consuming job for the organising committee.

Headed by Deputy Governor John Kelly and former Cabinet Secretary Mr. Ken Richardson, the committee has dealt with every major and minor detail of the 44-hour tour of the Island.

And every one of their plans has first had to get the approval of Buckingham Palace and the Queen, who knows exactly how much she can fit into each day.

The itinerary is undoubtedly a busy one, especially at the end of a tough Caribbean tour ... but it has been given Royal approval and will go ahead as scheduled.

The Royal visit is not just about the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Careful arrangements have also had to be made for the Royal Household which travels with the couple.

This has meant providing rooms at the Hamilton Princess for 33 people, room at Government House for the Royal couple and their close personal staff and facilities for 20 travelling Press.

Said Mr. Kelly: "Hamilton Princess will become something like Buckingham Palace because all the operations of the Royal entourage will be carried out there.'' These include the setting up of a media centre to provide all the necessary equipment for the mainly British Press to send their stories back to newspapers and television hungry for any Royal titbit.

Then there is the major task of transporting the Royal party around.

The Queen and Prince Philip will be chauffeured in the Governor, Lord Waddington's Daimler. When they are apart the Queen will use the Daimler while the Duke of Edinburgh is likely to be chauffeured in the car of HMS Malabar Senior Officer, Commander Robin Bawtree, who will accompany the Prince on the greater part of the tour.

Similarly the Governor and Lady Waddington will spend much time with the Royal couple and will use their "reserve'' vehicle, a Subaru.

Mr. Kelly estimates the main costs of the trip being transport and hospitality.

Hospitality stretches to social events such the Speaker's Dinner at the Southampton Princess this evening. Over 500 invited guests will attend including most of the Island's politicians and major businessmen. The cost of that evening alone will be in the region of $50,000.

There will also be a private dinner at Government House and a lunch at the Stonington Beach Hotel.

All three menus were sent for approval to Buckingham Palace according to Mr.

Kelly.

"The Palace was sent three menus for each lunch and the Queen is then given the final say over what she will eat.'' Mr. Kelly noted that organisation of the trip began almost exactly a year ago.

"I heard that there would be a visit this time last year and it was confirmed in May.

"It was formally confirmed around about the summer. The Royal advance party, of half a dozen, arrived in November and were shown around possible sites for the visit.'' The final decision for the itinerary was made in early February and rubber-stamped by the Palace and the Queen.

Mr. Kelly added: "It is a full itinerary with a lot in it for both the Queen and Prince Philip. We were a little surprised when they agreed to it, but it did receive approval from the Palace and the Queen always checks these things.

"If she had given us another 12 hours we could easily have filled it. It meant we would have satisfied the wishes of a lot more people, but we cannot satisfy everybody.'' GOVERNMENT HOUSE -- `home' and headquarters for the Royal couple and their personal staff until they leave the Island on Thursday morning.

Mr. John Kelly. Mr. Ken Richardson