Queen Elizabeth II: G7 summit marked final visit to South West

From her visit to Cornwall for the G7 summit to her military connections, the Queen has been a frequent visitor to the south-west of England.

On her last official visit in 2021, she met world leaders as they gathered at The Eden Project for the G7 summit.

The visit was her first engagement since the coronavirus pandemic.

It was also the first time the Queen had met US President Joe Biden since he had taken office.

During a visit to the South West in 2018, the Queen paid tribute to HMS Ocean and those who sailed on the vessel.

In a speech to mark the decommissioning of the fleet flagship in Plymouth, she commended the "unique and remarkable vessel".

"With three generations of naval officers in my family, I recognise the significant demands that have been placed on all those who have served in the ship over the last two decades, as well as the contribution of their families and loved ones," she said, echoing a speech she made 15 years earlier on board the same ship during the presentation of new colours to the fleet.

The Queen's naval connections to the region predate her coronation.

When she was 13 she accompanied her family, including King George VI, to Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth.

It was the first time she remembered meeting a young cadet - her future husband Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark.

They married in 1947, embarking on life together as a naval couple, making time for a visit to the college where they had met.

Princess Elizabeth acceded to the throne in 1952 and after the coronation her trips to the South West continued.

To mark the Silver Jubilee in 1977 - the Queen and Prince Philip went on an extensive national and international tour.

The Queen and Prince Phillip arrived in the region aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, visiting Torbay, Exeter and Plymouth in Devon and Falmouth, Truro, Bodmin and St Austell in Cornwall.

In the decades that followed, the Queen made many trips to the South West including two to distribute Maundy money - at Exeter in 1983 and 11 years later in Truro, which was the first time the ceremony had been held in Cornwall.

The Golden and Diamond jubilees were also marked with visits to the region.

In 2002, the Queen launched a 15-week tour of the UK from Falmouth where she named a new lifeboat.

At the National Maritime Museum on the same day, she came across a racing yacht called Bluebottle, which held a special significance - it had been given to her and Prince Phillip as a wedding present.

In 2011, the Queen opened a new school on the Isles of Scilly and two years later visited St Michael's Mount where she toured the ramparts and left impressions of her feet - literally following in the footsteps of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria who did the same in 1846.

More recently in June 2022, the South West celebrated the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, which marked 70 years since she came to the throne.

People took to the streets for parties and more than 80 beacons were lit across Cornwall and Devon in tribute.

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