Queen Elizabeth II Visited Hong Kong Twice During Her Reign

Although Hong Kong was officially a British colony for 155 years, from August 29, 1842, to July 1, 1997, only one British monarch has visited Hong Kong as the reigning monarch.

Of course, many princes and princesses have visited Hong Kong, and King George V, King Edward VIII, and King Charles III also visited Hong Kong; but they did so in their capacity as princes, not as the King of the United Kingdom.

In fact, the only British monarch to have ever visited Hong Kong was also the last monarch to rule over it: Queen Elizabeth II. She visited Hong Kong on two separate occasions.

When she arrived in Hong Kong on May 4, 1975, for a four-day visit, Queen Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to set foot in Hong Kong after it had been a British colony for nearly 133 years.

On October 21, 1986, Elizabeth II visited Hong Kong a second time. This visit was highly symbolic, as it took place only two years after Great Britain and China signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, formalizing the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong to China.

This was also the last time a reigning British monarch visited Hong Kong.