When Wakefield gave Prince Charles a woolly sun suit

ROYAL ARRIVAL: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrive by train for one of her several visits to Wakefield. She was last in Wakefield city centre in 2005 to hand out Maundy Money to 158 pensioners.

Records from the Wakefield Corporation Town Clerk’s files show how council workers planned out where staff, school children and a choir would stand during the future Queen’s visit to Wakefield in July 1949. She was Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, at the time and was accompanied by her husband.

Archivist David Morris said: The Wakefield Town Clerk even went to the extreme lengths of arranging for 50 children from Pinderfields Hospital to be brought out on to Wentworth Street to see the royals.

“Documents reveal that staff had asked for the royal party to slowdown as they pass the hospital so patients could see them. Newspaper reports from after the visit state that Princess Elizabeth was deeply moved by Wakefield’s welcome and thanked the people for the gift of a woolly sun suit and toy for Prince Charles. Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh went on to visit the Great Yorkshire Show which was held in nearby Lupset.”

These documents are available to view at the West Yorkshire History Centre in Kirkgate, Wakefield.

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