A ROYAL visitor came face to face with an 11ft image of the late Queen during a visit to a Hampshire museum.
The Duke of Gloucester, 78, was touring Bursledon Brickworks Museum when he stopped to admire the eye-catching image, which is made entirely of bricks.
It was created at the Ketley and Dreadnought brickworks in West Midlands earlier this year to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
The royal visitor was also shown Coralent, which features 2,000 bricks suspended from the ceiling of the former drying room at the site.
The duke is a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, President of the Society of Architect Artists and a Commissioner of the Historic Building and Monuments Commission for England.
During his visit last Thursday he unveiled a clay plaque that was made on-site by volunteers.
A museum spokesperson said: "We were delighted to show HRH the former factory’s working machinery, operational steam engine and historic collection of over 4,000 bricks."
The site was established by the Ashby family in 1897 and is celebrating its 125th anniversary.
In 2012, the Heritage Lottery Fund gave Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust £666,300 to turn the brickworks into a museum, which opened two years later.
Speaking shortly after the royal visit Neil Atkinson, chairman of the Brickworks Museum Trust, said: "We rely on our staff and 70-strong volunteer team who work tirelessly and selflessly to maintain, preserve and open our site for the public to enjoy.
"We are delighted their efforts were recognised."
A message from the Editor
Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo.
Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website.
You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more.
Don't just take my word for it - subscribe today.
Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by searching Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents on Facebook
Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated group by searching Hampshire Court and Crime News on Facebook.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here