Ahead of the coronation of King Charles III, we take a look back at Bendigo's encounters with royalty from the Bendigo Advertiser's archives. Poor Prince Alfred would have been sweating bullets when he visited Bendigo in 1867. The Bendigo Advertiser spent almost a quarter of its report on how the English rose's "impression of the climate of Bendigo cannot be of a very favourable kind" after he spent a stifling December day in "the dog-days" of a Bendigo summer. Despite the heat, the then Duke of Edinburgh is reported to have met "prodigious crowds, illimitable bunting, imperturbable good humour, and general sobriety" with a report claiming the "most brilliant and hearty reception" the prince had met in Australia. Sounds lovely, but the high praise may have had something to do with reporter's upset over Bendigo's bump down the royal schedule, with Castlemaine and Ballarat getting a visit before us. Coronation: Quiche fit for a king The Bendigo Advertiser went as far as to say the city was "contemptuously treated" when the Royal commissions' "error" placed Bendigo "so far below Ballarat". Sounds like the royals hit a sore spot in the Ballarat/Bendigo rivalry. In the shimmering heat, thousands turned out to greet him, with bunting adorning mining sites and the streets overflowing with crowds who travelled from outlying areas to catch a glimpse of Queen Victoria's second son. It was reported that "from Pall Mall, as far as Ironbark and Windmill Hill was nothing but flags and evergreens". In the evening a much-heralded torchlight procession turned into a bit of a debacle, with fireworks thrown into the crowd and torch bearers "brandishing their torches about in a very dangerous manner". Much was written about how women, with babes in arms, could have been harmed in the mayhem. Coronation: Wildflower seed gift It may have been "a wonderful spectacle", but the Bendigo Advertiser felt the next one - if indeed there was one - needed more stringent conditions and "fireworks in the streets should not be tolerated at all". All things considered, a reporter's testimony "there is no denying we have outdone ourselves" on the visit sounds accurate. Even if the prince likely returned to the English winter with a sunburn. Have you had an encounter with royalty during their visits to Bendigo? Tell us via addynews@austcommunitymedia.com.au Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with the Bendigo Advertiser app. Click here to download.