THE Golden Jubilee tour of 2002 was a surprise. The fortunes of the royal family had reached a nadir in 1992, the "annus horribilis", with open warfare and rank stupidity breaking out among the junior members of the family.

View more photos from Her Majesty's visits to the region

Yet when Her Majesty took to the road ten years later, huge chunks of the population turned out to welcome her, to show her that despite everything there was still respect for the monarch herself who had reigned for 50 years.

The country surprised itself with the depth of its affection: when the Queen visited Darlington on a very grisly May day, there were 10,000 waiting for her in the Market Place, and in Durham City there were 15,000.

(She again dined in Durham Castle, but the 2002 menu was far more luxurious than that of 1960: savoury tartlet filled with lobster and smoked salmon, followed by butterfly of chicken, potatoes and asparagus, and an apricot mousse.)

The success of the 2002 tour is the base upon which the monarchy's present high standing is built. The Queen enters the record books as our longest serving monarch at a time when respect and affection for her has never been greater , and the new generations of royals – William, Catherine and, of course, baby George – have clean copy books and a special place in the nation's hearts.