11 June 2002: The Queen begins her Jubilee tour of Wales at the village with the longest place name in the UK Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, on the island of Anglesey in North Wales, was the first village to greet The Queen and Prince Philip as they began their three-day visit to Wales. They arrived on the Royal Train, which had been pulled from Holyhead by steam locomotive The Duchess of Sutherland. A thousand-strong crowd gathered to welcome The Queen as she walked past the station sign on which the full name of the village is spelt out. The 58-letter name means 'The Church of St Mary in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio near a red cave', although it is usually shortened to Llanfairpwll or Llanfair P.G.. The extended name is almost certainly the work of a local tailor who wanted to put the village on the map in the mid 1800's. Travelling on by car, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh arrived at the thirteenth-century Beaumaris Castle on Anglesey for a Royal craft fair and an exhibition of work. The picturesque castle was built by Edward I and was the last in a series along the North Wales coast. A 21-gun salute greeted the Royal party. The Queen and Prince Philip toured the exhibition in the Inner Ward of the castle separately, meeting exhibitors and viewing their handicrafts. The Queen was shown displays of embroidered quilts, and wood carvings, and was given a special whip and crop holder by blacksmith Ewan MacPherson. The Royal party left by car forty minutes later for Bangor Cathedral for a special Thanksgiving Service led by The Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Wales. The Archbishop praised The Queen's dedication to country and Commonwealth and wished her many more years of service. Also present at the service were senior Welsh politicians, including Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of the Welsh Assembly, ecumenical leaders and voluntary groups. The service was conducted in two languages - Welsh and English. Outside the cathedral, The Queen and Prince Philip went on a walkabout to meet some of the crowds gathered along the High Street. Bangor is one of the most ancient cities in Wales. Its history began with the building of a monastery there by its first Bishop, Deiniol, in about 525 AD.  The Queen and Prince Philip had lunch at Penrhyn Castle, a National Trust property. The neo-Norman Penrhyn Castle was built for the slate magnate Lord Penrhyn between 1820 and 1845. The castle has many Royal connections and fascinating exhibits, including a one-ton slate bed made for Queen Victoria, The Queen's great-great-grandmother. Present at the lunch were representatives of the North Wales tourist industry, an important source of income for the area. On the menu were Carmarthen ham and Welsh lamb.  The afternoon programme began at Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay, where the Festival of Youth was underway. The Queen and Prince Philip took up their places on a dais to view a pageant. Children from the areas of Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham marched past, dressed up to illustrate themes from the five decades of The Queen's reign. There were also competitive events, including dragon sport and disability sport relays. The Queen and Prince Philip presented trophies to representatives of the four participating counties. Before leaving The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh drove around the arena in the State Range Rover, waving to the audience and participants. The final stop of the day was made at Llandudno Junction railway station, where The Queen and Prince Philip met representatives from English, Welsh and Scottish Railways and the crew from the steam locomotive pulling the Royal Train. The Duchess of Sutherland is a Princess Royal Class steam locomotive built for the London Midland & Scottish Railway in 1938. The 74-year-old steam engine had the Royal Crown headboard attached to its front in honour of the trip. She was restored over a period of three years, mostly carried out by volunteer enthusiasts. The presence of a steam locomotive for the visit had a special significance - the date marked the 160th anniversary of the first Royal journey by train, when Queen Victoria travelled from Slough to Paddington. Driver Bob Morrison, fireman Bob Hart and traction inspector Gareth Jones presented The Queen with an inscribed head lamp before the train departed. The Queen and Prince Philip spent the night on the train in readiness for the next day's engagements in Wales.             Back to June index