Queen visits Cornwall in 2006: Tremough Campus and Mountford House

It was one of the hottest days of the year when, back in June 2006, the Queen visited Penryn and Truro for two very special occasions.

Accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, Her Majesty was in Cornwall to mark ten years of Cornwall Care, before heading to the Tremough Campus to officially open the site for the Combined Universities in Cornwall.

They began at the Eden Project before moving on to Mountford House in Truro, which until recently was operated by Cornwall Care before it closed earlier this year as part of a restructure.

Back in 2006 the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were received by a welcoming party consisting of Carrick District Council chairman Mike Cox and his wife Ros, the chief executive of Carrick John Winskill, the mayor of Truro Peter Lang and mayoress Heather Lang, the chairman of Cornwall Care John Caff, and the chief executive of Cornwall Care Douglas Webb.

Her Majesty was then presented with flowers from three-year-old Olivia Tapenden, the daughter of Amanda Tapenden, the assistant manager of Blackwood care home in Camborne.

The Queen receiving flowers from three-year-old Olivia Tapenden and her mother Amanda, assistant manager of Blackwood Care Home in Camborne, in 2006

Inside, the Queen and Prince Philip were greeted by home manager Di Hicks who escorted them to meet groups of guests in the main lounge. One resident at the home, who was shortly to be receiving a telegram from the Queen for her 100th birthday, was also lucky enough to meet the Queen in person.

Emily Bowden said at the time: “I’ve wanted to meet the Queen all my life and for my dream to come true so close to my 100th birthday is wonderful. She is such an inspiration. I’m delighted to have been able to meet her.”

The Queen greets residents of Mountford House in Truro in 2006

After the royal party had spent around 20 minutes talking to staff and guests, the Queen unveiled a plaque to commemorate the anniversary.

The Queen and Duke signed a visitors’ book and were also presented with a hamper of local produce by resident Muriel Harris, aged 93. The Queen thanked her, while Prince Phillip said: “It’s full of all the things you’re not supposed to eat, thank you very much.”

Rhe residents from three of Cornwall Care’s sister homes, Blackwood in Camborne, Trevern in Falmouth and Redannick in Truro also attended.

Smiles and a chat with Mountford House residents

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It was then on to Penryn, where the royal couple were welcomed by children lining the piazza and waving flags.

Escorted by professor Alan Livingston, principal of University College Falmouth, as it was then known, and professor Steve Smith, vice-chancellor of the University of Exeter Cornwall Campus, the Queen and Prince Philip met a range of dignitaries including the mayor of Penryn Gill Grant and her escort for the day, the mayor of Falmouth Roger Bonney, along with the chairman of Kerrier district council Marilyn Ferris.

Mrs Grant said afterwards: "It's the pinnacle of everything I've done. It's recognition for the university. I'm so proud of Penryn. I've never been presented before and it's absolutely super."

The Queen meets Penryn mayor Gill Grant, next to Falmouth's Roger Bonney

She added that the Queen said it was a pleasure to be in Penryn while Prince Philip admired her chain.

The Queen was presented with a basket of pink roses, blue irises and freesias by six-year-old Eve Miller whose father John is head of design at UCF and four-year-old Miriam Leyshon, whose father Dr Michael Leyshon and mother, Dr Catherine Brace, both lecture in geography at the University of Exeter.

Miriam said afterwards: "She said thank you for the flowers. She said, Oh there are some lovely roses'."

The Queen is presented with another bouquet at Tremough

Ten-year-old Alice Nicholson and her sister Sophie, six, both pupils at Truro High School, had also come to give the Queen flowers, presenting her with bunches of white roses, lilies and daisies as she walked past.

The royal couple enjoyed a lunch provided by the Royal Duchy Hotel, consisting of chilled vichyssoise soup, caviar and sour cream, followed by corn fed chicken breast with celeriac remoulade sauce and red chicory with a Caesar dressing and Parmesan crackling. The meal was finished off with summer pudding, clotted cream with raspberry tuille pastry, before coffee and Roskilly's Farm organic fudge.

Smiles from the Queen at the Tremough Campus

After lunch they visited the design centre and the learning resource centre where they met with students of UCF, the University of Exeter and Camborne School of Mines, and greeted the spectators that had assembled on the campus piazza.

Included in the crowd were young pupils from the Bouncers Nursery in Killigrew Street, Falmouth, the Trevone nursery at Mabe and the university college's own nursery, Woodlane day nursery, from which youngsters had made a banner especially for the occasion.

The Queen officially opens the Tremough university campus, watched by Professor Alan Livingston

Wearing a jade-green dress and matching wrap-over coat and hat, with contrasting black shoes and bag and white gloves, the Queen, accompanied by Prince Philip, paused to chat to staff and students from the university college before unveiling a plaque commemorating their visit.

The couple received gifts of a pair of bone china contoured cups made by Tavs Jorgensen, a Research Fellow at UCF from Prof Livingston and a framed picture commemorating the University of Exeter's golden jubilee.