7 May 2002: The Queen and Prince Philip receive a hearty welcome on the first day of their North East tour

The Queen celebrated the changing face of the North East by visiting exciting new projects in Newcastle, Sunderland and Gateshead. Her Majesty opened a futuristic new bridge across the Tyne, an extension to the pioneering Metro public transport system, and a large new arts centre for the North East.

The Royal visit began by train at Sunderland station. Cheering crowds lined the streets as The Queen and Prince Philip made their way to the city's Museum and Winter Gardens.

Dressed in an aquamarine coat and brown hat, The Queen unveiled a plaque to open the Winter Gardens officially, and met gardeners and school groups within the building. The Duke of Edinburgh visited the Time Machine Gallery, which contains some of Sunderland Museum's most interesting exhibits. There was time afterwards for a Royal walkabout in Mowbray Park to meet local people.

The Queen made her way to the town's Park Lane Metro station, a new station forming part of the £97m extension of the Metro transport system from Gateshead to Sunderland. The Queen opened the station and then took a 20 minute ride on the Metro to Fellgate station in Jarrow, four stops away. As she passed through stations, schoolchildren lined the platforms, waving flags and cheering.

At St Joseph's Primary School in Jarrow, The Queen met school children and cut a special Jubilee cake.

The Queen travelled on to the £22m Millennium Bridge in Gateshead. The futuristic new structure links Gateshead and Newcastle across the river Tyne. With the push of a button, The Queen lowered the elliptical bridge, which can be raised to allow ships underneath, and walked across before unveiling a plaque to mark the official opening.

On the Newcastle side of the river she was greeted by cheering crowds and met by Prince Philip, who had spent the morning visiting an AMEC construction project for the oil industry in Wallsend.

The Queen and the Duke then crossed back over the bridge and walked to the nearby Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead.

The £46 million redevelopment project has transformed the former Baltic Flour Mills into a contemporary arts venue which provides one of the biggest art spaces of its kind in Europe. The Baltic Centre is intended to act as a catalyst in the regeneration of Gateshead Quays.

Inside the centre, The Queen attended a reception and made a speech before lunch. In her speech, The Queen praised the Millennium Bridge and the character of the people of the region. Her Majesty had first visited as Queen in 1954, when The Queen travelled to Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, Wallsend, Newcastle, Jarrow, South Shields and Sunderland all in one day.

"Over those 50 years, there have been enormous changes here. My mother, who had close family ties with the region, always spoke highly of the qualities of adaptability of the people of Northumbria.

"Today, I see tangible signs of the determination of all those within this region to create a new future, having shown a resilience to sustain each other during the period of change."

The Queen also thanked the people of the North East for their support during her recent bereavements. "There have been so many personal acts of kindness, especially over the last two months, now I have the chance to express my gratitude to the people of the North-East."

In the afternoon, The Queen and Prince Philip travelled by car to St. Mary's Cathedral, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The Queen unveiled the bronze statue of Cardinal Basil Hume, the late Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, who was born in the city.

The 10ft statue and memorial garden are sited in a public park behind the cathedral, overlooking Newcastle's Central Station. Created by sculptor Nigel Boonham, the statue stands on a plinth in the shape of Holy Island in Northumberland.

In the evening The Queen and Prince Philip attended a gala concert held at Newcastle City Hall, before returning to the Royal Train to spend the night.

Read the full text of The Queen's speech in Gateshead  (pdf, 92kB)

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