In 1974, Prince Charles assured Fijians that the Crown would always hold a deep affection for them, as evidenced by his meeting with the people.
According to an article published by The Fiji Times on October 10 that year, he was speaking at Nasova, Levuka, the site of the signing of the Deed of Cession.
Surrounded by descendants of the Fijian chiefs who signed the deed, he unveiled a plaque set in a stone to commemorate the centenary of the signing event.
The Prince joked that there were already many stones at Nasova — one he unveiled to mark Fiji’s independence in 1970, another to commemorate the signing of the Deed of Cession, and the new centenary stone.
He said he hoped he would be back to unveil a fourth stone.
The day’s celebrations began at Levuka when the Australian destroyer HMAS Vendetta boomed a 21-gun salute across the harbour.
On shore, the naval liaison officer, Captain Stan Brown, gave a salute while a combined naval and police guard of honour formed by the gangplank of HMS Hydra, the ship that carried the Prince from Suva to Levuka.
He disembarked and rode in the back of an open vehicle through ranks of ex-servicemen to Nasau Park, where he met Mayor Cr Fred Kaad and Mrs Kaad and other Levuka town councillors and their wives.
Then he walked through the ranks of hundreds of schoolchildren, stopping to speak to teachers and students from almost every school.
He asked Torika Baleilekutu of Delana Junior Secondary School about her task as head girl.
“It’s hard work controlling other students,” she replied.
Many of the children, even those of primary school age, remembered seeing Prince Charles when he visited Levuka during the independence celebrations in 1970. “He’s such a nice man, we’ve come to wave our flags for him again.”
