25 June 2002: The Queen marks the 1,100th anniversary of the coronation of her ancestor, King Edward the Elder, during a day of engagements in West London
In her Golden Jubilee year, The Queen marked the anniversary of another monarch who reigned over a thousand years ago. All Saints Parish Church in Kingston upon Thames was the setting for the coronation of King Edward the Elder in 902. In 2002 The Queen was present to unveil a stone commemorating the 1,100th anniversary of her ancestor's coronation.
The son of Alfred 'the Great', Edward 'the Elder' reigned from 899 to 924. He was a soldier who obtained the allegiance of the Danes, the kings of Strathclyde and the Scots, spreading English influence and control. He was buried in the New Minster which he had completed at Winchester.
After a short service in the grounds of the Parish Church, The Queen and Prince Phillip met crowds in Kingston's ancient market place. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh spoke to market stall traders and many onlookers.
The Queen and Prince Philip then made their way to a large community event in Bushy Park at 3pm, where more than 20,000 people celebrated The Queen's Golden Jubilee with a picnic in the park. Many local children had been given the day off by their schools.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh went on separate walkabouts, stopping and chatting to spectators. They also met some of the 1,000 entertainers, who included Indian dancers, veteran cyclists, Pearly kings and queens, and a Chinese New Year dragon. The Queen also met members of the Metropolitan Police's dog handling unit, and scouts, guides and sea cadets.
The West London visit had begun in the morning in Uxbridge town centre, Hillingdon. Having met the Mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor Josephine Barrett, and members of Hillingdon Borough Council, The Queen and Prince Philip began a walkabout in the town centre. They met children from local schools, who showed her their art projects, including masks, sculptures and clay figures.
The Queen then unveiled a new bronze sculpture entitled 'Anticipation', commissioned by the Hillingdon Arts Association. After a fanfare from RAF Uxbridge trumpeters, 500 purple and yellow balloons were released from a net to reveal the sculpture.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh went on to visit Gunnersbury Park and Museum, where a large crowd of children and wellwishers was gathered. The schoolchildren had been invited to represent their schools from the four boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Hillingdon and Hounslow. The theme of the day's activities was a celebration of individual communities through dress, dance, drama and music, and performers were present to entertain the crowds and the Royal visitors.
The Royal party enjoyed lunch at the park's museum with 60 guests from the four West London boroughs involved in business development in the area.
The Queen's visit to West London followed visits to East London and North London earlier in Jubilee year.
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