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Royal connections As the countdown to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations begin, Lowri Llewelyn looks back at the part North Wales has played in her reign…
On a very special four-day bank holiday beginning on Friday
Her Majesty has visited the length and breadth of North
3rd June, the UK will come together to celebrate the Platinum
Wales, the first in the capacity of Queen being the Coronation
Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, marking an astounding 70 years
tour of 1953. With what must have been the weight of the
as the monarch of the United Kingdom. According to a 2018
world on her shoulders, this was an opportunity for Elizabeth
YouGov survey, a whopping 31% of us have either met or seen
to meet the Welsh public and prove herself worthy of this
the Queen in real life – that’s almost one third of the British
new role.
population! The next visit to North Wales, in 1958, would be an As Her Majesty rings in a milestone never before celebrated
opportunity for the Queen to attend the Royal Welsh
by a British monarch, the Jubilee brings opportunity to show
Agricultural Show.
gratitude towards the woman who has guided us come what may. Indeed, a 25-year-old Elizabeth was thrust into the role
In 1963, the Queen would visit Caernarfon Castle, with Lord
of Queen following the premature death of King George VI,
Snowdon presenting Her Majesty with an enormous key to
learning of his death while enjoying a visit to Kenya with
the castle! During this visit she would also visit the burial site
husband Philip.
of Lloyd George, who led Britain to victory during World War I and remains history’s only Welsh-speaking Prime Minister.
Her visits have brought her to every corner of the United Kingdom and many of us have fond childhood memories of
During this visit she would also wander further afield, taking
trying to catch a glimpse, or if we were lucky, being able to
the trip down to Pwllheli to meet no other than Billy Butlin! On
hand her a bunch of flowers.
her way home, she would also stop in Trawsfynydd to marvel
In 1953 The Queen visited Llangollen to see the International Musical Eisteddfod
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