such as treaties or land rights were not permitted to be brought up.

In the years to come, the Queen would make around 20 more official visits to Canada. Including brief stopovers, the Queen has been in Canada more than 30 times.

Most trips have involved ceremonial duties, tours of the country or charity work, but she has also come to Canada to act in an official capacity, such as when she opened Parliament in 1957, and when she delivered a Speech from the Throne again in 1977.

The speech to outline the federal government’s plans for the coming session of Parliament is usually read by the Governor General as the Queen’s representative. The Queen’s second time reading the speech herself in 1977 was part of her Silver Jubilee tour, the 25th anniversary of her ascending to the throne of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

Another notable visit was when the Queen came to Canada in 1982 to sign the landmark Proclamation of the Constitution Act, the passing of which gave Canada full independence.

During her visits, the Queen often honoured Canada through her wardrobe. In 1957, on her first trip to Canada post-coronation, she wore a striking cream gown covered in sparkling green maple leaves to the state banquet at Rideau Hall, dubbed the “Maple Leaf of Canada Dress.”

During her tour of Canada in 1959, she wore a blue and pink evening gown designed by Sir Hardy Amies to a dinner at the Government House in Nova Scotia, which was embroidered with blooms representing mayflowers, the provincial flower of Nova Scotia.

In her later years, she was frequently seen wearing an iconic diamond brooch in the shape of a maple leaf, called the “Canadian Maple Leaf Royal Brooch.” It had been a favourite of her mother, and after it was passed down to the Queen, she wore it to Canada numerous times, as well as loaning it to family members such as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, when they visited Canada.

Over the years, the Queen developed strong relationships with Canada’s prime ministers, having met with many of them in person.

The Queen appointed Jean Chretien, Canada’s 20th Prime Minister to the Order of Merit in 2009, a distinction that is restricted to only 24 living people within the Commonwealth. It is given to “persons who have rendered exceptionally meritorious service to the Crown, in armed services or towards the advancement of arts, literature and science.”

Two other Canadian Prime Ministers had received the award before: William Lyon Mackenzie King in 1947, before the Queen took the throne, and Lester B. Pearson in 1971.

The very last time the Queen visited Canada was in 2010, for a nine day visit through five different cities, a trip that saw her celebrating Canada Day in Ottawa on Parliament Hill. Continuing her tradition of honouring Canada through her garments, she even had a favourite dress adjusted to add Canadian maple leaves in Swarovski crystals down the right shoulder and sleeve to wear to a state dinner at the Royal York Hotel.

“My pride in this country remains undimmed.” the Queen said the first day of the trip, speaking to a crowd in Halifax.

The Queen never publicly declared which city or region of Canada was her favourite to visit, but outside of her numerous trips to Ottawa, she visited Victoria, B.C., five times, and visited Winnipeg, Vancouver, Regina and Toronto four times as well, not counting her 1959 tour of the entire country or brief stopovers.

Despite a lack of consensus in Canada over whether we should maintain our ties to the monarchy, a debate that has simmered for decades, the Queen’s visits always brought out numerous Canadians eager to catch a glimpse of the monarch.

And her regard for Canada was evident across her reign, from start to end.

“Throughout the years, particularly since your Centennial year, I have watched Canada develop into a remarkable nation,” the Queen said in 2017, on the 150th anniversary of Confederation. “You have earned a reputation as a welcoming, respectful and compassionate country.

"On this eve of national celebrations, my family and I are with you in spirit.”

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Queen Elizabeth II: Which countries did the world’s most-travelled monarch visit the most during her reign?

During her long reign, her majesty made almost 300 state visits around the world, article bookmarked.

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The late Queen Elizabeth II was one of the most well-travelled people in the world, thanks to her record-breaking 70 years on the throne.

She was such a frequent globe trotter, in fact, that it would be quicker to list the countries she never visited during her historic reign.

If Her Royal Highness had needed to hold a passport , it would be easy to imagine how quickly each one would be filled with stamps from her state visits totalling almost 300.

Queen Elizabeth II stopped making state visits in 2015 – seven years before her death at the age of 96 at Balmoral on Thursday afternoon.

As she was the head of the Commonwealth of nations, she visited every member country and island nation – except Cameroon and Rwanda – at least once, making at least 180 trips in total among this group. She visited some countries far more fequently than others, however.

The Independent has tallied up the hundreds of state visits she made from when she was crowned in her mid-twenties until her late eighties to determine which countries were her “favourites”.

Canada, a country she headed until its independence in 1982, was the nation she visited the most – making up to 24 separate trips there.

Australia, New Zealand and Fiji

Australia was her next most-visited country, with at least 19 recorded trips. While down under, she also went to New Zealand at least 10 times and Fiji six times.

