SOUTHAMPTON was the scene for a royal send-off as the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, with the Prince of Wales, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew, set out on holiday in the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Liners and smaller craft were decked out with bunting in honour of the visit, which took place in August, and Union Jacks were flown at the dock gate.

The Queen was met by Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Hampshire Sir Reginald Biddle - deputising for the Lord Lieutenant, Lord Ashburton, who was unable to attend - and Lady Biddle, who was the Mayor of Southampton.

Earlier in the year, in July, the Queen had visited her Royal Green Jackets at St Cross, Winchester. The Queen, who is commander-in-chief of the regiment, was met by a civic reception at Winchester station before travelling to St Cross through crowded streets ringing with cheers. She inspected the troops and watched two parades - one of more than 300 soldiers and one titled Old and Bold, made up of veterans.

In September, the Queen launched the Liner QE2 at Clydebank, Scotland. At about the same time, one of the great ship's illustrious predecessors, the legendary three-funnelled liner Queen Mary, sailed from Southampton on her final voyage to Long Beach, California.

Staying with Queen Mary, a plaque commemorating her life was unveiled by the Queen in memory of her grandmother. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor both attended the ceremony and were greeted by both the Queen and the Queen Mother.

Almost 400 years after Queen Elizabeth I had knighted Francis Drake at Greenwich following his circumnavigation of the world in the Golden Hind in 1580, Queen Elizabeth II used the same sword on the same spot to knight another Francis.

Francis Chichester who was, at the age of 65, the first man to sail around the world single-handed, received the honour in a splendid public ceremony.