Photographs capture Queen Elizabeth II’s historic visit to Sacramento in 1983
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch of the British throne, died Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
The news of the 96-year-old’s death gripped the British Isles and the world, but also resonated in the capital region nearly 40 years after Her Majesty’s visit to Sacramento.
Sacramento got four hours of royal treatment in 1983, as Queen Elizabeth II and her consort, Prince Philip, visited the state Capitol and Sutter’s Fort as part of their California tour.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died Friday at age 99. His life story has been reintroduced to younger generations with the hit Netflix series “The Crown.”
The royal couple arrived on Air Force II at Sacramento Metropolitan Airport at 10:56 a.m. on March 4, according to The Bee’s published account.
The couple was welcomed by Gov. George Deukmejian and other dignitaries, including Sacramento Mayor R. Burnett Miller.
The previous night they had attended a black-tie dinner in San Francisco with President Reagan.
Seeing bearded mountain man Harry Dennis of Calaveras County take a swig from his jug on the couple’s first stop at Sutter’s Fort, Prince Philip asked what he was drinking.
He wasn’t satisfied when the answer was water.
“You really ought to have rum or Scotch,” said the prince.
A reported crowd of 5,000, including a red carpet with 140 school children, greeted the couple when they reached the Capitol.
“When I saw their limousine I got all butterflies in my stomach because I was so excited,” said Roxanne Allen, 10, of John D. Sloat Elementary.
The couple met with Assembly Speaker Willie Brown and Senate leader Dave Roberti, and the Queen spoke at a two-hour luncheon.
“We are rich by your presence and we do wish you well,” Brown told the Queen.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s easy banter impressed Sacramentans.
“The man is full of one-liners. All week. Full of charm and grace and wit,” wrote columnist Herb Michelson, who covered several days of the tour.
“Wouldn’t he make a great political partner?” said Patti Garamendi, wife of Rep. John Garamendi, who was a state senator at the time. “Look how he knows to work the room.”
The couple’s return flight to San Francisco departed at 3 p.m.
These are some of the photographs and pages that captured the moment Elizabeth captivated the capital region.
Stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Yosemite
This story was originally published September 8, 2022 at 11:20 AM with the headline "Photographs capture Queen Elizabeth II’s historic visit to Sacramento in 1983."