Queen Elizabeth II has left a memorable mark on the world, and that includes San Diego.
The Queen visited our city in 1983 as part of a west coast tour. Former reporter Preston Turegano covered the occasion for what was then The Tribune, and he remembers what a historic day it was.
“It was stormy up until the time the ship almost docked,” he said. “I call it a ship, they called it a yacht, but it was the size of a cruise ship.”
On February 26, 1983, Queen Elizabeth along with her husband Prince Philip arrived at San Diego’s Broadway pier aboard the royal yacht Britannia. “Oh! There were so many, thousands of people who wanted to brave that weather, and there were thousands more lined up on Shelter Island and Harbor Island just to see the Britannia come into the Bay,” said Turegano. “She really brought them out, she really did.”
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Turegano remembers then California Governor George Deukmejian being on the pier that day, and the then deputy mayor who made a faux-pas when he touched the queen, putting his hand on her back.
“And all the press gasped,” said Turegano. He remembers the Queen's nautical dress.
“She wore clothes so beautifully,” he said.
He remembers as a reporter, he was able to get up close to see her.
“Oh well, those eyes, those blue eyes… we were standing there back behind the ropes, she just walked by.”
He remembers the reception the Queen had for the media where she made a brief appearance.
"She just came in and looked and made sure everything was fine, she said ‘Hello, gentlemen,’ most of us were males…we said ‘Thank you, thank you, your Majesty.'"
During her visit, the Queen and Prince Philip visited the Old Globe where the Queen unveiled a sculpture of William Shakespeare. They also visited the Scripps Aquarium and wrapped up the San Diego part of the trip with morning prayers at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church.
“You really, really wished you could sit down and talk to her, she was very, very cordial and nice and friendly, waved at everyone she could possibly wave to, that famous wave.”
Turegano calls it a historic event, he never imagined he would witness as a young kid growing up in San Antonio, Texas. One that he says can make San Diego proud – even now.
“To think that her 10-day official visits started here, that’s a big deal, that’s pretty great,” he said. The city can be proud of that.”
Turegano is in town to promote his new book, The Associated Preston. It includes his coverage of the Queen, for which he won an award.
