The Queen's Visit, 1957
As in 2007, the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to the United States in 1957 to celebrate a major anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown included a visit to the College of William and Mary, America's only royally-chartered college. In 1957, the Queen spent less than an hour at the College, during which time she had tea at the President's House, spoke to a crowd from the balcony of the Wren Building, and exchanged gifts with the College. Despite the visit's brevity, it required an immense amount of planning and drew widespread interest and attention.
On the following pages, Swem Library's Special Collections Research Center is pleased to bring you a variety of materials relating to the Queen's earlier visit to William and Mary, including film, audio, photographs, documents, and publications. The pages are divided into two main sections: Preparations and The Visit.