Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth was on a tour of the Commonwealth nations in the Far East when she visited the Maldives in 1972. This was one of the foreign tours she frequently undertook to be more visible as Head of the Commonwealth and to visit those countries where she was Head of State.
John Hollidge, who was a 21-year-old midshipman serving on HMS Arethusa at the time, recalled the visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to the Maldives.
He said that both the Queen and their escorting frigate received a fabulous welcome from the Maldivian people, who were living a more simple and less complicated lifestyle at that time.
"The warmth of the welcome and the satisfaction of the people with their lifestyle, which at that time was fairly simple; there were no modern impositions," Hollidge said.
Hollidge further recalled that during the Queen's visit, all the buildings in Malé had been newly painted white in preparation for the occasion, and it became a long-told joke that wherever she went, the Queen would ask why it always smelled of "wet paint."
Since they were in the Maldives for a brief three-day visit, they were exposed to very few local traditions, and opportunities to learn more about them were even fewer at the time. But Hollidge was sure that the Queen and the then High Commissioner would have had a greater appreciation.
Now, over 50 years later, John Hollidge has returned to the Maldives, this time on his private yacht named Kurukulla. The retired Naval Captain, whose postings include Naval and Air Attaché to Italy and Defense Advisor to Malta, is on a world circumnavigation trip and is currently on the island of Uligan in the Maldives' northernmost Haa Alifu atoll.
"I am not in a position to judge [the changes since 1972] having only seen Uligan so far on this visit," Hollidge said. "I am planning to sail south to Malé in a few days' time and would be happy to provide feedback on how it has changed since that visit. What I can say is that the welcome we have received here in Uligan matches my memories of 1972."
As a former Naval Officer, Hollidge is no stranger to the planning and execution of major events, and he did not doubt that everything went smoothly and according to plan during the Queen's visit. He emphasised the degree of prior planning that goes into all royal visits.
While reminiscing about the Queen's visit, Hollidge also shared his own experiences as a Marine Engineer Officer in the Royal Navy, serving on various ships and shore appointments. He also recounted his final sea-going appointment as Engineer Officer of the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible, during which the ship completed a tour of the Far East and a period of flying missions over Bosnia and Croatia during the Balkans War.
After retirement, Hollidge purchased his yacht and sailed in the Mediterranean for ten years during the summers. He began his world circumnavigation tour in 2016. His passage from the Maldives through Suez and back to Turkey will complete the circle.
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