- Queen and Prince Philip ignored security advice to not visit black townships
- Her meeting with Nelson Mandela was her first official post-apartheid visit
- The country had its best rainy season in more than 10 years during the tour
Massive downpours during the Queen’s first official trip to South Africa after apartheid earned her the nickname Motlalepula.
The title – which means Rain Queen – was given to Elizabeth II after her tour in 1995, when she ignored security advice instructing her not to visit black townships.
On her six-day visit the Monarch was greeted by black and white supporters crying tears of joy.
Queen Elizabeth II was nicknamed Motlalepula during the visit – which means ‘she who brings the rain’
A Freedom of Information request revealed how she and Prince Philip shunned security recommendations while visiting Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg, the Daily Express reports.
Her historic visit took place during the country’s best rainy season in more than 10 years.
The Queen ignored security advice and visited the black townships (pictured: Elizabeth II with Nceba Faku in the New Brighton township)
A recently revealed despatch spoke of how black and white people across the country came out to greet the Monarch
Then British High Commissioner Sir Anthony Reeve said ‘all races turned out in large numbers’ on the ‘highly successful state visit’ in a recently published despatch.
After the Queen met with newly elected president Nelson Mandela, the country’s deputy president – Thabo Mbeki – christened her Motlalepula, which means ‘she who brings the rain’.
As well as meeting Nelson Mandela, the Queen met with the first black mayor of Port Elizabeth, Nceba Faku (pictured)
Sir Anthony’s report added that black and white South Africans ‘rubbed shoulders with no sign of animosity’.
‘Looking back less than 10 years when the various racial groups were still entirely segregated, it scarcely seemed possible that this coming together could have happened so swiftly and naturally,’ it read.