Queenie Comes to Cam

The Queen was in town yesterday, cruising round Cambridge in a bus before opening a posh new lab at Addenbrooke’s.


Her Majesty the Queen visited Cambridge yesterday to open a new lab at Addenbrooke’s Medical Research Council.

The state-of-the-art lab, reported to have cost £212m, is situated on the Addenbrooke’s Hospital campus, and will be the location of study in some of the most complex problems in biological science.

Having been the first name in the Addenbrooke’s Visitor’s Book in 1962, Her Majesty returned 51 years later to sign it for a second time.

The Queen arrived on a scheduled train from London this morning, and was received with a royal welcome by a cheering crowd of several hundred Cambridge locals.

One small step for man: the Queen steps onto Cambridge platform (Credit: Cambridge News)

She received bouquets of flowers and chatted to onlookers, before one woman gave her a small pink baby doll and asked her: “Would you please give this to Kate?”

“Would you please give this to Kate?” (Credit: Cambridge News)

From there, the Queen completed her glamorous voyage to the Rosie with a short trip on a special service of the guided bus. Let’s hope she checked the seat for chewing gum before she sat down.

Easy does it: the Queen steps off a special service of the guided bus

Mark Lloyd, chief executive of Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Her Majesty has used public transport, and our own guided bus, as part of her visit today.”

Bus Driver Mick Capper described the experience as “the climax of my career.”

He added: “I don’t think it gets any better than driving the Queen.”