Within five months of her coronation the young Queen Elizabeth accompanied by Prince Philip embarked upon the Royal Tour of 1953.
They arrived in New Zealand on 23 December and stayed for over a month. This was the first time a reigning monarch had visited and it was a momentous occasion for the whole country. Christmas was spent in Auckland and the Christmas broadcast was made from Government House. At the outset of their stay the Royal couple visited Auckland Hospital, meeting with survivors of the railway disaster at Tangiwai on Christmas Eve. This work, by an artist who played an important part in the development of art in Auckland from the 1940s captures the memorable event.