Invitation - State Reception; Queen Elizabeth II & The Duke of Edinburgh; Melbourne; 8 Mar 1954; Invitation issued to Mr G Scholes to attend an evening State Reception for HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh at the Exhibition Buildings on Monday 8 March 1954. Princess Elizabeth was en route to Australia in 1952 when she heard news that her father; King George VI; had died. Her trip was curtailed; but when she made it to Australia two years later she was now Queen Elizabeth