With access to some of the most sought-after travel destinations worldwide, the British Royal Family knows a thing or two about jet-setting. Whether travelling to Germany to rekindle their and the UK’s relationship after leaving the European Union or heading to the Caribbean to celebrate Prince George’s birthday, the British Royal Family have had the opportunity to explore some genuinely breathtaking destinations, whether on official business or otherwise.
Fortunately, for frequent travellers (and royalists!), the travel experts at Audley Travel have used official tour data from the Royal Family to analyse the top three travel destinations of the late Queen Elizabeth II if you want to add a royal flair to your bucket list.
From breathtaking natural beauty hotspots like Canada and suntraps like Australia, these Royal Family-endorsed locations will inspire your next luxury adventure. So, whether you’d like to celebrate King Charles III’s upcoming coronation abroad or follow in the regal footsteps of Britain’s most iconic family – continue reading to discover which travel destinations to add to your bucket list according to the British Royal Family.
Canada
According to the tour data analysed by Audley Travel’s specialists, Canada takes the crown as the late Queen’s most-visited country spanning twenty-two visits across all provinces. The North American country seems to have captivated other royal hearts beside the Queen’s, with her son King Charles III having paid eighteen visits over the years and more rumoured following his upcoming coronation.
Booking a Canada tour will allow you to experience many of the country’s highlights. From taking guided walking tours around cities, the Queen visited to taking in some of Canada’s natural beauty with a visit to the Rockies which offers activities like hiking and white-water rafting.
While you might be wondering what it is about Canada that kept the late Queen and then-Prince coming back for more aside from official business, Audley’s Canada travel specialist Joseph Saunders speculates that it was Canada’s myriad of cultures and stunning mountain/coastal landscapes which cemented the North American country as one of her favourites.
Australia
Next on Queen Elizabeth II’s list of most-visited countries as analysed by the travel specialists at Audley is Australia, which comes in close second behind Canada. Between 1954 and 2011, Queen Elizabeth made the twenty-two-hour flight across the globe to Australia; however, since 1994, her son King Charles III has made less frequent visits Down Under following an incident in Sydney where a protestor jumped on stage and shot blanks at him.
Like the Queen and the then-Prince, visitors to Australia can visit some of the country’s most notable tourist attractions, such as the Great Barrier Reef, Mount Wellington in Tasmania, Adelaide’s Botanic Gardens, The National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, and many more.
Aside from her royal duties, you might wonder why Australia held such a place in the late Queen’s heart, especially with it being so far from home! According to Audley Travel’s Australia and New Zealand specialist Lee Felton, he summarises that due to the sheer length of flight time, it takes to visit either of these countries, the Queen usually spent a couple of weeks in them, so she didn’t have to feel rushed to squeeze in the various sites that each location offers.
If, like the Queen and King Charles III, you feel tempted to see the sights Down Under, Felton suggests that you book for a couple of weeks at most, almost like you were going on a royal tour! This gives you a reasonable amount of time to see and do the popular touristy things in Australia.
New Zealand
As Australia’s oceanic neighbour, it may be no surprise that the Queen’s third most-visited destination was New Zealand, having touched down on the native Māori soil ten times between 1954 and 2011. Following close behind his mother, King Charles III has also made frequent visits to New Zealand, nine times in total; due to the proximity of both countries, royal visits to Australia and New Zealand were often tied together.
However, unlike Canada and Australia, the Queen’s experience in New Zealand was much more private than that of an average visitor. While staying in New Zealand, Queen Elizabeth II often met with notable Māori leaders like the Māori Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu and was present at Māori ceremonies such as the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi back in 1963.
While visitors to New Zealand won’t be able to follow in her regal footsteps when it comes to these activities, there are hundreds of things to see and do in New Zealand which will help you understand the culture, history, and people. Like Australia, Audley’s travel specialist Lee Felton also recommends a long break in this unique location to get a feel of the destination without squeezing everything in.
