When King George VI died and the new Queen was proclaimed Barbara English was a 19-year-old student at St Andrew's.

"Within hours the head officials of the town came to the Market Cross and read the proclamation of the new Queen.

"It was a terrible day, there was sleet and the students were huddled in their scarlet gowns. The rain and wind just seemed to underline the sadness of the occasion.

"The ancient tradition was there could never be a time when there wasn't someone ruling the land and the second, the old King died, the next one succeeded. The phrase was 'The King is dead, long live the Queen'.

File photo dated 02/06/1953 of Queen Elizabeth II on the throne as bishops pay homage to her during her Coronation in Westminster Abbey, London. The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon, Buckingham Palace has announced. Credit: PA Wire

A year later, in June 1953, the Queen's coronation was the first time most people - Barbara included - had watched a TV.

"It was black and white and absolutely tiny and everybody was trying to look at it - it was still magic."

The Beverley-based historian, 89, next recalls seeing the Queen when she opened Hull Royal Infirmary in 1967 - one of around a dozen trips to the region the Monarch made in the past seven decades. Prof English, who married a surgeon, only knew of the Queen previously from pictures she'd seen as a child growing up in the Second World War mending a jeep.

She said: "All the cynical surgeons stood up politely and looked sober. She had an amazing presence."

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh watch from the balcony of the weighing room as horses parade for the Champagne Victor Queen's Golden Jubilee Handicap Stakes at Beverley in 2002. Picture: Terry Carrott

Prof English said: "I would say she has been completely successful, she has never set a foot wrong. She seemed genuinely fond of people. She was also slightly Scottish, which was very good for the United Kingdom, she wore tartan to receive the new Prime Minister. Even people with republican feelings said they didn't want the Queen to go - this Monarch got it right."

On another visit to the region in July 1981 the Queen opened the Humber Bridge with Prince Philip, who died last year.

She also visited Hull during its year as City of Culture in 2017, and was greeted by cheers as she stepped onto the platform at Paragon Station from the Royal Train.

Her last visit to the East Riding was in 2009 when accompanied by Prince Philip, she opened the Queen’s Centre for Oncology and Haematology at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham.

The most memorable visit came in 2002 as part of her Golden Jubilee tour when Her Majesty and the Duke arrived by Royal Train into Beverley and attended a service at Beverley Minster, followed by a walkabout in Saturday Market. They then had lunch at Beverley Racecourse and presented a trophy to the winning female jockey in the Gold Jubilee race.

Last night a statement from East Riding Council said the Queen had been a “beacon of hope, stability and unity”.

It added: “As the longest serving Monarch she has been an ever-present in most people’s lives and it’s unlikely we will ever witness a reign as long and as glorious again.”

As a mark of respect, the Union Jack will be flown at half-mast on all council buildings until the day after the funeral.

Books of condolence will be available for people to leave messages of sympathy at the council’s libraries, multi-service centres and customer service centres.

Yorkshire historian's memories of watching TV for the first time and seeing the Queen's Coronation