One Rotorua woman remembers the royal visit in 1954 and is excited to see Duke and Duchess

Miriama Searancke went to see the Queen when she was 13 and is excited for the upcoming royal visit. Photo / Stephen Parker

As the Queen made her way to Rotorua in 1954 one young girl was too excited to sleep, her mum had been rehearsing her performance, her new dress and shoes were ready, and a picnic lunch packed.

Now, 64 years later, Miriama Searancke has another dress picked out, her korowai is warming up in the sun, and it will be her turn to perform for the royal visitors.

Searancke grew up on stories of the royal family coming to visit Ohinemutu and of Prince Alfred staying in Tamatekapua.

In less than two weeks she will take part in the pōhiri welcoming the Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan.

It was in the summer of 1954 when she was 13, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh first came to Rotorua.

"Everyone was so excited; I remember my mother made me a special dress.

"She bought me these shoes, they were like my first adult shoes, they were red, and on the side, there was a little crown with ER on it, and I had a hat and little-crocheted gloves."

She said on the morning her mum made her a packed lunch and off she went with her siblings down to Arawa Park.

That day at Arawa Park there were more than 1500 performers and a suspected 12,000 people came to get a glimpse at the royal couple.

"Everybody came to perform for the Queen it was amazing," Searancke said.

"My mother performed with Ngāti Whakaue but people came from all over Te Arawa, down to the coast, they all came."

She said in town every shop had memorabilia of the Queen and in one particular china store, there was a display with a golden carriage and horses.

"All the shops and all the bunting around town, it was just amazing."

She said the Queen was a tiny lady and she had spoken beautifully.

"It was quite funny to us, hearing her speak, she was so refined."

While she was buried in the crowds in the Queen's visit Searancke will have the chance to get up close to the Duke and Duchess in under two weeks.

As part of Ngāti Whakaue, she will greet the couple in pōhiri.

"I am excited, I will be sleeping like a log, so not quite as excited as last time, but I am still excited."

She has picked out her nicest black dress and is resting her korowai in the sun, so it glistens on the day.