Letter 1970 – Royal Visit Request

4 February 1970

Hon. D. MacIntyre,
D.S.O., O.B.E., E.D.,
Minister of Lands,
PARLIAMENT HOUSE.

ROYAL VISIT PROGRAMME – INCLUSION OF HIGHLAND GAMES AT HASTINGS

I refer to your personal representations on behalf of Mr. H. Poppelwell and Mr. K. Hulena of Hastings who had approached you with the request that the Royal Family or a member of the Royal Family be invited to attend the Hastings Highland Games on Easter Saturday, 28 March.

Although I appreciate the special significance of the occasion as pointed out by yourself, I am afraid that I must say quite definitely that I see no possibility of including a visit to the Games in the programme for the Royal Visit.

The period to be spent in the Bay of Islands of course comes at the end of a fairly strenuous tour of New Zealand and immediately precedes a longer, and therefore, probably more strenuous tour of Australia. The Palace have expressed a very strong wish that the Easter weekend in the Bay of Islands be treated as a private holiday and rest period without formal engagements. Government has already given an assurance that it would be delighted to comply with this wish and at this very late point of time, and in the light of the clear understanding between Government and the Palace, I would not feel justified in raising this question further.

I regret that I am unable to give you a more favourable reply.

(Sgd.) D.C. Seath
(David C. Seath)
Minister of Internal Affairs