A royal relationship that has lasted 60 years was rekindled today when the Queen visited Windsor’s King George VI Day Centre in Clarence Road which she first opened in 1958.

Excitement built as the regulars at the club waited for the Queen to arrive at 11am.

After arriving five minutes late, she revealed to the centre’s co-ordinator Charlotte Moore that she had been caught out by the guard change which closes the town centre to traffic.

She told Ms Moore: ‘We had to go the long way round down the Long Walk’.

The Queen was greeted by the centre’s trustees, led by their chairman David Cannon. The Royal Borough’s mayor and mayoress Cllr John Lenton and Margaret Lenton, Thames Valley’s Chief Constable Francis Habgood, Berkshire Lord Lieutenant James Puxley and High Sherriff of Berkshire Graham Barker were also there to greet her.

As the Queen walked further into the centre she beamed with delight as she came across volunteer Kathy Pirrie leading some of the elderly residents in gentle seated exercise sessions.

‘That looks fun to do, are they balloons?’ asked the Queen, before picking up one of them.

Then it was into the centre’s own hairdressing salon, where Debbie Lewin was just putting the finishing touches to her mum’s hair.

It looked great but only an hour earlier mum Pat Morris, 87, was still under the hairdryer.

“I aim to be combing her out so she looks just right when the Queen sees us,” said Ms Lewin.

The two ended up timing it just right.

The Queen visited the kitchen where chef Tracy Riggs who cooks three course lunches for the regulars for days a week was at work, helped by her granddaughter Leah - a 14 year old student at Holyport College.

As they waited for the Queen to arrive Leah said: “I’m really nervous. I just don’t want to make a fool of myself and drop something.”

Needless to say she did not.

Mr Cannon made a speech thanking the Queen for remaining as the patron of the club from the start.

He said: “Having you as patron has been a source of pride and encouragement.

“To use a horse riding analogy it has spurred us on.”

Before leaving the Queen cut a beautiful 60th birthday cake - specially made by the trustees’ deputy chairman Cllr Dee Quick, who is also deputy mayor of the Royal Borough.

The anniversary meant a lot to Cllr Quick, who used all her skills as a former home economics teacher to make the cake special with an image of the day centre in icing on top.

She said: “My mother was closely involved in the setting up of the club.

“When I heard it was in financial difficulty a few years ago I knew my mum would be looking down on me and expecting me to help.

“I made the cake in pieces and put it in the freezer.

“Yesterday I realised it was time to decorate it and thought ‘on no, there will be no second chances if I do it wrong’.”

It was the Queen’s first visit in 10 years to the Day Centre which operates through the dedication of volunteers but has three part time staff members - co-ordinator Charlotte Moore, administrator Lucy Playle and Ms Tracy Riggs.