7th June 1945

The king and queen’s liberation visit

The King and Queen – George VI and Elizabeth – should have visited the Channel Islands on 6 June 1945, which Jersey had declared a public holiday so that everyone who wanted to could come out on the street to welcome the royal couple.

However, bad weather saw their trip postponed, and they finally left Portsmouth that evening, sailing overnight on a cruiser called Jamaica, accompanied by four destroyers. They anchored off Elizabeth Castle and a motor launch brought the royal party to St Helier.

Touring the island

The first part of the visit was an hour-long drive around the island’s 12 parishes, followed by an address from the Bailiff in which he restated the island’s loyalty to the crown. They ate a lunch at Government House, consisting of tinned pie and tinned fruit, then flew on to Guernsey.

Unfortunately, communication problems meant that many residents outside of St Helier had been unaware that the visit had been pushed back a day, and they lined the roads in anticipation of the event, which was taking place less than a month after the Channel Islands’ liberation.

 

 

Other events that occured in June

  • 01

    German planes attack St Helier
    The British government didn't inform Germany that it had demilitarised the Channel Islands, so German planes attacked in advance of invasion.

  • 02

    Princess Elizabeth visits Jersey
    Princess Elizabeth, who would later become Queen Elizabeth II, visited Jersey on 22 June 1949 as part of a wider trip to the Channel Islands.

  • 03

    A flotilla of Jersey boats sets sail for Dunkirk
    Volunteers from the St Helier Yacht Club set sail for Dunkirk in June 1940 to help with the rescue of Alied soldiers.

  • 04

    Jersey issues £100 notes
    When Britain and beyond celebrated Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years on the throne in 2012 Jersey produced £100 notes in her honour.