Royal Visit to Dorset

Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, will visit Dorset on 11 June to see four of the county’s dynamic attractions which are set to play varied but truly significant roles on the international stage.

The visit marks a major milestone in demonstrating how Dorset has come to the fore in recent years as a destination which has embraced innovation and sustainability whilst retaining its community focus.

The Queen will visit the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, Weymouth seafront and Esplanade, the Tank Museum at Bovington and Goldy’s Farm Shop and Energy Centre at Lytchett Matravers.

The royal tour begins at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA).  The Academy provides access to the best small boat sailing waters of anywhere in the world and is the first venue to be completed for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

John Tweed, Chief Executive of the WPNSA, said: “It is an enormous honour for the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy that both The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will be coming to see the completed Olympic Delivery Authority works and the Chesil Trust ‘Sail for a fiver’ programme.  On 11 June there will be a number of young people learning to sail and we hope to give a real flavour of how this facility is for the whole community, not just the competitive sailors.”

From the Academy, the Queen will sail to Weymouth Esplanade. She will visit the Georgian-style beach and seafront with all its traditional British seaside attractions including Punch and Judy, swingboats, and donkey rides. The beach will be a hive of activity and there will be a large sand sculpture of Windsor Castle.

Tom Grainger, Chief Executive of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, said: “This will be a wonderful chance for the people of South Dorset to see The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. We are delighted to have the opportunity to show off one of Weymouth’s jewels. The seafront and esplanade are well known throughout the UK and we look forward to updating Her Majesty and His Royal Highness on how the area is being regenerated."

The tour will then move on to the Tank Museum at Bovington.  The museum is celebrating the completion of its £16.5m Heritage Lottery Fund grant redevelopment project and will welcome The Queen to officially open its brand new exhibition and wing.  The exhibition features 33 of the most important tanks in history which together bring the story of the tank and its servicemen to life.

The Royal Couple will tour the exhibitions and meet some of the veterans whose stories have been captured and, following the formal opening of the new building, will be treated to a short live tank action display.

The final visit of the day will be to Goldy’s Farm Shop and Energy Centre where Her Majesty The Queen will open the new Energy Centre – the enterprise’s latest venture which brings together cutting-edge sustainable technology with traditional farming methods.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will be escorted on their tour of Goldy’s – which was winner of both the Environmental Farm Shop Award 2008 and the FARMA ‘Own & Local Award’ for 2009 – by co-directors Jenny Goldsack and Harry Banham.