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Queen's visit to Brighton College

A very special day

In 1962 the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Brighton College. This photographs are not of the best quality, but they are at least a momento of a very special day.

Do you remember this visit? Were you in the crowd at Brighton College? Please share your memories by posting a comment below

Royal visit to Brighton College
From the private collection of Keith Rossetti
Royal visit to Brighton College
From the private collection of Keith Rossetti

Comments about this page

  • I wasn’t at Brighton College, but I remember the Queen’s visit to Brighton in 1962. We had the day off school, and cheered the Queen and Prince Philip as they drove through the Royal Pavilion grounds. We were all waving our little Union Jack flags.  

    By Janet Beal (17/02/2017)
  • I think on the same day she also visited Hangleton and opened the library:http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__9648_img__16158.aspx The mums and kids in Hangleton were so excited and we walked down to the library to wave and watch her.

    By Peter Groves (19/02/2017)
  • After further research the date of the Queen’s visit was Monday 16th July 1962 and Peter is correct as in the afternoon she visited the Corporation Building Scheme in Westway.

    By Keith Rossetti (14/03/2017)
  • Wow, I was 8 years old but still remember it well!  I’m surprised that it was Monday 16th July, because we should all have been at school, perhaps the mums kept us off for the day, just for the visit!

    By Peter Groves (14/03/2017)
  • The Queen and the Prince packed a lot into that day! As well as Brighton College, they visited St. Dunstans, the Greyhound Stadium, George Street Hove, Hangleton Library, the Royal Pavilion, and the Newhaven Lifeboat! There’s some smashing footage (silent) of that day on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKmFKbr-qF4

    By Janet Beal (15/03/2017)
  • I was a pupil at Brighton College in 1962 and had been there a year before the Queen’s visit. We all clapped as she walked by but were a bit disappointed that she didn’t stop to talk to anyone. There was a practice the day before when the Head’s wife took the role of the Queen. We were all well drilled for the visit!

    By Howard Gray (07/11/2017)
  • I was 11yrs old at the time and a pupil at the junior school. We formed two lines from the west end of Brighton College chapel up to the sports field. The Queen walked between us as we clapped, and was so close that we could have reached out and touched her. 

    Howard Gray’s comment above reminded me of the instructions we were given should the Queen stop and talk to us. Answer the first question with “Yes Your Majesty” and any subsequent ones with “yes Ma’m” (with a long “a” as in marmalade!) 

    There had been a delay in the Queen’s programme so in the event no one was interviewed. But we had a good lunch afterwards, courtesy of Her Majesty -with strawberries and cream for dessert .

    Prince Philip held a speech for the older College boys where he concluded by telling them to “get your finger out” which went down well.

    By Richard Gates (07/03/2018)
  • Some schoolfriends and I decided to ignore the queen’s visit and instead go for a walk over the downs. We reached the road at Rodmell and there were people lined along side. The royal car drove through slowly. I ended up unintentionally with a better view of the queen than if I’d stayed in Brighton to wave a flag.

    By Graham (28/08/2020)
  • I remember Her Majesty walking between rows of us outside the music practice rooms and all of us applauding keenly.

    By Nicholas Beck (09/09/2022)

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