The day I met the Queen: Lancashire Wildlife Trust man on memories of a Bermuda tour

Alan was working as a reporter for the Royal Gazette newspaper and had been tasked with putting together a media pack and welcome paper for her official greeting at Government House.

He was invited to attend the ceremony and join the receiving line by his friend David Waddington, former Ribble Valley MP and then Governor of Bermuda.

Alan, who lives in Brinscall, said: "We stood in line and she shook our hands.

"I remember that her hand was bandaged because she had recently had a riding accident.

"She smiled, asked me who I was and moved on. There were a lot of people in the line so I didn't expect a long chat.

"Prince Philip was with her and we had a bit of a laugh with him.

"He said that when they landed on the island he'd seen a lot of white houses and remarked that the island must have a "spotty disease"."

Alan said that prior to the visit, he had received a phonecall from his mother, advising him on his appearance.

He said: "About a month before my mum rang me and asked if I still had a ponytail.

"I said I did, and she told me to cut it off before the Queen arrived, to get a new suit."

Remarking on yesterday's news of the Queen's death, Mr Wright said: "I'm 60 and the only monarch I've ever known is the Queen.

"I think she's been great for the country and she's made people smile. If that's her legacy, it's not a bad one."