Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, was the only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
In 1956, Her Royal Highness (HRH) Princess Margaret was the fourth Royal personality who visited Mauritius since the island became a British Colony in 1810.
Princess Margaret left London on the 21 September 1956 by air for her 5-week tour of East Africa and Mauritius. From London she went to Mombasa and from Mombasa she boarded the Britannia, the Royal Yatch of her Majesty, to Mauritius.
The arrival of the Princess on Saturday 29 September at Port Louis was a spectacular event; the population was unified to make the island as beautiful as possible and together to provide the warmest welcome to the Royal Visit. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered at, near and round the harbour to welcome the boarding yatch. Canons were fired at Fort George and these 21 rounds greeted the Princess in a distinctive manner.
On the first day of the three-day visit, Princess Margaret visited China Town, the Barracks of Port Louis and Cassis, where she laid the foundation stone for the construction of the new Royal College of Port Louis. The Royal convoy furthered to Rose Hill on the way to the State House in Reduit before attending a special Horse Race at the Champ de Mars where the Princess was greeted by some 150,000 Mauritians. The day ended with a Royal Banquet at the Government House.
On Sunday 30 September, the Princess attended mass held at the St Paul Anglican Church of Vacoas in the morning. After the service, Princess Margaret visited the Victoria Hospital in Candos where she inaugurated the new Orthopaedic Centre which is named after her; Princess Margaret Orthopaedic Centre. She then spent the afternoon in the South of the island and at the State House.
On the last day, 1 October 1956, Princess Margaret visited the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden where she planted a Goyavier Royal Lagerstroemia speciosa to commemorative the event.
The Princess then visited the Union Flacq Sugar Estate before heading back to the State House in Reduit to attend a final Garden Party hosted by the Governor Sir Robert Scott at which more than 1200 guests were present.
After the Garden Party, Her Royal Highness (HRH) Princess Margaret boarded the Britannia to continue her East African tour.