The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – Visits to Worcestershire
- 26th May 2022
Our Jubilee exhibition in The Hive celebrates the Queen’s visits to Worcestershire over the last 70 years, starting with her visit in 1951 whilst still a Princess, through to 2012 when she officially opened The Hive.
Royal visits are always special. Documents in the archives show the amount of preparation which goes into a visit. When we’ve shared photos before of the Queen in Worcestershire we often get lots of comments from people who had been there, or about family members who’d met the Queen.
Photos within the exhibition have been sourced from collections across the county including photos within our own collections. Thank you to Museum of Royal Worcester, Kidderminster Library, Worcester City HER and Malvern Radar and Technology History Society. A version of the exhibition will also be touring Libraries.
[Click the arrows on the images to move through slideshow]
1951 – Worcester
Before becoming Queen, Princess Elizabeth visited Worcester to see the Royal Worcester factory and to open the Worcester Porcelain Museum, as well as visiting Worcester Cathedral.
1952
Queen Elizabeth II succeeded to the throne. The proclamation of the new monarch is a tradition that takes place in many places, each local authority officially recognises the new Head of State.
1953 – Coronation
The Coronation of Elizabeth II takes place. For the first time TV cameras are allowed in to film, enabling people around the country to feel closer than before. Street parties and celebrations took place throughout the country, with High Streets and buildings decorated. Bonfires were lit, and Coronation Queen were crowned.
Photos show a Coronation Queen being crowned in Kempsey, Bromsgrove High Street decorated, Coronation bonfire at Broadway and Droitwich Town Hall decorated.
1957 – Worcester, Kidderminster and Oldbury
HM The Queen visited the county by train, Visiting Oldbury and Kidderminster, and then travelling to Shrub Hill Station, which had been specially decorated, before moving on to Worcester Guildhall. Within the archives are two boxes containing correspondence and documents from the Lord Lieutenant’s office relating to the planning of her visit. We have written a separate blog about the 1957 visit.
1968 – Three Counties Show, Malvern
In 1968 the show welcomed Her Majesty the Queen. She spent four hours at the show, spending time viewing the livestock and casting a knowledgeable eye over the Corgi class.
1976 – Malvern
On 26th March 1976, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited Malvern to endorse formally the change of name from the Royal Radar Establishment (RRE) to the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment (RSRE). During the visit she became the first monarch to send an email.
Photo courtesy of Malvern Radar and Technology History Society, Charity 1183001
1980 – Worcester
Each year the monarch distributes Mandy Money in a ceremony going back several centuries. Queen Elizabeth II started the tradition of taking this around the country, visiting a different Cathedral each year. In 1980 it was the turn of Worcester Cathedral.
She handed out the special coins to nominated people in the Maundy Thursday service, before meeting people on Worcester High Street. She also visited The Commandery before going for lunch at Hartlebury Castle, then still the home of the Bishop of Worcester.
A more recent local link to this tradition is that the current Bishop of Worcester, John Inge, has been Lord High Almoner since 2013, whose role it is to assist the Queen on Maundy Thursday.
1983 – Redditch
Redditch received a vsit from HM The Queen on July 5th. She officially opened Millward Square (the Band of the royal marines providing music), met crowds in the Kingfisher Centre, before Lunch in the Town Hall. She then opened Forge Mill Museum, and visited a local company, Hymatic Engineering.
1989 – Worcester
HM The Queen visited Worcester for the 800th anniversary of the presenting of the first Royal Charter to Worcester and to pay tribute to the Queen’s Own Mercian Yeomanry, of which the Queen is Colonel-in-Chief. The Royal Train arrived at Shrub Hill station, where she unveiled a British Rail locomotive renamed The Queen’s Own Mercian Yeomanry. The Royal party then travelled down Lowesmoor and City Walls Road to pass through Edgar Tower and on to College Green, where the Queen opened the new workshops for the restoration operation on the Cathedral.
After lunch a Guard of Honour was inspected on the forecourt of Shirehall, before a private tea with members, families and old comrades of the QOMY.
2001 – Worcester and Bromsgrove
HM The Queen came to Worcester with the Duke of Edinburgh in 2001 as part of the 250-year celebrations of Worcester Porcelain and to open the new Worcester City Police Station. After visiting these two locations and meeting people, they had lunch at Worcester Guildhall.
In the afternoon they went to North Bromsgrove High School, with the Duke visiting Avoncroft Museum.
2012 – Worcester
In her Diamond Jubilee year Worcester received a Royal visit, and it coincided with the opening of The Hive, the new Library and History Centre in Worcester. So we were able to have Her majesty officially open our new home. During the tour of the Hive she was shown documents recording the visit by Elizabeth I to the city, and she met children who were doing an activity based on the almshouses which stood on the site, which was run by our outreach team, and the Duke was shown some nautical documents from the archives.
After a lunch in Worcester Guildhall the Queen visited Worcester Cathedral.
Museum of Royal Worcester’s Jubilee display will be open Saturday 28 May to Sunday 4 September and they are holding a Courtyard Jubilee Party Day on Wednesday 1 Jun 11am – 3pm with lots of activities for all ages.
There are also Jubilee Activities in The Hive Sunday 29 May to Wednesday 1st June 11am – 3pm – Join in this drop-in activity to make your own Jubilee crown and bunting, ready for your celebrations!
Hive visitor’s book with Queen’s signature, and documents relating to her 1957 visit
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