THE Queen has paid a number of visits to the Black Country including a trip to Dudley Castle and zoo in June 1994 to open the Interpretation Centre.

During her 90-minute visit she unveiled a piece of commemorative glass and received a crystal key to the castle as a gift from the borough.

She also met members of the public and listened to a short concert by schoolchildren in the courtyard.

Former Dudley Zoo chief executive Peter Suddock, who presented the key to The Queen, has fond memories of the visit.

He said: “The site was packed with visitors hoping to get a glimpse of her, I was among the very lucky few to be presented to her and it was a truly memorable moment."

"The royal visit took a lot of preparation and planning and we weren't sure until the very day whether the Queen's Rolls Royce would be able to get through the ancient triple arch into the courtyard as it's a large vehicle and the archway has quite a few turns, but thankfully all went off without a hitch.

"It was a glorious summer's morning and the courtyard was packed, it was truly a day to remember."

Dudley journalist Rachel Hickman was just nine when The Queen called at the zoo and was among the crowds who welcomed her to the tourist attraction.

Rachel said: "We were right on the front row near the school choirs' stand and as the Queen came along the row she stopped to shake our hands.

"I remember the Queen's outfit really clearly, especially the orange hat as my sister, Sarah, and I were wearing orange that day, too."

"It was Sarah's eighth birthday so it was a really special day, and it was also the only time my mum ever let us off school, but she made sure we went straight back to the classroom after the Queen left."