The Caribbean

In the Caribbean, the islands she visited the most were Barbados (six trips), Jamaica (six), the Bahamas (five), and Bermuda (five).

The rest of the Commonwealth

Elsewhere in the Commonwealth, most of her visits were to Malta (six), Malaysia (five), Cyprus (four), Kenya (four), Singapore (four), India (three), and Papua New Guinea (three).

Outside the Commonwealth, the US (five) tops the list of her most-frequented places. She visited another two times while representing Canada, taking the total to seven.

France, Italy and Belgium

Next on the list is France, which she visited six times. She has also been to Belgium four times. Each of the four times she had been to Italy she made sure to visit the Pope in Vatican City.

Her number of visits to Germany would have exceeded those to the US, but many of her journeys were made when Germany was split by the Berlin Wall before the fall of the Soviet Union.

She visited West Germany three times, the political enclave of West Berlin once, and reunified Germany four times, according to records.

The Netherlands and Norway

Next on her list of most-frequented countries are the Netherlands and Norway – both of which she visited three times apiece.

Denmark, Finland, Mexico, Nepal, Oman, Portugal, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, and the UAE

She has also twice visited Denmark, Finland, Mexico, Nepal, Oman, Portugal, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

Queen Elizabeth II did not make any state visits to about 60 countries – which are not mentioned in the list of nations that she visited once.

In Africa, she visited Algeria, Ethiopia, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia once.

In Asia, she went once to China, Indonesia, Japan, Maldives, Nepal, and South Korea.

In Europe: Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and the former Yugoslavia all received Her Majesty once.

In the Middle East, she visited Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia once each.

In South America, she went to Brazil, Chile and Panama once during her reign.

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Tracing Queen Elizabeth’s steps through the U.S.

By Danielle Paquette | Sep 10, 2022

During her seven-decade reign, Queen Elizabeth II visited more than two dozen cities across the United States. She chatted with Girl Scouts, football players, presidents and Frank Sinatra . She cheered on race horses in Kentucky. She requested a ham sandwich with the crust removed in Texas. She sported a tweed skirt-suit in Yosemite National Park.

Wherever England’s longest-serving monarch went, photographers followed, capturing generations of Americans in the throes of Royal fever (and more than a few signature handbags ).

Oct. 17, 1957 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II heads to the White House as crowd's line Washington streets to see the royal monarch.

Oct. 18, 1957 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II accepts a doll for Princess Anne from 7-year-old Pamela Springmann during a visit at Children's Hospital.

Queen Elizabeth II and Vice President Richard Nixon tilt their heads for a better view of the oil paintings on the interior of the Capitol dome during a tour.

Oct. 19, 1957 | College Park, Md.

Co-captains of North Carolina and Maryland meet Queen Elizabeth II before the start of a game.

Oct. 21, 1957 | New York

Queen Elizabeth II, wearing a mink stole, and Prince Philip, standing next to a viewing telescope, view New York City from the observatory roof of the Empire State Building. The Queen said, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Queen Elizabeth II, in a plastic domed car, rides up lower Broadway through a shower of ticker tape and confetti during procession to City Hall.

Queen Elizabeth II addresses the United Nations General Assembly.

Her Majesty kicked off a seven-city tour of the nation’s east in 1976 with a stop in Philadelphia, where she unveiled a gift for the City of Brotherly Love: a Bicentennial Bell to celebrate 200 years of American independence from English rule. (The bell remains in storage .)

July 7, 1976 | Andrews Air Force Base, Md.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip walk down the ramp of their aircraft near Washington.

July 7, 1976 | Philadelphia

Queen Elizabeth II is greeted by the Girl Scouts of America.

July 8, 1976 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II arrives at the U.S. Capitol.

On her New York leg, Elizabeth was spotted squeezing through city throngs, underscoring the lighter security protocols of yesteryear.

July 10, 1976 | New York

Thousands surround Queen Elizabeth II as she walks from the Federal Building up Wall Street to Trinity Church with Mayor Abraham Beame.

J Walter Green

July 10, 1976 | Charlottesville, Va.

Queen Elizabeth II tours Thomas Jefferson's Monticello home.

July 11, 1976 | Boston

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wave to spectators below from the balcony of the Old State House before the Queen descended to street level to address the crowd. The location is the site of the Boston massacre, an event which led to the Revolutionary War.

Elizabeth returned in 1983 for a trek through the West Coast. She visited a Southern California retirement home, led a champagne toast with then-president Ronald Reagan and absorbed the mountain views at Yosemite National Park.

Feb. 26, 1983 | San Diego

Queen Elizabeth II reviews the U.S. Marine Corps honor guard as she arrives for a State visit.

Feb. 28, 1983 | Sierra Madre

Queen Elizabeth II shares a smile with 97-year-old Sibyl Jones-Bateman after the monarch was presented with a bouquet during tour of the British Home retirement community near Los Angeles.

