ON MONDAY, April 29, 1963, the Queen visited Cirencester with the Duke of Edinburgh. 

It was her first visit to the town as Queen, having visited in March 1951 as Princess Elizabeth, when she was passing through the town on her way to Cheltenham.

On this occasion, the town had been gripped with excitement, since the January announcement of the visit, and crowds lined the streets in their hundreds on the special day.

The royal party was greeted at Kemble train station at 11.30am by officials representing the county including the Duke of Beaufort, Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, the high sheriff and the chief constable. 

The Standard reported how, on a grey morning, the Queen brought a touch of colour as her car arrived in the packed Market Place. 

She was wearing a hat and a full length coat of lime yellow, collarless with three quarter sleeves over a navy blue dress. 

Every possible vantage point was filled with people trying to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.

Even those on roofs and in top storey windows had a clear view of the Queen and the Duke who were riding in a maroon Rolls Royce. 

She was greeted by the chairman and members of Cirencester Urban Council and talked with bystanders about the recent development of the Market Place before going into the Parish Church, which she had expressed a keen interest in visiting.

She admired the murals, the Anne Boleyn chalice, the priceless church plate and the magnificent stained glass windows. 

Outside the Church, the Queen met pupils from Powell’s school who, dressed in two hundred year old replica uniforms, presented her with a bouquet of flowers and enjoyed a brief conversation with the monarch. 

The Queen then departed for a tour of the Royal Agricultural College to the cheers of the crowd and the sound of a peal of the Church bells.

Her Majesty returned to Cirencester in March 1996 as she toured the Royal Agricultural College again, this time to mark the College’s 150th anniversary.