The day Queen Elizabeth fed the elephants at Whipsnade Zoo
As we celebrate Her Majesty's 70 years on the throne we look back at one of her visits
This week the whole country is celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee and we thought it was a great opportunity to look back at when the Queen came to visit.
One of the most memorable trips to the area was the Queen and Prince Philip visiting Whipsnade to open the new Centre for Elephant Care.
As well as meeting staff, Her Majesty also met Donna, an Asian elephant, and fed her some bananas!
Back in 2017 The Queen visited Whipsnade Zoo as part of her role as patron of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) which runs Whipsnade. As part of her visit, she fed bananas to Donna, an Asian elephant.
The Duke of Edinburgh was with Her Majesty and also fed Donna a banana!
The Royal pair met members of staff as they visited the zoo.
Queen Elizabeth was at Whipsnade to open the new Centre for Elephant Care at the zoo in Dunstable
Whipsnade Zoo's Owen Craft told Greatest Hits Radio about the visit: "She opened the new centre for elephant care, and she even got to meet one of our elephants, Donna, and feed her with a banana as well, much to the delight of staff and visitors.
"She's incredibly passionate about wildlife and conservation and during her visit to Whipsnade she was incredibly passionate and enthusiastic about the elephant conservation work we do in Thailand."
The visit to Whipsnade is just one of many that the Queen has carried out around here.
Back in May 2002 as part of her Golden Jubilee year, the Queen visited Aylesbury, walking through a packed Market Square greeting well-wishers.
The Queen also had a tour of Stowe Schoool in 2007, and visited Chequers near Wendover at then Prime Minister David Cameron's invitation in 2014.
Back in 1997 she inspected newly graduated recruits at RAF Halton where she went on to present the base with a new colour, one of only nine held by service.
Owen Craft from Whipsnade shared his thoughts on Her Majesty's reign: "I think the dedication, the commitment and the loyalty she's shown over the last 70 years, I think we should be wholly indebted to that, that she's given up her whole life to be the leader of this country."
The Platinum Jubilee
From a four day bank holiday to street parties and a national pudding competition, here is the full list of events marking the Queen's Platinum Jubilee this year.
Thursday 2nd June: Trooping the Colour
To mark the Queen's official birthday, over 1400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians are coming together in what the official Royal Family website describes as "a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare". The event will consist of a musical parade where soldiers will salute the Queen. The traditional march then closes with a fly-past by the Royal Air Force, which the Royal Family typically watch from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Thursday 2nd June: Platinum Jubilee Beacons
At Buckingham Palace, the Principal Beacon (which traditionally has been lit to mark the Queen's jubilee), will be 'lit' on Thursday. This jubilee beacon however is set to be a little different to previous jubilee celebrations, as a large living tree sculpture by British designer Thomas Heatherwick is being used. The lighting installation within this structure will act as the lighting of the principal beacon to reflect the Royal Family's commitment to environmental causes. A Palace spokeswoman has said on the sculpture: "It's 21 metres high – that's the height of three giraffes." Throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories, other beacons are being lit in celebration.
Friday 3rd June: Service of Thanksgiving
A Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen's reign will be held at St Paul's Cathedral. This is in keeping with tradition as ever since 1897, the cathedral has hosted Jubilee services. St Paul's are also hosting an exhibition exploring the history of Jubilee celebrations at the cathedral across three centuries. This has been open to the public since May 25th.
Saturday 4th June: Platinum Party at the Palace
On Saturday, big names Diana Ross and George Ezra are set to perform at a concert at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the most significant moments from the Queen's reign. Live coverage will be broadcast on BBC One and will be hosted by Kirsty Young and Roman Kemp and co-presented by Huw Edwards, Clare Balding, AJ Odudu and Anita Rani.
Sunday 5th June: Big Jubilee Lunch
Street parties are being planned across the UK and neighbours are expected to join together for food and fun to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee. This will mark the end of the bank holiday. It is also the day that pubs stop opening until 1am, giving everyone a reason to relax and have an early night.
Sunday 5th June: Platinum Jubilee Pageant
Performers will come together in London to tell the story of the Queen's reign through a pageant. This will include a "River of Hope" section made up of 200 silk flags that will make its way through The Mall, appearing like a moving river. In 2012, there was a similar parade of 670 boats on the Tideway of the River Thames in London as part of the celebrations for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
July: The Royal Collection Trust
Three displays marking the Queen's accession to the throne, the Coronation and Jubilees will be put on at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
12th-15th May: Platinum Jubilee Celebration Performance
In celebration of the Queen's 70 years on the throne, more than 500 horses and 1,000 performers took part in a 90-minute show taking the Windsor Castle audience through history right from Elizabeth I to the present day.