From the Humber Bridge to Emmerdale: The Queen's visits to Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

• The Queen was invited to watch an explosion on the Emmerdale set

From her days as a young princess, to the end of what was the longest reign of any British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II was greeted by millions of people across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire during her many visits to the region.

Her Majesty opened countless buildings, was presented with thousands of bouquets of flowers and met everyone from official dignitaries to ordinary families in their own homes.

Those hosting visits were often asked to provide something eye-catching for the Queen to see.

And she can have had few more memorable moments than the day she joined the cast of Emmerdale for a spectacular stunt in 2002.

The Queen watched on as the ITV soap's fictional village post office was blown up, smiling as cast members ran over to the post office after the explosion had occurred.

Pictures from the day show Her Majesty unperturbed as the shop went up in flames.

Actor Mark Charnock, who plays Marlon Dingle, recalled: "She was cool as a cucumber when the explosion went off. The rest of us jumped out of our skins."

Tim Fee, former Emmerdale producer, said: "She was the most wonderful person to show around. She showed interest in every single person she met. She knew what everybody did.

"You’d think she watched every single episode of Emmerdale, which of course she did!"

Chris Chittell, Emmerdale actor, said: "She was the most incredible lady and I don’t think anyone will replace the person that she was and will remain in our memories."

Over the decades many things changed, but what didn't was the warmth of the welcome she received.

Memories of the Queen's visits to the region

More than half a century earlier, in 1949, when she was still a Princess, thousands of people packed into Roundhay Park in Leeds to catch a glimpse of Elizabeth.

Among them was Joan Fox, who was chosen to present the young princess with a bunch of flowers. She has very fond memories of the day.

Ms Fox said: "I don’t think I realised what a big occasion it was on the actual day. I think it was afterwards that I sort of thought, well yes, not many people get to do that."

Just one year after becoming Queen, she visited Lincolnshire to witness the aftermath of the worst natural disaster the country has ever seen. More than 300 people had been killed in a tidal surge along the East Coast. Through good times and bad, her countless visits were a marker of consistency and continuity for many.

Television gardener Alan Titchmarsh said: "She didn’t change, in a changing world. She didn’t give opinions about things.

"She found a way that worked for her, which was to keep that magic, to keep that distance, to do everything that she was asked to do as a sovereign, but she didn’t get too, to use common parlance now, ‘Down with the kids’ and I think that was the secret of her success."

The Queen’s visits ranged from official openings in front of huge crowds to much smaller affairs. In 1957, she was welcomed into the home of one family in Hull. The family were told they were on a list of potential visits, but didn’t know for certain she would be coming until the actual day. 

Mike Inglis told ITV News: "My Auntie Edie was outside and the car came around the corner and she came in screaming ‘They’re here, they’re here!"

Yvonne Tebbutt said: "All through school you’re telling people these things, and they think, ‘that didn’t happen’, and it did and I’d take the photos in and the newspaper cuttings and show everybody. I was still talking about it when I went to work."

During her reign, the Queen performed many official openings across the region. One of the biggest was the Humber Bridge. It was a memorable day for the then-chair of the Bridge Board, Alex Clark, and his family who played a key role in the celebrations.

His granddaughter, Rachel Stainforth, was chosen to present a bouquet of flowers to the Queen.

She told ITV News: "I remember sitting there feeling all anxious, with butterflies in my tummy. I remember being star struck and thinking ‘I can’t do this’ and I did need a push to go because at one point I said, ‘I’m not doing it, I’m frightened.’"

Mr Clark's late daughter, Vanessa Walker, who died earlier this year, was proud of the role her father played before, and during, the Queen’s visit. 

Speaking in 2021 she said: "Dad was all the time just a few paces behind her and guiding her and telling her about the history of the bridge in its construction phase.

"He was also asked if he would put a few words down to help the Queen’s staff to write a speech. None of it was changed. She actually spoke his speech, so that was a real honour that it was good enough."

Some of the Queen’s visits to Yorkshire and Lincolnshire were for regular events, such as giving out Maundy Money at Easter. There were also extra tours to coincide with jubilees and notable birthdays. 

The Queen’s visits would often reflect the diversity of modern Britain. During her Golden Jubilee tour of 2002, she made history in Scunthorpe, becoming the first serving British monarch to visit a mosque.

Javed Akter said: "I think she was very overwhelmed and she looked very pleased to be entering a mosque. It was newly fitted with carpets and everything and it was so soft. I do remember the Queen saying, ‘Oh the carpet is so soft, my feet are sinking into it.’"

Her final official visit to the region was in 2017, when she visited Hull to mark its year as UK City of Culture. She also officially opened the new medical school at the city’s university.

The Queen will be remembered by people in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire for bringing consistency and continuity.

While times and fashions may have changed, her appeal endured.

In the closing years of her reign, the crowds were still there, gathering to celebrate and thank a woman who lived up to her promise from decades ago to devote her whole life to the service of her country.

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