March 3, 1983 | San Francisco

President Ronald Reagan and Queen Elizabeth II raise their glasses in a toast during a state dinner at the M. H. de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park.

Ed Reinke/AP

March 5, 1983 | Yosemite, Calif.

Park superintendent Bob Binnewies points out highlights from Inspiration Point to Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Yosemite National Park.

The queen, a horse racing enthusiast, landed in Kentucky five times between 1984 and 2007, according to the Courier-Journal . She was known to turn up at horse farms, admiring the mares and foals.

May 23, 1986 | Versailles, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II puts out her hand to her filly foal by the mare Christchurch and Alydar during a visit to Lane's End Farm.

May 27, 1986 | Lexington, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II exchanges pleasantries with a line of Fayette County (Ky.) and Kentucky State Troopers on the tarmac as prepares to depart following a five-day visit.

Amy Sancetta/Associated Press

May 26, 1989 | Lexington, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II is welcomed by a child upon her arrival during a private visit to the U.S.

David Banks

During her 1991 visit, Elizabeth addressed Congress. Lawmakers gave the monarch a standing ovation, while opponents of British occupation in Northern Ireland protested outside the Capitol.

May 14, 1991 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II and President George H.W. Bush review the troops after the Queen's arrival at the White House.

May 15, 1991 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II holds flowers presented to her at Drake Place, a housing project.

May 16, 1991 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II is applauded by Vice President Dan Quayle and House Speaker Thomas Foley before her address to the U.S. Congress.

Doug Mills/AP

Elizabeth’s last U.S. state visit came in 2007, when she arrived for the 400th anniversary of England establishing its first permanent North American settlement in Jamestown, Va.

She dined with then-president George W. Bush, watched the Kentucky Derby through bulletproof glass and checked out Washington memorials.

May 4, 2007 | Lexington, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip look out of the window of an SUV as they leave the Bluegrass Airport after arriving.

Morry Gash/AP

May 5, 2007 | Louisville, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II chats with Prince Philip as Susan Lucci (black hat) looks on at the 133rd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Rob Carr/AP

May 7, 2007, | Washington

President Bush smiles at Queen Elizabeth II before the start of a State Dinner at the White House.

Evan Vucci/AP

May 8, 2007 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II and U.S. Park Service Director Mary Bomar walk around the National World War II Memorial during a visit by the Queen and Duke.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

May 8, 2007 | Greenbelt, Md.

Queen Elizabeth II accepts flowers from children while walking during a visit to the Goddard Space Flight Center.

Larry Downing

Elizabeth made her final stop on American soil in 2010 to address the United Nations General Assembly. “I believe I was last here in 1957,” she deadpanned to her New York audience.

July 6, 2010 | New York

Queen Elizabeth II leaves a wreath of flowers at the site of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack during her visit.

Lucas Jackson

Queen Elizabeth II speaks at the United Nations Headquarters.

Seth Wenig/AP

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Harry and Meghan visit Queen Elizabeth for 1st time since giving up their royal roles

The Associated Press

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan speak during the Global Citizen festival, on Sept. 25, 2021, in New York. The couple visited Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle on Thursday. Stefan Jeremiah/AP hide caption

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan speak during the Global Citizen festival, on Sept. 25, 2021, in New York. The couple visited Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle on Thursday.

LONDON — Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have visited Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle on their first joint visit to the U.K. since they gave up formal royal roles and moved to the U.S. more than two years ago.

The couple's office says they visited the 95-year-old queen, Harry's grandmother, Thursday on their way to the Netherlands to attend the Invictus Games. Harry is a founder and patron of the international sports competition for wounded military veterans.

Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals and moved to North America in 2020, citing the unbearable pressure of their roles and racist attitudes of the British media.

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The couple, also known as the duke and duchess of Sussex, lost their taxpayer-funded police guard when they walked away, and Harry is suing the British government for refusing to let him pay for his own police security on his visits to the U.K. His lawyers say Harry wants to bring his children — Archie , who is almost 3, and 10-month-old Lilibet — to visit his home country but that it is too risky without police protection.

Harry and Meghan are expected to attend a reception in The Hague on Friday for the Invictus Games, which run from Saturday to April 22.

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The visit to the queen came on Maundy Thursday , a day in the week before Easter that the queen for decades marked by distributing silver coins known as "Maundy money" to pensioners at a church service. This year the queen, who has been experiencing mobility issues in recent months and came down with COVID-19 in February, did not attend. She was represented by her eldest son, Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla.

The monarch also is expected to miss the royal family's Easter Sunday church service. She has continued to perform royal duties, including virtual audiences with politicians and diplomats.

• Queen Elizabeth
• Prince Harry