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Being home to the Palace of the Peak, it will come as no surprise to many that Derbyshire can boast strong royal connections down the centuries. The woman behind the building of both Chatsworth House and Hardwick Hall, Bess of Hardwick, was one of the most important figures in Elizabethan society, mixing in the very highest royal circles. Over the years, Derbyshire's great houses, lived in by members of the nobility, have played host to many royal visitors, even including those from overseas.

In more recent years, Derby has welcomed the Queen to several important occasions, most notably when the town became a city as part of the monarch's Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977. She was following in the footsteps of her mother and father who made morale-boosting visits to the area during the Second World War. Were you in the crowds that witnessed these and other royal visits? What are your memories? Have you ever met a member of the royal family, past or present? Why not write about your experiences?







 

Royalty

Fabulous photos of future Queen as she laid stone at new village

ceremony:  Princess Elizabeth lays the foundation stone.

THESE fabulous photographs from a well-known event in Derby's history come from a commemorative album kept safe at the Mayor's Parlour in the Council House.

They were taken on the day in 1949 when the young Princess Elizabeth, accompanied by her husband of two years,...

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Everyone's in party mood, even if some are too young to know why

THE excitement on the faces of children shines out as they wave their flags on the day in May 1937 when their new monarch, King George VI, was...

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Queen's Maundy visit brought back memories of 1949

snapshot:  Princess Elizabeth's visit to Derby in 1949. The cavalcade makes its way along Pear Tree Road.

WITH all the security surrounding the Queen's Maundy Thursday visit to Derby, David Middleton thought readers might like a reminder of what a Royal...

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Queen's visit 53 years ago was a big day for Brownies

Queen's visit  53 years ago was a big day for Brownies

OUR photograph of Brownies waiting to see the Queen when she visited Derby in 1957 (March 29) delighted reader Iris Ferguson. "It was lovely to see...

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Pritchard, Bill

Princess Margaret visited Derby on June 28, 1973. Here she is pictured at the Rycote Centre, Kedleston Road, with Councillor Bill Pritchard, chairman of Derby Town Council's Social Services committee.  The Princess was invited to choose a gift from the articles made at Rycote and choose this turqoise cuddly dog. She playfully pulled its long tongue before handing it to her lady-in-waiting (also pictured).

​Bill Pritchard was first elected to the Derby Borough Council in 1963 and served as a councillor for ten years. During this time he became...

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​Mary, Queen of Scots: historic trail

Prison: Chartley Castle, one of the last places Mary stayed before returning to Fotheringay where she was executed

On February 8, 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was finally executed by a reluctant Elizabeth I at Fotheringay Castle. She had been a prisoner for almost 20...

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​King George VI

The Duke of York, later to become King George VI, pictured during his visit to Derby

The Duke of York, later to become King George VI and father of Queen Elizabath II, visited Derby in 1933. The Duke toured Leys' Foundry on May 3.

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​King George V

King George V chats to a policeman at the 1921 Royal Show

George V came to Derby to visit the Royal Agricultural Show in Osmaston Park on June 29, 1921. This was the fourth time that the Royal Show had been...

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​I remember Princess Elizabeth's 1949 visit to Derby

Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip on the steps of Derby's new Council House which she officially opened on June 27, 1949. The mayor is Alderman Charles Bowmer

Sixty years ago (June 1949) a young Princess Elizabeth and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, visited Derby to officially open the town’s...

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​How the Queen Mum saved Derby Mayor from hanging

Mayor Jeffery Tillett and Councillor Robin Wood

Derby has had its fair share of royal visits over the years but former Mayor Jeffery Tillett will never forget one in particular – when the...

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