Leeds nostalgia: Royal visits to Leeds

This week we cast our gaze back over various royal visits to Leeds.
Princess Elizabeth waving to the crowd at Leeds Civic Hall, July 1949.Princess Elizabeth waving to the crowd at Leeds Civic Hall, July 1949.
Princess Elizabeth waving to the crowd at Leeds Civic Hall, July 1949.

The top picture shows Princess Elizabeth (so, before she was crowned Queen)at Leeds Civic Hall in 1949.

The report at the time noted: “She was wearing a floral silk tea dress in an intriguing, if indecipherable print (which, judging by the lady behind her, was all the rage that year).”

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Huge crowds came out to greet the Royal Couple during their visit to Roundhay Park and the Civic Hall.

The Queen waves to a sea of children at Elland Road in July 1977.The Queen waves to a sea of children at Elland Road in July 1977.
The Queen waves to a sea of children at Elland Road in July 1977.

People gathered at both sites, many waving flags and hemmed in by police as the Princess’s car drove by.

At Roundhay Park, children gave a display of traditional folk dancing, finishing with a May Pole Dance.

At the Civic Hall, they were greeted by dignitaries and the Duke (later Prince Phillip) inspected the city’s guard of honour, before moving inside for lunch.

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The bottom picture shows her at Elland Road in July 1977, her Silver Jubilee year - she also visited the Civic Hall during that trip.

The Queen waves to a sea of children at Elland Road in July 1977.The Queen waves to a sea of children at Elland Road in July 1977.
The Queen waves to a sea of children at Elland Road in July 1977.

The Queen and Prince Phillip visited Leeds as part of a two-day national jubilee tour in July 1977, when the streets were packed with masses of red, white and blue bunting as the royal couple were driven from Leeds City Station to the Civic Hall and later on to a reception at the Town Hall.

They had previously visited Leeds in 1965 to open a new community centre in Seacroft and 1958 to mark the city’s centenary music festival.

Some 40,000 West Yorkshire children entertained the Queen at Elland Road stadium by taking part in various sporting activities. The Queen and Prince Phillip were driven around the stadium in an open-top Range Rover, before the royal couple departed for the Great Yorkshire Show at Harrogate.