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The Queen goes back to school after 50 years


January 24, 2007
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Fifty years after she last visited the King Edward VII school in Norfolk, the Queen has returned to celebrate the school's centenary.

Opened by her great grandfather King Edward in 1906, the school first received a visit from Queen Elizabeth in 1956 when she helped mark its 50th anniversary. And this Wednesday the monarch was back to unveil a plaque celebrating the school's completion of a century of teaching.

During her visit, the Queen was photographed by a 100-year-old Box Brownie camera - similar to that used to record her great grandfather's visit - as part of a BBC documentary exploring Edwardian inventions. She also spent almost an hour touring the grounds, visiting a new £1.2 million extension and chatting to the pupils. "This is a very proud occasion for the school and it will be something the students will be able to treasure forever," said headteacher Michael Douglass. "It was lovely to see so many students engaging in conversation with the Queen."

The 80-year-old royal matriarch also signed a photo of herself, as she had done 50 years earlier. This time, however, the date slipped her memory, and she had to be reminded by Mr Douglas. Afterwards, the headteacher smiled and commented, "It happens to us all".

Photo: © Alphapress.com
While the Queen was snapped by a 100-year-old camera, the students at the school chose far more modern ways of recording her visit, capturing the historic visit on mobile phones and digital camerasPhoto: © EMPICS
Photo: © Alphapress.com
During her visit the monarch unveiled a plaque marking the school's centenaryPhoto: © EMPICS

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