MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Gibraltar on National Day celebration calls on QE II to again visit the Rock

CM Picardo said: “60 years ago we were last visited by Her Majesty the Queen on her first tour of her kingdom.”

Sixty years after her last visit the Chief Minister has called on Queen Elizabeth II to visit Gibraltar. He did so in a dramatic call during his National day speech. Fabian Picardo was flanked on stage by Gibraltar Government Ministers, Opposition MPs and a contingent of visiting British MPs and MEPs.

Addressing the thousands of Gibraltarians clad in red and white crammed into Casemates Square for the political rally, CM Picardo said: “60 years ago we were last visited by Her Majesty the Queen on her first tour of her kingdom.”

“And that visit by the Queen led to a six decade tantrum by some people that we still feel the effects of today,” CM Picardo.

“Her Majesty the Queen has not been back to see us since then,” and inviting cheers from the crowd he continued “Well, as proudly British Gibraltarians that we are I want you to make clear to Her Majesty the warmth of our invitation to her to come back to Gibraltar.”

And the crowd duly obliged with a round of empathetic cheers. Further, marking the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s last visit to Gibraltar, the national anthem was sung at the event.

Engaging further with the crowd Picardo asked: “She doesn’t need an invitation to come back to her Rock but do you want to see the Queen back in Gibraltar?”

Not satisfied with the level of noise he told the crowd, “If I can’t hear you they can’t hear you in Buckingham Palace, Gibraltar do you want the Queen to come back to the Rock?”

“Yes” they told him. “Now there’s a message and a half,” Picardo said.

The Chief Minister’s sentiments were echoed by Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell who called on the Foreign Office in London to end their block on allowing the Queen from visiting Gibraltar.

Labeling Spain a “bully” he told the crowd that the way to deal with a bully is to stand up to them.

“Let the message go out that the people of Gibraltar and the people of the Great British family we will stand up to Madrid,” Mr Rosindell said.

He continued: “Earlier this year the newly inaugurated King of Spain was announced by the BBC as the King of Gibraltar.”

“I say with the utmost respect to the King of Spain, you are not the King of Gibraltar, you will never be the King of Gibraltar. The only sovereign Head of State is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”

Shortly after the Chief Minister’s speech, the Mayor Adolfo Canepa released 15,000 red and white balloons.