The Queen

THE Queen will be in Hertfordshire today (Thursday) and visit Hatfield, Stevenage and Hitchin in a tour marking her Diamond Jubilee.

Her Majesty will begin the day in Hitchin, where she will meet schoolchildren, dignitaries and volunteers in Market Place at 10.45am.

She will then move on to the Lister Hospital in Stevenage, where she will officially open the new multi-million pound Diamond Jubilee Maternity Unit at 11.15am.

At 11.45am the Queen will then visit Hatfield House, where she will be greeted by thousands of schoolchildren from across the county who have been specially invited to the occasion.

She will help plant a special Diamond Jubilee tree in Hatfield Park, which is closed to the general public today.

The Queen will then attend a drinks reception and lunch with dignitaries and other guests inside Hatfield House, hosted by Lord and Lady Salisbury.

As reported earlier this week on www.whtimes24.co.uk, the Queen will not be accompanied on her tour of Hertfordshire by her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

He is recovering at home after being admitted to hospital over the Diamond Jubilee weekend with a bladder infection.

At time of writing it is not known if the Queen will be accompanied by any other members of the Royal Family in Prince Philip’s place

Yesterday (Wednesday), the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined her on a tour of the East Midlands, including Nottingham, Stamford and Corby.

* Full coverage of the Queen’s visit to Hertfordshire will appear on this website later today.

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