HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN WILL VISIT THE ISLE OF MAN
Wednesday 20th March 2024
The Queen will arrive at Ronaldsway Airport, where the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, Sir John Lorimer, and Lady Lorimer will receive her.
Engagement 1:
Her Majesty will visit Douglas Borough Council, Douglas.
The Queen will deliver a speech on behalf of His Majesty The King before presenting Letters Patent conferring city status on the Borough of Douglas. Her Majesty will conduct a short walkabout as she leaves Douglas Borough Council.
Douglas was granted city status in May 2022 as part of the celebrations for the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. It has been the capital of the Isle of Man since 1896 and is home to the Manx Parliament, Tynwald, which is the oldest continuous parliament in the world.
It is also the birthplace of the RNLI, which marks its bicentenary in 2024, 200 years after then Douglas resident Sir William Hilary witnessed several shipwrecks off the Manx coast and founded a national body to protect and save lives at sea.
The King has visited the Island on three occasions, most recently in 2012 when he was accompanied by Queen Camilla as Duchess of Cornwall.
The Island has also been home to several personalities over the years including the comedian Sir Norman Wisdom and the founder of Thomas the Tank Engine, Reverend Wilbert Awdry, who created the much-loved stories based on the island’s Steam Railway.
Engagement 2:
Her Majesty will arrive at Government House where she will met by the Chief Minister, the Honourable Alfred Cannan.
The Queen will proceed to a marquee to meet community groups including representatives from the RNLI and the Manx Bluetits swimming club.
The Queen will continue back inside Government House with the Lieutenant Governor where she will meet representatives from Isle of Man charities working in the fields of environmental protection and cancer care.
Government House has been the official residence of the Isle of Man’s Lieutenant Governors – the personal representative of the Sovereign in the Isle of Man – since 1863. It is home to the Lieutenant Governor’s office and is used extensively for functions and ceremonies throughout the year.
