QUEEN FREDERIKA OF GREECE (Hansard, 2 May 1963)

§ Q4. Mr. Swingler
asked the Prime Minister what measures were taken by Her Majesty's Government for the protection of Queen Frederika of Greece during her recent visit to London; to what extent these measures proved unsatisfactory; and why it was considered necessary to issue an apology in the names of the Foreign and Home Secretaries, in view of the fact that the apology covered only the exercise by certain citizens of the normal British democratic right of making representations by peaceful demonstration.

§ Q5. Mr. W. Hamilton
asked the Prime Minister why an apology was made to the Queen of Greece concerning demonstrations in London against imprisonment for political reasons in Greece; and whether he will make a statement.

§ Q6. Mr. M. Foot
asked the Prime Minister why the recent note was sent to Queen Frederika of Greece concerning political prisoners in Greece.

§ Q7. Mr. Zilliacus
asked the Prime Minister why an apology was tendered on behalf of Her Majesty's Government to Queen Frederika, when British subjects made a peaceful protest against the prolonged imprisonment for political reasons of men who had fought on the Allied side in the last war.

§ Q8. Mrs. Hart
asked the Prime Minister why Her Majesty's Government apologised to Queen Frederika of Greece for peaceful demonstrations in London 1311 involving the demand of British citizens for the release of Greek political prisoners.

§ Q9. Mr. Rankin
asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the reasons which prompted Her Majesty's Government to send a written apology to the Queen of Greece following representations which were made to her about certain political prisoners.

§ The Prime Minister
While Queen Frederika was in London on a private visit she was the subject of certain unfortunate incidents. In these circumstances I think the House will feel that courtesy required the apology which was offered to her on behalf of Her Majesty's Government.

§ Mr. Swingler
Is it not nevertheless clear that the Government made an unholy mess of this? Did not anyone in the Government realise the strong feelings held by many people in Britain—including a hundred members of this House who have signed a Motion on the Order Paper—about political prisoners in Greece? Is not the right hon. Gentleman responsible for the security of Royal visitors to Britain? Ought not the Foreign Secretary to have apologised for the incompetence of the Government's arrangements and not have appeared to apologise for the right of peaceful demonstration in Britain?

§ The Prime Minister
No, Sir. The normal arrangements were made. It is true, however, that a hitch can take place, as it did on this occasion.

§ Mr. Hamilton
Why was there such a delay—seven or eight days after a statement made by the Greek Royal Court—in issuing the apology? Can the right hon. Gentleman confirm or deny the allegation that there was an attempt at the use of force by these demonstrators? Is he aware that the whole House would deplore any attempt to use force in these circumstances, but that if the Foreign Office has information to the effect that it was not contemplated then it behoves the Prime Minister to make a denial to this House?

§ The Prime Minister
I do not think it necessary for me to go into the precise character of these incidents. They took place when Queen Frederika was a guest 1312 of our country and the demands of ordinary courtesy required that an apology should be made.

§ Mr. Foot
Even if the Foreign Secretary had made inquiries into the incidents before he issued his Note—which seems highly dubious—does not the Prime Minister think it most undignified that a Note of this character should be sent without insisting at the same time on the right of our people to protest aganist political oppression, particularly when the Greek Royal Family has been so shadily associated with this form of political activity?

§ The Prime Minister
The character of the question makes it hardly necessary for me to answer it. If a Royal guest comes here on a private visit and incidents of this kind unfortunately take place—and such incidents must not be exaggerated or under-estimated—I repeat that I think that most right hon. and hon. Members would feel it courteous to make an apology.

§ Mr. Zilliacus
In view of the conflict of testimony between Mrs. Ambatielos and the account issued by the Greek Embassy, will the Prime Minister arrange for an impartial inquiry into what took place? Will he not also explain to the Greek Government that these demonstrations took place because of strong indignation felt at the imprisonment of a man who helped this country in the war at the hands of the regime which includes all-in Nazis and supporters of Hitler?

§ The Prime Minister
That is not a matter affecting the ordinary courtesies to be shown to a Monarch when visiting this country. It is a very different question.

