In May of 1958 (2 May through 6 May), in one of the empire's last hurrahs, royalty visited Belize for the first time in the then colony's history. It came in the form of the Queen's sister, a vibrant young Princess Margaret,
who charmed the population and had a street, Princess Margaret Drive, named after her.

In this first photo the princess is shown descending the stairway at Government House to attend a state dinner hosted by the governor, Sir Colin Hardwick Thornley. The skirts of her "ladies in waiting" can be seen on the stairs behind her.