[From our Archive] In 1954, just five months after her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II engaged in a royal visit to Sri Lanka. This was the first visit to Sri Lanka by a reigning monarch. She was accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh.
The ten-day tour included a royal procession through Colombo where she opened the first session of the second Parliament of Ceylon, a train ride to Kandy, and tours of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and Nuwara Eliya. They visited again in 1981 to witness the construction of the Victoria Dam, Sri Lanka’s largest hydroelectric project, constructed by a UK firm.
The featured photo from our archive was taken during her arrival at the Port of Colombo on 10 April 1954