§ Mrs. Hart
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that what concerns many of us is first of all that an apology was made before it was clear what had taken place, and that it is still not clear what took place? Is he further aware that the Government seem continually to expose themselves to a perfectly legitimate charge that they are too little concerned with the lack of democratic freedom in the countries of our allies? Should not the Government take more care to insist that our way of giving freedom of demonstration in Britain is the correct one?

§ The Prime Minister
That is a larger question which is not concerned with the courtesy due to a guest in our country.

§ Mr. Rankin
In connection with the incidents, does the Prime Minister realise that the only person who was arrested and charged was a boy of 16, who was exonerated by the magistrates, because he was only exercising his democratic right in exhibiting a poster? Does the Prime Minister further realise that it has not been possible to prefer any charge against Mrs. Ambatielos or any other person who took part in these incidents? Can the Prime Minister say what other reasons prompted the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to send his apology to the Queen of Greece?

§ The Prime Minister
I think ordinary good manners.

§ Mr. Rankin
On a point of order. Might I be granted the democratic right to hear the Prime Minister's reply to my Question?

§ Mr. Speaker
If the right hon. Gentleman would be so kind as to repeat it, and the hon. Member would listen, we might obtain the right result.

§ The Prime Minister
The hon. Gentleman asked what motives prompted the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

§ Mr. Rankin
I asked what other motives prompted him.

§ The Prime Minister
I replied, "Ordinary good manners".

§ Mr. Longbottom
Is my right hon. Friend aware of the deep sense of shock that hon. Members feel that the Queen of Greece has been so severely molested by members of the Communist Party? Is my right hon. Friend further aware that these so-called political detainees are, in fact, criminals who have been convicted by the courts of Greece for the most atrocious acts of murder and torture?

§ The Prime Minister
I do not think that I should like to be drawn into the underlying questions that arise. I know something of these matters, because I remember being besieged in the British Embassy for a period by the Communist Party during the Greek revolution of 1944. This is a different question. This lady was here on a private visit. Certain 1314 incidents took place which, as I say, should be neither minimised nor exaggerated, and I think that it was courteous and proper to make an apology.

§ Sir H. Oakshott
Will my right hon. Friend recognise that his description of the tendering of this apology as good manners is exactly in keeping with our British habit of good manners? However much we may differ politically from the hon. Member for Lanark (Mrs. Hart), in similar circumstances we would tender her the same amends as have been offered to the Queen of Greece.

Mr. H. Wilson
In view of the fact that the Foreign Office and the Home Office have put out different accounts of this incident; since they cannot agree whether there was violence in this case or not; and since there is this disagreement, will the Prime Minister order an official inquiry so that we can discover the facts? We cannot have two Secretaries of State disagreeing about the facts. First, will the right hon. Gentleman do that?
Secondly, will he tell the House whether there was an official complaint to the Foreign Office by the Royal Court about this incident, or whether it came to light only as a result of statements by the Greek authorities to Greek journalists?
Thirdly, while I am sure that every Member of this House would deplore any violence or discourtesy to any guest of the Queen, or any other guest visiting this country, in any circumstances, does the right hon. Gentleman recognise that part of the difficulty arises from the failure of his own Government, at diplomatic level, to express to the Greek Government the feelings of people in this country—[Interruption.]—I am asking the Government why they have not, at diplomatic level, protested to the Greek Government as fellow members of N.A.T.O. who are supposed to be jointly concerned in the defence of freedom from political imprisonment, and whether the Prime Minister has the moral standing to raise this case about the imprisonment of journalists for criticisms in the Press.

§ The Prime Minister
With regard to the first part of the right hon. Gentleman's supplementary question, I do not think that it is necessary to institute an inquiry, and I think that it would be unnecessary in view of the fact that I 1315 regard the incident as closed. A certain incident took place which led to a disturbance and the Queen having to take refuge in a house nearby. That was unfortunate, and I think it right that an apology should be made.
The larger matters referred to by the right hon. Gentleman are of a quite different character. They do not arise out of this issue, which is concerned entirely with the courtesy due to a visiting Queen.