Queen Elizabeth II in Panama

Queen Elizabeth II is presented by Panama President  Jose Antonio Remon Cantera with the Gold Collar of the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero. Image from AP.

Panama will go down the life story of Queen Elizabeth II as the first country that she visited as head of state. Five months after her coronation in June 1953, Queen Elizabeth II, together with Prince Philip, began the longest tour she ever embarked on her reign. Dubbed the World Commonwealth Tour, it lasted from November 1953 until May 1954. Their first stop? Panama, where they passed through the Panama Canal on their way to Australia. The visit in this tiny Central American country lasted from November 29-30. A United States correspondent hailed the new queen for being the "most popular person to visit" the country, proving an "even greater attraction than President Roosevelt or President Eisenhower."

In Panama City, the British monarch and Prince Philip were given "a most enthusiastic welcome," and they received the same warm reception when they visited Colon. Huge crowd after huge crowd turned out to greet the royal party and the streets were so packed that onlookers eager to catch a one-in-a-lifetime glimpse of a queen from a faraway kingdom "that the royal car had to crawl in order to avoid injuring boys and girls running alongside."

A banquet in honor of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh was hosted by the President of Panama. For the glittering affair, the Queen wore a white silk gown with a diamond circlet. She was also seen wearing the Vladimir tiara. President Jose Antonio Remon Cantera presented Queen Elizabeth II the Gold Collar of the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero , the highest honor of Panama.

The overwhelming success of her Panama visit would replicate many times over as she landed in different Commonwealth countries.