CROWDS of people gave the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh an enthusiastic welcome when the royal couple visited the Isle of Wight in May 2004.

They arrived by helicopter at Seaclose Park in Newport and undertook six official engagements during their visit.

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They split up and the Queen visited Beaulieu House respite care centre for children with disabilities in Newport, to officially open the centre and meet parents and children.

She then visited the Isle of Wight Steam Railway at Havenstreet to open the attraction's new carriage workshop and six Island children rode on a restored steam train with the Queen after winning an Isle of Wight County Press competition.

Isle of Wight County Press: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in Newport High Street during the 2004 Isle of Wight visit. Photo: IWCP Archive.The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in Newport High Street during the 2004 Isle of Wight visit. Photo: IWCP Archive.

Meanwhile, the Duke was in Cowes to open the new headquarters of Cowes Combined Clubs and meet those involved in organising the world-famous Cowes Week regatta.

From there, he went across the River Medina to visit GKN Aerospace in East Cowes, where he toured the facility and met employees.

The Queen and the Duke were then reunited and together they went to Osborne House in East Cowes, the former retreat of the Queen's great great grandmother, Queen Victoria.

They attended a reception to mark 100 years of public access to the English Heritage-owned building.

Hundreds of royal enthusiasts attended the couple's final engagement at St Thomas's Square, Newport, where the royal couple conducted a walkabout and visited stalls at the weekly farmers' market.

They also unveiled a statue commemorating the recent successful Isle of Wight Walking Festival, before departing by helicopter from Seaclose.

  • See inside yesterday's County Press (June 3) for your FREE eight-page jubilee supplement featuring stories and pictures from each of the Queen's five official visits to the Isle of Wight.

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