THERE can be a few of us who have not at some point excitedly waited to catch a glimpse of the Royal family as they make a visit to the area.

And with the Queen having marked 65 years on the throne this month, it is a good time to look back on appearances Essex has enjoyed over the past few decades.

The Queen herself has made a whole host of trips including visits to Maldon and Tiptree in 2010, during which she helped Wilkin & Sons mark its 125th anniversary.

She also officially opened Stansted airport more than a quarter of a century ago, as seen in the image to the right.

Her daughter, Princess Anne, has also been a regular visitor.

She is photographed here when she visited Great Bromley in 1998 and was presented with flowers by Charlotte Scarlett.

The schoolgirl, just 11-years-old at the time, was chosen by teachers from 98 pupils at St George’s Primary School to carry out the honour.

The princess Royal also visited nearby Bradfield during the same trip where five-year-old Zoe Limb was lucky enough to be chosen to present her with flowers.

It is one of a number of visits through the years for the Princess Royal which have also taken her to Burnham, Dedham, Colchester and Brightlingsea in recent years.

Before her death 15 years ago in February 2002 Princess Margaret also came to Essex, including a trip to Colchester and Chelmsford, pictured here.

Wearing a three quarter length emerald green silk coat, she officially opened Colchester’s new National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children north Essex headquarters during the 1995 visit.

The headquarters had moved from its previous home in Wivenhoe to larger premises.

Princess Margaret then met with the High Sheriff of Essex at the time, Christopher Pertwee and his wife, at Chelmsford Cathedral.

We are also lucky enough to have been visited by a number of other Royals through the decades but among the most popular is surely Princess Diana whose sudden death almost 20 years ago shocked the nation.

These images show her with crowds when she attended events in Chelmsford and Jaywick in September 1989.

Princess Diana also visited the following year, in November 1990 when she met residents at the Guinness Trust, Barn Hall, in Colchester and then went on to Harwich.

She first came to the area to launch St Helena Hospice’s multi-million pound Joan Tomkins Day Centre in April 1988.

Were you there that day ? Are you featured in any of our archived pictures from Royal visits or did you wait to catch a glimpse of any of the Royal family on any other occasion ?

We would love you to share your memories with us.

Please contact us on 01206 508186.