Royal Train (New Zealand)

The Royal Train was a court train that was used in New Zealand for royal state visits in 1901 and 1920 .

Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, 1901

Salon car from 1901

The train was first used to visit the future King George V and his wife, Maria , who traveled by train from Christchurch to Dunedin on June 25, 1901 , from where they took the same route to Lyttelton on June 27, 1901 went back to embark for the voyage to Tasmania on the Ophir , an Orient liner with 6910 GRT converted for this purpose .

Decoration on the front of the locomotive, 1901
Dining table on the Royal Train, 1901
Lounge on the Royal Train, 1901
Royal coat of arms on the Royal Train, 1901

Prince of Wales, 1920

Royal train, 1920

The future King and then Prince of Wales , Edward VIII , used the train on April 27, 1920 for a trip from Auckland to Rotorua . His travel plans were thwarted by a railroad strike, so that he returned to Auckland, where he stayed on the then largest and newest battle cruiser in Great Britain, HMS Renown . On May 5, 1920, he used the Royal Train again for the journey to Wellington, from where he continued on the Renown to Picton and the South Island .

Duke and Duchess of York, 1927

Royal train, 1927

The Duke of York, later King George VI. , and his wife, Elizabeth , Duchess of York, traveled by train and car to Rotorua on February 24, 1927 , where the Memorial to the Fallen of World War I was unveiled. Together they visited most of the larger cities on the North Island . In Nelson, the Duchess fell ill with tonsillitis so that she could not continue her journey. The Duke traveled alone by train and car to the west coast and Christchurch, where he received the Freedom of the City . On March 22, 1927, he and his wife continued the trip to Australia.

Royal train at Dunedin, during the visit by Duke and Duchess of York, 1927
Royal train at Dunedin, during the visit by Duke and Duchess of York, 1927

Individual evidence

^ Royal Visits: The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, 1901 In: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand , edited by AH McLintock, first published in 1966. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
↑ Royal Visits: The Prince of Wales, 1920 In: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand , edited by AH McLintock, first published in 1966. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
↑ Royal Visits: The Duke and Duchess of York, 1927 In: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand , edited by AH McLintock, first published in 1966. Retrieved May 5, 2018.

[1] Royal Visits: The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, 1901 In: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand , edited by AH McLintock, first published in 1966. Retrieved May 3, 2018.

[2] Royal Visits: The Prince of Wales, 1920 In: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand , edited by AH McLintock, first published in 1966. Retrieved May 3, 2018.

[3] Royal Visits: The Duke and Duchess of York, 1927 In: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand , edited by AH McLintock, first published in 1966. Retrieved May 5, 2018.