12 Feb 2023

National War Memorial's Hall of Memories to reopen for Princess Anne visit

9:59 am on 12 February 2023
Britain's Princess Anne, Princess Royal, follows the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, adorned with a Royal Standard and the Imperial State Crown and pulled by a Gun Carriage of The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, during a procession from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster, in London on September 14, 2022. - Queen Elizabeth II will lie in state in Westminster Hall inside the Palace of Westminster, from Wednesday until a few hours before her funeral on Monday, with huge queues expected to file past her coffin to pay their respects. (Photo by Martin Meissner / POOL / AFP)

Princess Anne. Photo: Martin Meissner / POOL / AFP

The Hall of Memories at the National War Memorial in Wellington will reopen for Princess Anne's visit after being shut for three years.

It was shut because of earthquake risk, but officials say they have new engineering advice the hall is safe.

The Princess Royal will be at a wreath-laying ceremony at Pukeahu on 15 February.

The reopening does not extend to the Carillon bell tower next door, which is earthquake-prone and being upgraded.

But officials say the latest advice is the risk of the bells falling is unlikely, because the connections in the tower's bell frames are stronger than previously thought.

Anne has visited New Zealand eight times before, last in 2008.

It is the first royal visit since the then-Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall came in 2019.

The 72-year-old is the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, who died last year, and Prince Philip, who died in 2021.

The National War Memorial’s Hall of Memories, Wellington.

The National War Memorial's Hall of Memories. Photo: RNZ / Paloma Migone

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