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Regiment welcomes return of Her Majesty

A happy smile for the waiting crowds
A happy smile for the waiting crowds
CLOSE ENCOUNTER: youngsters meeting the Queen on her arrival. Pictures: MATTHEW READING
CLOSE ENCOUNTER: youngsters meeting the Queen on her arrival. Pictures: MATTHEW READING

THE Queen smiled warmly to the waiting crowds at the start of today's Royal visit to Kent.

Her Majesty arrived shortly before 11am to inspect the Royal Engineers at Brompton Barracks at Gillingham. She is the regiment's Colonel-in-Chief.

The Queen last visited the barracks in May, 1987, when she opened the Royal Engineers Museum.

Her last trip to Medway was five years ago when she launched the Universities at Medway campus.

A line of Royal Engineers lined the pavement to salute Her Majesty as she arrived and people who had come to see her had their cameras at the ready.

She sailed past in a dark Bentley surrounded by a police escort on motorbikes.

The crowds waved and cheered as she went though the gates and people driving past honked their car horns.

Among the crowds were a group of staff from Leapfrog Nursery in Chatham Maritime.

They had brought nine of the children, aged one and two, to wave to The Queen as she passed.

Manager Helen Grassby, 29, said: "We thought it would be a nice thing for them to come and see The Queen and something they can tell people about when they are older. We have all got our cameras with us and managed to catch a glimpse of her.

"We have told some of the parents we are coming down here but some don’t know so it will be a surprise for them when they pick the kids up later and find out their children have seen The Queen today."

During the visit the Queen inspected the Honour Guard, met groups of Sappers, chatted to trainees and families and had her photograph taken with personnel. She was be accompanied by the Chief Royal Engineer, Gen Sir Kevin O'Donoghue.

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