Photos: Memories of the Queen's visits to Leamington and Warwick

As the nation mourns the loss of the Queen, we wanted to reflect back on the times when she visited our towns.

By Phil Hibble

Published 8th Sep 2022, 20:32 GMT

In 1988 she was greeted with a sea of Union flags as she visited Leamington. Her historic visit served two purposes. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Royal Priors shopping centre and she also unveiled the plaque at the town hall to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Queen Victoria's granting of the royal warrant to Leamington.

In 1996, crowds lined the streets of Warwick to see the Queen, who was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh.

The royal pair visited the Lord Leycester Hospital, Warwick Castle and St Michael's Hospital. They also spoke to Myton Hospice patients and chatted to members of the public on their walkabout in town.

In 2011, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh officially opened the Justice Centre in Leamington.

They viewed an empty cell and the Judges' Bench in the crown court at the formal opening of the new centre, which combines a police station, crown court and criminal justice agencies. Large crowds gathered outside to cheer the Queen.

Here are some photos from the these events.

Please send in your memories of the Queen’s visits to our towns via email – [email protected]

1. Queen's visit to Leamington in 1988

The Queen enters her name into the Regent Hotel's visitors' book with hotel owner Frank Cridlan and his wife may - after a spot of bother with a faulty pen! Mr Cridlan said of the pen: "Ma'am like myself it's a little nervous." Photo: Leamington Courier archives