1.) THE 1947 ROYAL VISIT TO THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA (1947) & 2.) SOUVENIR OF THE ROYAL TOUR (1947)

1.) THE 1947 ROYAL VISIT TO THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA

First English edition. Published by the South African Railways, Pretoria, 1947.

Publisher's red cloth binding with gilt titles and design on front panel and spine. Original beige dust jacket with green titles.

127pp. Illustrated with numerous black & white and colour photos. Colour map of South Africa in front and several route maps illustrating the Royal Family's itinerary of their famous visit to South Africa, which in 1947 was still a Union. 

Portraits of the Royal Family in front, which is followed by the Royal Family's travel plan through the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia. 

The main purpose of this book was to provide a sketch of the different people and places their Royal Majesties the King and Queen, and their Royal Highnesses the Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret would meet and visit on their tour through the Union. The tour lasted from February to April, 1947. The future Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 21st birthday during the royal visit.

The magnificent endpapers for this publication were specially designed by J. H. Pierneef. 

Binding solid. Contents clean. Dust jacket in very good condition with mild age-associated wear. 

2.) A PICTORIAL SOUVENIR OF THE ROYAL TOUR 

Published in 1947 by the Central News Agency, Johannesburg.

64pp. Softcover.

Book in good condition with some age-associated edge wear of the wraps.

Captioned illustrations in profusion documenting the famous 1947 visit of the British Royal Family to South Africa. It was to be Princess Elizabeth's (today Queen Elizabeth II) first overseas tour and she celebrated her 21st birthday while on this tour. Her birthday coincided with the family's visit to the historic city of Pietermaritzburg. The illustrations are reproduced from original photographs from the Cape Times, Rand Daily Mail, The Natal Mercury and Sunday Times.