The royal tour of 1953-54 was one of the greatest public occasions in New Zealand's history. People thronged the streets to cheer and wave Union Jacks as the young Queen and Duke drove by. Social historian Jock Phillips follows the royal couple's itinerary and explores the attitudes of a vanished time. In the 40 years since that unforgettable summer, New Zealand society has changed. Using the tour as a focus, Royal Summer investigates our past and present, and the journey New Zealand has travelled between.