The Queen was in her element whenever she visited the north-east and was able to take time out to meet people at a variety of different events.
We’ve looked through the archives and discovered some of the myriad occasions when Her Majesty mixed with local people and enjoyed hospitality at a multitude of venues.
As a lover of the countryside and nature, the monarch was never happier than when she was away from the smoke of the big city. But she also fulfilled all manner of official functions, whether in the business world or in academic or civic circles.
Here are just a few of the many instances when the Queen was the centre of attention.
Long before her coronation, Princess Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret, were able to escape from the spotlight and enjoy themselves as children in a magical world.
Here they are at the circus in Ballater in 1945, where their smiles were in contrast to the rather stern countenances of their hosts. After the formalities were complete, the duo enjoyed themselves meeting the acts and animals at the travelling attraction.
The Queen was always able to form a rapport with her audiences on her travels and she could flit between schools and care homes and chat to people aged eight to 80.
In 1989, the monarch made a visit to new sheltered housing accommodation at Kindrochit Court in Braemar, where the residents all had their cameras ready for a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity. Look at how snap-happy they are!
The military was a potent feature of the Queen’s busy life and here she was inspecting a guard of honour of the 1st Battalion the Royal Highland Fusiliers at Ballater Station.
These youngsters, who had pledged to serve their Queen and country, have the steely determined look of men prepared to take these words seriously.
The Queen was also involved in a hectic schedule of ceremonial events, including the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees, but despite her busy itinerary, invariably found time to speak to – and offer thanks to – those who had staged these special occasions.
Here, she is talking to Gordon Bruce in Ballater after unveiling a plaque which marked a newly-created Diamond Jubilee cairn close to her beloved Balmoral Estate.
She also said hello to local schoolchildren Elise Smith, eight, and Jack O’Halloran, nine, who were involved in showing the cairn to Her Majesty. An unforgettable moment.
The Queen was in her element in numerous pastoral settings, meeting all manner of people who toiled on the land and and those who dedicated their life to Nature.
She was a regular visitor to a variety of agricultural shows and country fairs in the north east of Scotland and handed out the trophy to the Champion of Champions at the 150th anniversary of the famous Turriff Show in 2014.
Once again, her presence lit up the afternoon at the busy event.
Even as she moved into her 90s, the Queen commanded huge audiences on her travels and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary was no exception when the monarch visited in 2017.
She was there to open the Robertson Family Roof Garden – an initiative which was close to her heart as it allowed families to enjoy Nature in often distressing circumstances – and met patients and staff, all of whom were waiting with their cameras.
Has there been a more photographed figure in the last century?
It wasn’t just Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire which were regularly graced by visits from the Queen. She relished her trips to Scotland’s islands and, as you might expect, was especially happy to be involved in agricultural showpieces.
In 1978, she travelled to Orkney and her broad smile demonstrated her delight at meeting one of the category winners in front of adoring crowds.
Three years later, in 1981, the monarch journeyed further to Shetland and was impressed by the burgeoning infrastructure at the Sullom Voe oil terminal.
Sometimes, these meetings were rather formal affairs, but this wasn’t one of them. On the contrary, the Queen was in relaxed mood as she chatted to members of staff at the engineering workshop, even as North Sea oil helped transform the region.
There was hardly a community in Scotland which the Queen didn’t visit at some point of her lengthy reign and Buckie put on its brightest face and roared out a warm welcome for the monarch when she and Prince Philip came to the little town in 1982.
The couple drove through the streets in a glass-enclosed limousine and were greeted by masses of residents who lined their route and gave their guests a rousing ovation which the Royal duo clearly savoured as they waved back in appreciation.
Thousands of people were involved in the biggest birthday bash ever held in Fraserburgh. And their festivities were boosted by the arrival of the Queen in 1992.
It was a party on an unprecedented scale, with almost the whole population congregating in the town centre to celebrate the Broch’s 400th anniversary in style.
The monarch was clearly among those who had a ball and visit to the coastal community put the cherry on the parfait of a perfect day.
The Silver Jubilee in 1977 was one of the happier occasions in what proved a rather dismal decade for Britain. There was rampant inflation, allied to widespread strikes and frequent power cuts, but the Queen lifted spirits as she ventured around the country.
The weather was glorious when Her Majesty embarked on a walkabout in Broad Street in Aberdeen with Marischal College looking resplendent in the sunshine.
She stopped to accept a posy or two and spoke to several in the huge crowd which turned up. As always, the youngsters in attendance gained her full attention.
Everybody wanted to let their hair down and celebrate the end of the Second World War in 1945 – and a young Princess Elizabeth was no exception!
You can see her in this picture, accompanied by Captain Roderick MacLeod of the Cameron Highlanders, and clearly being the belle of the ball in Aberdeen.
Given the horrors which had occurred in the previous six years, it was no surprise that Britons of all ages and backgrounds were determined to enjoy themselves.
The weather wasn’t always kind when the Queen was carrying out her formal duties, but it didn’t stop her from travelling to the Granite City a decade ago.
The monarch was in the north east to open the new library at Aberdeen University and was impervious to the rain which soaked the crowds who turned up to watch her.
Duty, as usual, mattered more than a few raindrops.
In 1978, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were given a guided tour of the premises during their visit to the St Fergus gas terminal in Aberdeenshire.
The facility, which had only recently opened, was another illustration of the region’s rapid response to the discovery of vast reserves of oil in the North Sea.
And, according to the Press & Journal at the time, the monarch and her consort were fascinated by the speed at which technology was being developed in the sector.
It was as nothing though, compared to the energy which the Queen showed throughout her long and fulfilling life.
Conversation