The Queen comes to Worcester: Interesting facts about the visit

This will be the sixth time The Queen visits Worcester Credit: PA

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will be in Worcester this afternoon, after visiting Herefordshire this morning, we've provided some facts about the city.

The Hive

  • The Royal Party will unveil a plaque for the official opening of the building

  • The Hive is a £60 million facility that increases the learning resources, technology, study and social spaces available to University of Worcester students

  • It will be officially opened by The Queen today

  • It houses 12 miles of archive collections

  • It contains quarter of a million books

Worcester Guildhall

  • The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will attend a reception at the Guildhall, followed by a walkabout

  • The Guildhall dates back to 1721

  • King George III visited in 1788 and described the Assembly Room as “a handsome gallery”

  • The present Queen has previously visited the Guildhall in 1957, 1908, 1989 and 2001

  • The Assembly Room boasts portraits of several of The Queen’s ancestors – Queen Mary I, Queen Anne, Queen Victoria, and two of King George III

Worcester Cathedral

  • The Royal couple will view a performance to celebrate the area and The Queen will unveil a plaque

  • Worcester Cathedral has been described as possibly the most interesting of all England’s cathedrals

  • It was founded in 680

  • During Anglo-Saxon times, Worcester was one of the most important monastic cathedrals in the country

  • The Queen previously visited the Cathedral in 1980 for the occasion of the Royal Maundy

The Queen's previous visits to Worcester:

  • 1951 - The year before her coronation, Princess Elizabeth visited Worcester to see the Royal Worcester factory and to open the Worcester porcelain museum

  • 1957 – The Queen and Prince Phillip came to Worcester for an official visit. She went to the Guildhall as part of that

  • 1980 – The Queen came to Worcester for the Maundy Thursday Service at the Cathedral and went to a reception at the Guildhall

  • 1989 – The Queen visited Worcester for the 800th anniversary of the presenting of the first Royal Charter to Worcester. She had lunch at the Guildhall

  • 2001 - Queen Elizabeth II 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. They had lunch at Guildhall