WITH a friendly wave and a broad smile, Her Majesty The Queen enchanted Glasgow on many occasions before and during her long reign.
Our photographers have snapped her countless times, on visits to shipyards and shopping malls, at launches and lunches, at gallery openings and gala days and more.
Often Royal visits in Glasgow ran behind schedule, because Her Majesty was keen to stop and chat.
One of her first official visits occurred in 1947, when she was still Princess Elizabeth.
It was three weeks before her wedding to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten and the young couple travelled to Clydebank to launch the liner Caronia at the John Brown yard.
They also stopped by at the town hall to receive the town's wedding present of a Singer sewing machine.
Her Majesty’s first visit after taking the crown was in June 1953, and thousands of people flocked to George Square to see her.
It was a hot day, and "there were many faintings", according to our report.
Later, more than 60,000 people attended a rally in Hampden Park in which she watched performances by the Scouts, a youth choir and displays of gymnastics and dancing.
On June 30, 1961, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the Gorbals to learn about the latest stages of redevelopment.
The Queen popped in to see Hugh and Catherine Dempsey at No 71 Sandyfaulds Road and their next-door neighbour, Mrs Edna McColl.
In September 1967, Her Majesty was in Clydebank once more, this time to launch the impressive ship named in her honour.
The Queen Elizabeth II launched from John Brown shipyard - after the Royal party had carried out a thorough inspection.
In November 1979, the Queen officially opened the redeveloped Subway, “buying” a ticket from a delighted clerk for the purposes of a photo for our newspaper, and travelling on an escalator.
On July 1, 1983, Glasgow’s innovative Miles Better campaign won the Royal wave of approval.
Thousands of people crowded into George Square, waiting for the Queen to emerge from the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce offices, where she mingled with around 1500 guests at a champagne reception.
As the band played Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head (it was a drizzly day), the Queen made her way across the square, taking time to talk to 120 people.
She disappeared into the City Chambers only to emerge on the balcony a few moments later in the company of Lord Provost Dr Michael Kelly.
Prominent beneath them was a huge, distinctive sign reading: "Glasgow’s Miles Better."
On that same visit, the Queen visited our offices in Albion Street, to help mark the bicentenary of our sister newspaper, The Herald - the oldest national newspaper in the English-speaking world.
It was a day when even hardened journalists were left starstruck.
Almost 20 years later, the Queen officially opened The Glasgow Times and Herald offices in Renfield Street.
Her 2001 visit to the city also included the opening of the Glasgow Science Centre and entertainment from the cast of Take the High Road.
In October that same year, the Queen returned to Glasgow for another high-profile visit - this time to open the Burrell Collection.
A little girl chosen to present her with flowers was so fed up waiting for the Royal party to arrive (several hours behind schedule) that she refused to hand over the posy.
Janice Layden’s mum June, now 74, said recently the Queen had not seemed too bothered.
“I remember saying sorry to the Queen and adding, ‘well, you know what it’s like, you’re a mother yourself, and you have young grandchildren too,’ and she just smiled,” said June.
In July 1996, the Queen opened the Gallery of Modern Art in, appropriately, Queen Street.
She paused before entering a tunnel of fibre optic rods which changed colour, but when director Julian Spalding said she need not enter if she did not want to, she replied: “Oh, no, I would like to” and marched straight in.
In July 1999, the monarch returned to Glasgow to honour the city’s position as UK City of Architecture and Design. She opened The Lighthouse, where she enjoyed a bird's eye view of the city.
Later, she visited Buchanan Galleries, where she was presented with a chocolate lace casket in Thorntons, and she handed over a scooter to the mall’s Shopmobility scheme.
In 2014, the Queen officially opened the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, and a year later she came to open the city hospital named in her honour, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
On her most recent visit to Glasgow in 2021, Her Majesty and her daughter Princess Anne visited The Children's Wood project in Kelvinside.
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