Britain's Queen Elizabeth Arrives in Australia

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 27, 2002

Britain's Queen Elizabeth Arrives in Australia

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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Adelaide Wednesday and was greeted by her Australian governor-general who is under pressure to resign over allegations he covered up child sex abuse when he was an Anglican archbishop.

The queen and Prince Philip touched down in bright sunshine in this southern Australian city after a three-hour flight from New Zealand where they had stayed five days as part of celebrations marking her 50 years on the throne.

Embattled Governor-General Peter Hollingworth bowed to the queen and shook her hand as she stepped down from her chartered British Airways jet.

Hollingworth, who was appointed last year as the queen's representative here, has refused to resign over claims that he helped cover up allegations of child molestation by teachers, priests and church officers who served in his former diocese in Brisbane, Australia's third largest city.

Australia has long been independent, but the queen remains head of state. The island continent's ties to Britain stretch back two centures when it was a collection of British colonies used as a dumping ground for exiled British convicts.

A November 1999 referendum overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to replace her as head of state with an elected president.

The queen will address the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at the resort town of Coolum, 60 miles north of Brisbane, over the weekend.

The four-day summit brings together the leaders from 54 former British colonies.

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