We have been getting into the spirit of the jubilee celebrations. Our last exhibition was on a royal theme and this week we have been in the castle this week putting up our exhibition 'Royal Visits and Celebrations'.

The exhibition looks back to Pembroke's prestigious past: our small town once played a large part in our nation's history and was well worthy of Royal notice. Pembroke was even the birthplace of a king, King Henry VII. In more modern times, its importance waned but, with an important Dockyard on its doorstep Royalty again came to visit.

Our earliest photographs are of the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh in 1882, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught in 1891 and the Duchess of York (the future Queen Mary) in 1899. She visited Pembroke Castle after opening the Victoria Pier in Tenby and went on to Christen the Royal yacht 'the Victoria and Albert' at the dockyard. Then, King Edward and Queen Alexandria visited both Pembroke and Monkton in 1902; the lovely east window in the Priory Church commemorates that visit. More recently, our newly-crowned Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived in Pembroke by train in 1955, returning via Pembroke Dock where they left in the Royal Yacht 'Britannia'. Subsequent visitors included the Queen Mother and Prince Charles - even Princes William and Harry have come here, albeit in an informal capacity to sample Pembroke's night life!

Our exhibition is in the Henry VII Tower, no less, so pop in to see us if you come along to any of the Castle's many events being staged for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Week.

Here are a sample of some of the photographs from the exhibition. I wish to emphasise that our work is very much work in progress - if you have anything that can add to the collection please contact us.

Contact

If you have any stories or photographs for this column, please contact me, Linda Asman, on 01646 622428, email [email protected]">[email protected] and visit our website http://www.pembrokeandmonktonhistory.org.uk">www.pembrokeandmonktonhistory.org.uk.