Christopher Mason, Rodney Muhumuza and Grace Matsiko
22 November 2007
Entebbe/Kampala — THOUSANDS upon thousands of Ugandans lined Entebbe Road last evening, cheering and singing to greet Queen Elizabeth II and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh.
The Queen arrived to a decidedly modest welcome at Entebbe Airport, starting a three-day state visit ahead of the official opening of the 2007 Kampala Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on Friday.
The Royal visit officially began at 5:22 p.m. when the Royal Air Force plane carrying the Queen and Prince Philip, the duke of Edinburgh touched down at Old Entebbe Airport.
The Queen, followed closely by her husband, alighted from the plane and walked across a red carpet to be welcomed by the Chief of Government Protocol, Mr Ahmed Ssenyoomo and British High Commissioner Francois Gordon. They were almost immediately driven off in a black Range Rover to State House Entebbe, where she was officially received by President Museveni.
The elegant 81-year-old was dressed in a black dress and matching shoes, an overcoat and hat that were a matching cream and gold.
A guard of honour stood at attention and a military marching band played music to mark the Queen's arrival at the state house. Upon greeting President Yoweri Museveni and his wife, the Queen inspected the guard of honour.
After walking down a red carpet for the inspection, the Queen was asked whether she approved. With a nod, she did so. While walking back to the covered viewing area, the Queen smiled at the head of the guard of honour and thanked him. He nodded and smiled in return.
However, the short State House Entebbe ceremony was a laidback affair compared to the raucous reception she received from roadside Ugandans. People began lining Entebbe Road hours before her anticipated arrival.
By the time her convoy did leave Entebbe, about 6:20 p.m., thousands had packed the route to Entebbe to welcome the Royal visitor. As the Royal entourage made its way to Kampala, hardly a patch of roadside was devoid of cheering, clapping, yelling and singing men, women and children.
Some waved British or Ugandan flags enthusiastically, while in one spot a school band welcomed the Queen and her husband back to Uganda.
A roar of yelling, singing and cheering rose and fell as the convoy came and went. It marked a powerful entrance for the visit, which will see the Royal family attend the Commonwealth meetings.
Beyond this being the Queen and Duke's second trip to Uganda since 1954, Wednesday marked the first time the Queen and Duke have visited Kampala. Their last visit was restricted to Entebbe, Jinja, and western Uganda because of a Buganda uprising that threatened the Queen's security.
However, queen passed through Uganda in 1952 from Kenya on her way back to England following the sudden death of her father, King George VI.
The Queen, who is the titular head of the Commonwealth, which groups countries that were once colonies of the United Kingdom – will on Friday open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in Kampala.
It is customary for the Queen to visit the country hosting the summit, which brings together 53 countries, most of which are former British colonies. She is expected to visit Mildmay Health Center and address Parliament today. The Queen will also attend a state banquet in her honour at State House Entebbe and make other visits.
She may be accompanied by her husband, who will also be visiting the western region of the country, and Queen ElizabethNational Park. Kampala has undergone a huge makeover in anticipation of the Queen's visit.
The streets have been re-paved, some grounds have been freshly landscaped and flower beds have been planted—a new "Kampala" that she has to savour in only three days. But whether the Commonwealth meeting is something Ugandans have anticipated with glee or scorn, the Queen's arrival is what the country has been waiting for.
It marks the beginning of an intense five days that will see thousands of international delegates descend on Uganda.
heir son and heir apparent, Prince Charles, is scheduled to visit the Source of the Nile in Jinja. He and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall will arrive Thursday night.
This trip reportedly marks the first time in decades that the Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Charles have been abroad in the same country at the same time. It is unusual for Prince Charles to attend Chogm, and his trip to Kampala would be seen as an attempt to boost his image and initiate himself to more of the duties that he would perform as King and Commonwealth head.
But the atmosphere surrounding the Queen's visit 53 years ago was much different from the royal tour that begun yesterday. On that trip, the Royal couple travelled relatively freely and the atmosphere was relatively relaxed, though full of pomp and ceremony. The current tour comes with a massive entourage of staffers, officials and journalists who plan or follow her every move.
After leaving London earlier this week, the couple spent 12 hours in Malta, the Mediterranean island state where the couple spent nearly two years living before the Queen was thrust onto the throne by the untimely death of her father King George VI.
Additional reporting by Mark Ssali
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