Britain's Duke of Kent, representing Queen Elizabeth II at Sierra Leon's independence celebration, inspected a guard of honor composed of native troops at Freetown airport on his arrival in the West African country Tuesday. The former British colony, adjoining Liberia on Africa's west coast, became an independent nation at midnight Wednesday. Thurgood Marshall, head of the National Association for the Advancement of the Colored People (NAACP) represented President Kennedy at the independence ceremonies.

Photo is dated 1961.

Photo measures 10 x 8.25 inches.