Queen to open new Children's Hospital in Melbourne

Australia's Victorian State Premier on Saturday said it was a privilege to have Queen Elizabeth II and her 90-year-old husband Prince Philip officially open a new children's hospital during their visit to Melbourne. As part of her 10-day trip to Australia, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will spend the day in Melbourne of state Victoria on Oct. 26. The Premier Baillieu said the Queen would open the 0.98 billion U.S. dollars Royal Children's Hospital redevelopment in Melbourne. The Queen, who last visited Melbourne to open the 2006 Commonwealth Games, will also visit the National Gallery of Victoria, make a public appearance at Federation Square and attend a private reception and lunch at Government House. Baillieu said the visit would showcase Melbourne's status as the world's most livable city. "Hosting the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to officially open and tour Victoria's new state-of-the-art Royal Children's Hospital is a wonderful privilege and recognizes the importance of the one billion U.S. dollar hospital redevelopment to Victoria's children and families," Baillieu told reporters in Melbourne. The royal visit is also a memorable and significant way to mark the 150th anniversary of the National Gallery of Victoria. The royal couple is scheduled to arrive in Canberra on Oct. 19 and will have a side-trip to Brisbane of Queensland on Oct. 24. Following their trip in Melbourne, they will travel to Perth of Western Australia to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The pair will then head home on Oct. 29.