THOUSANDS of well-wishers will throng the streets today as the Queen and Prince Philip begin the first leg of their North-East tour.

As part of a national tour to celebrate her golden jubilee, the Royal couple will follow a packed itinerary, meeting thousands of people and opening flagship attractions over two days in the region.

The highlight of the visit is the Royal opening of Gateshead's £22m Millennium bridge - centrepiece of Tyneside's bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2008.

The "blinking eye" bridge has already scooped several commendations, including one of the best inventions of 2001 by Time magazine, and crowds will pack both banks of the Tyne for the official ceremony at noon.

Afterwards, the Royal couple will attend a reception at Gateshead's Baltic Centre for contemporary art.

The Royals will arrive at Sunderland railway station at 10.10am, from where they will proceed to open the Winter Gardens.

They will be greeted by almost 3,500 flag-waving Wearsiders in Mowbray Park, including children from every Sunderland school, special interest groups, and disabled people.

Former RAF aircraftsman Bill Bolingbroke, 73, and his wife Norma, 69, were among the first to apply for tickets for the park..

Mrs Bolingbroke said: "We try never to miss a Royal visit. Bill and I remember seeing the Queen at St Peter's Church in 1993 and we were also fortunate to speak to Princess Anne when she opened The Bridges shopping centre.

"She asked me if I was a good shopper."

The Queen will open the Metro link between Sunderland and Gateshead before travelling to South Tyneside, where she will attend a party at St Joseph's RC Primary School.

The Royal couple will go on to unveil a statue of the late Cardinal Basil Hume at St Mary's Cathedral, in Newcastle, and will round off their first day by attending a gala event at Newcastle City Hall.

Tomorrow, they will be welcomed to Seaham by schoolchildren and visit a memorial garden commemorating the Easington Colliery mining disaster of 1951.

After meeting 34 Easington couples who are celebrating their golden wedding anniversaries, they will learn about east Durham's Turning the Tide coastal improvement project.

They will be greeted by Sir Peter Ustinov, chancellor of Durham University, at Durham Castle, meet local people, and the Queen will open Durham's Millennium City development.

Her majesty will unveil a commemorative stone in Darlington Market Square and go on a walkabout, while Prince Philip visits the Stockton campus of Durham University.

Councillor Isobel Hartley, the mayor of Darlington, said she was looking forward to welcoming the Queen to the town after an absence of more than 30 years.

"We are all really excited," she said.

"We're really proud that she's included us in her jubilee tour."