Shortly after arriving, they were off hunting, accompanied by Al Burnett, their primary guide. Though the royals spent about three weeks in Alaska, they only planned for four days in Anchorage. The Anchorage Daily Times opined, “There could hardly be a better promotional effort by the state than to have the king here.” A procession of black limousines ferried the king and queen around town, including to the Hotel Captain Cook, which operated as their home base. Nepali flags, donated by the State Department, flew alongside American flags around the city hall block for the duration of his stay. Mahendra and his retinue arrived in Anchorage on Nov. This uncompensated and unrequited largesse set the tone for the king’s time in Alaska. In other words, Mahendra was not known for his character even before his Alaska adventure.įrom Washington, D.C., Mahendra flew to Alaska aboard Air Force One at an estimated cost of $50,000 ($406,000 in 2021 dollars), a burden borne entirely by American taxpayers. The new politicians had immediately set about reforming the country in ways that threatened the social and economic standing of the pre-existing elite, of which the king was naturally a member. The most significant point of his reign came in 1960 when he orchestrated a coup that eliminated political parties only a year after the first democratic elections in the nation’s history. Mahendra ascended to the throne in 1956 after the death of his father, King Tribhuvan. But the real goal was hunting.ġ957 portrait of King Mahendra and Queen Ratna of Nepal. There were some work aspects to the trip, including a meeting with President Lyndon Johnson. In 1967, King Mahendra and his wife, Queen Ratna, visited the United States. It is best known for Mount Everest, which lies on the border between Nepal and China. Nepal is a comparatively small Asian nation nestled between China and India. Yet, the occasion was also momentous, the first time a Japanese monarch had ever set foot outside Japan.Īnd then there was the King of Nepal, Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev.
For Hirohito, the relatively short stop was the first stage of a global tour. Emperor Hirohito of Japan met President Richard Nixon in an Elmendorf hangar. The most historic royal visit to Anchorage came on Sept. However, she did not leave the aircraft’s royal bedchamber.
The queen herself stopped here in 1975, also on her way home from Japan. More than 50 years later, he still is, thanks to his mother’s legendary longevity. Prince Charles was then the heir to the British throne. Despite the limited time, he fit in a downtown tour and a stroll in Elderberry Park with Anchorage Mayor George Sullivan. Forty years later, his son, King Harald V, visited Anchorage and Homer, thus becoming the first reigning monarch to see the latter.Īfter the 1970 world’s fair in Osaka, Japan, Prince Charles, son of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, devoted an over-scheduled hour to Anchorage while on his way home. In 1975, King Olav V of Norway visited Anchorage. They also had enough time for a downtown helicopter tour. Four years later, King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium spent the night at Elmendorf Air Force Base, a respite from their lengthy travels from Europe to Tokyo. Some of the notables include the newlywed Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko of Japan, who paid $50 for some ivory carvings at a gift shop during an hour-and-a-half layover in 1960. Have a question about Anchorage history or an idea for a future article? Go to the form at the bottom of this story.Īnchorage has been visited by a surprising number of foreign royalty, even if most of their stays were brief.
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Part of a continuing weekly series on local history by local historian David Reamer.
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