In 1975, Queen Elizabeth II made her first official trip to Mexico during the government of President Luis Echeverría Álvarez and returned eight years later in 1983, when she visited Puerto Vallarta, during the administration of Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado. These two trips were full of diplomatic and tourist commitments where the Queen visited Guanajuato, Veracruz, and Acapulco, among others.
Both trips were in the company of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, and met with some of the warmest welcomes ever recorded in the country for a state visit. Although relations between Mexico and the United Kingdom go back to the beginning of the 19th century, the one in 1975 was the first official visit that a monarch made to Mexican lands, without a doubt, it became a national event.
The Queen’s first visit to Mexico
During her first visit, the queen spent six days in Mexico, from February 24 to March 1, 1975, and on those dates, she toured part of the states of Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Guanajuato, Mexico City, and Veracruz, where they were received with various celebrations and gifts.
Cozumel
Beginning with their arrival in the country, Queen Elizabeth and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh arrived on the royal yacht called “Britannia” to Cozumel through the port of Morelos, in Quintana Roo. The visit to Cozumel was very short as immediately after leaving the yacht, the couple boarded a direct plane to Mexico City.
Mexico City
Upon arriving in the country’s capital, the Queen was already awaited by President Luis Echeverría and First Lady María Zuna. This meeting was one of the most representative in the history of the country since it represented not only the first visit of the Queen to Mexico but the first of any sovereign of England in the country. This historic event took place in the capital’s main square. In addition, the day of Queen Elizabeth’s arrival in Mexico on February 24 coincided with the commemoration of Flag Day, so girls and boys filled the Zócalo with rhythmic dances, gymnastics demonstrations, choirs, and colorful pom-poms as a sample of celebration to welcome the monarch.
Finally, the celebration ended with the then president Luis Echeverría and his wife María Esther Zuno accompanying the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on their tour of the city aboard an open car where the streets were full of spectators to see the Queen.
The royal couple’s stay in Mexico City lasted a couple of days and they stayed at the Camino Real hotel. In addition to the celebration of her arrival, during her time in the country’s capital, the Queen visited the president at his private residence in San Jerónimo, south of the city.
Guanajuato
After spending a couple of days in the city, the Queen and the Duke traveled to Guanajuato aboard a train and there they toured its most emblematic sites, such as the El Pípila monument, the work of the sculptor Fernando Olaguíbel, the Juárez Theater, the building of the University of the State of Guanajuato, the Alhóndiga de Granaditas and the local market of Guanajuato.
This visit was full of cultural visits where the Queen was able to appreciate the art and architecture of the city, in addition to gastronomy, since it is said that she ate tlacoyos in the local market.
Oaxaca
After their stay in Guanajuato, Queen Elizabeth and Duke Felipe went to the León airport to reach the next visit on their tour, Oaxaca. Here the monarch visited the loom halls and the palace of handicrafts, where it is said that the couple bought several handicrafts paying in pounds sterling.
They also participated in the nightly celebration of the Guelaguetza and visited the archaeological zone of Monte Albán since the queen showed great interest after having read about its discovery in 1932 by Alfonso Caso.
Yucatan
Finally, Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived in Yucatan for a couple of days and later left the port of Veracruz on March 1, 1975, concluding their first visit to Mexico.
Queen Elizabeth’s second visit to Mexico
Eight years after her first visit, Queen Elizabeth returned to Mexico accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1983. This second visit took place during the six-year term of President Miguel de la Madrid and was the last time the monarch visited the country.
During this second trip, the Queen did not visit any of the previous cities and decided to visit new ones such as Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta. Curiously, the dates of her second visit coincided almost perfectly with those of her first visit, since this time the trip took place between February 17 and February 25, 1985.
Acapulco
On this occasion, the royal couple arrived aboard the plane of the Royal Force of England and in this city, the couple was received by the president of Mexico. Once again, a welcoming ceremony was held where the Queen was celebrated in the midst of a crowd of people who excitedly celebrated her second official visit to the country. It is said that after the welcome ceremony, both leaders toured the Miguel Alemán Valdés coast until they reached the fiscal dock, where the royal ship “Britannia” was located, in which the queen offered a cocktail to the press and where she later visited the Fort San Diego.
Lazaro Cardenas
The next stop on her visit was the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacán, where the Queen toured the Sicartsa facilities. In addition, she held a meeting with the then Governor of Michoacán, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Bernardo Sepúlveda Amor.
Puerto Vallarta
The next destination was the beaches of Puerto Vallarta, which at that time was considered one of the most important and beautiful tourist places in the country. Here the royal couple was received by Mayor Jorge Leobardo Lepe García, Jalisco Governor Flavio Romero Velasco, and the President of the Republic, who carried out a ceremony where the keys to the city were delivered to the Queen.
La Paz
The Queen and the Duke arrived in La Paz in Baja California Sur on the royal yacht “Britannia”. Here the Queen visited, in the company of her husband, the Ojo de Libre lagoon, the Cathedral of Our Lady of La Paz “Airapi” and the Jacques Cousteau and Espiritu Santo islands. These places had the attention of the Queen due to her family history. Finally, the royal couple returned to England on February 25, 1983, and thus concluded their second and last visit to Mexican lands.
In 1975, Queen Elizabeth II made her first official trip to Mexico during the government of President Luis Echeverría Álvarez and returned eight . . .
