Tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
HM Queen Elizabeth II has a special place in the hearts of communities across the Isle of Thanet.
Queen Elizabeth visited the district most recently in November 2011, accompanied by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The focus of their visit was to give the royal seal of approval to the newly-opened Turner Contemporary. The visit was marked by the unveiling of a commemorative plaque.
They were taken on a guided tour of the gallery, and met with Tracey Emin, who has recently been made a Freewoman of Margate. They also visited the nearby Margate RNLI station and met with the crew, their families and local volunteers.
A warm welcome was given to the Queen by members of the public when she visited Margate Old Town.
The Queen had previously visited the district in 1993, nearly 20 years earlier. On this occasion the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited Margate Station and Ramsgate Harbour. They attended a Service of Dedication for a new lifeboat, aptly named ‘Her Majesty the Queen’.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh then visited Sericol Limited (now Fujifilm Sericol UK Ltd) in Pysons Road, Broadstairs, who had won the Queen’s Award for Environmental Achievement earlier that year. The Queen officially opened their new international offices.
The final stop on the visit was to the Royal Sea Bathing Hospital in Margate where the Royals toured the site which was at that time still operating as a hospital.
There is even a painting of Ramsgate in the Royal Collection. William Powell Frith’s painting ‘Ramsgate Sands’ (also known as ‘Life at the Seaside’) was displayed at the Royal Academy summer exhibition in 1854, and purchased by Queen Victoria, remaining in the Royal Collection ever since.
