British Pathe

Item title reads - Royal tour begins.

Fiji.

L/S's Fiji. M/S street in Suva. Various shots as last minute touches are put to decorations. M/S painter at work. M/S workmen sawing. M/S policeman on traffic duty wearing traditional Fijian skirt. M/S Tamavua village, a woman is combing...

Item title reads - Royal tour begins.

Fiji.

L/S's Fiji. M/S street in Suva. Various shots as last minute touches are put to decorations. M/S painter at work. M/S workmen sawing. M/S policeman on traffic duty wearing traditional Fijian skirt. M/S Tamavua village, a woman is combing the chieftain's wife's hair in front of a hut. C/U woman combing hair. M/S villagers leaving their huts for Suva to greet the Queen on her arrival. C/U wide eyed girl watching. M/S's as villagers walk along path. M/S tribesmen beating on the lali, a log drum.

L/S the yacht 'Britannia' coming in. M/S children swimming in harbour to get a better look. L/S 'Britannia'. M/S as 21 gun salute is fired. M/S as launch heads towards harbour. L/S Governor Sir Kenneth Maddocks and his wife waiting on the quay. L/S as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, go ashore. L/S people waving from ship. M/S as 6 year old Adi Kaunilotuma presents bouquet of flowers to the Queen. M/S as Adi sits on ground and claps before getting up and walking backwards in front of Queen. L/S people watching, some on roof. Various shots as Queen inspects Guard of Honour mounted by Fijian military forces. C/U man watching. M/S travelling shot from car driving from King's Wharf to Albert Park, crowds line the street. Various shots of children waving Union Jack flags. Various shots of Queen and Duke standing in car waving, and C/U's of children. Various shots of spear dance being performed by the villagers of Korolevu.

Various shots of flowers, plants and trees surrounding Government House. L/S crowds assembled there. L/S as Queen and Duke sit on dais. L/S crowds. M/S Queen and Duke. M/S start of the ladies ceremony of welcome, or Qalowaqa, showing a canoe.

C/U as one of the Fijian women presents a Tabua which has been taken from the canoe, she places it in front of the Queen and Duke, pan to the Queen smiling. L/S assembled crowds. M/S Fijian presenting a tabua and holding it up in front of the Queen and Duke. Various shots of Fijians carrying woven mats for presentation, they pile them up on the grass in front of the dais. C/U mats. Camera pans across Sevusevu, a large root of yagona known in the Polynesian Islands as Kava. L/S Queen and Duke on the dais. L/S as group of warriors pick up the Kava root and carry it away. M/S crowd of women watching.

Various shots as they perform the Kava ceremony watched by Fijian chiefs. C/U of the mixer wringing out the hibiscus fibre and shaking away the dregs into the large wooden bowl. C/U Fijian chiefs watching. A small European girl runs onto the grass, she is caught and carried off by a black lady. Various shots of the chief holding the coconut shell containing Kava, he turns and faces the dais. L/S the crowded grounds. The chief mounts the dais to present the Queen with the Kava, he kneels down and pours it into the Queen's own bowl. She lifts her coconut shell and drinks the Kava straight down. M/S of the scene. Various shots as he refills his shell to take to the Duke. M/S as the Duke drinks it and puts shell down. C/U chief giving slow handclap.

Various shots as the Queen and Duke drive through the streets in car, people wave. L/S Fijian choir singing traditional farewell song 'Isa Lei'. M/S as Queen and Duke say goodbye to Governor Maddocks and his wife. M/S choir singing. C/U as the Queen climbs up gangway to the yacht. M/S Mr and Mrs Maddocks waving. L/S Queen and Duke waving from ship. L/S crowds of people L/S yacht sailing away. C/U ex-serviceman, C/U of his medals. M/S Fijian punting boat across river as shaft of light is cast by sunset.

Cataloguer's note: a slightly shorter mute colour version exists.