The Queen spends the day in West Sussex
Published
The Queen has spent the day in West Sussex, visiting the charity Canine Partners and Chichester Festival Theatre.
The day started at Canine Partners, a charity that assists people with physical disabilities to enjoy greater independence and quality of life through the provision of specially trained dogs.
On arrival Her Majesty went to the puppy training arena to see how the dogs are trained.
After seeing the youngest puppies in training, The Queen moved on to the advanced training area, where the dogs are almost qualified to be assistance animals.
Canine partners works closely with other charities where it is beneficial to do so, including Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs, Help for Heroes and The Royal British Legion.
After seeing the puppies in training, Her Majesty visited the charity's wheelchair accessible residential chalets to meet those who are undertaking their onsite training course and beginning their incredible journey with their assistance dog.
Canine Partners currently has 400 active partnerships and during today's visit The Queen unveiled a plaque that celebrates 750 partnerships since the charity was founded in 1990.
Before departing Her Majesty was presented with a posy in an unusual way!
The Queen's cousin, The Duke of Gloucester, is Canine Partners' Patron. Find out more about the charity HERE.
Next Her Majesty travelled to Chichester, to visit Chichester Festival Theatre which is one of the UK's flagship theatres, renowned for the high standard of its productions as well as its work with the community and young people.
Chichester Youth Theatre, one of the largest youth theatres in the country, performed scenes from their annual Christmas production – this year it is Beauty and the Beast.
The Queen also heard some songs from Chichester Festival Theatre's 2017 production of Fiddler on the Roof.
The Theatre also a has a small studio, the Minerva Theatre, here Her Majesty listened to a spoken performance by Chichester resident Dame Patricia Routledge, who first appeared at the Theatre in 1969.
The theatre has a long Royal connection, and during the visit The Queen was able see photos from previous Royal visit.
Princess Alexandra laid the theatre's foundation stone in 1961.
Among the many subsequent Royal visits to the Theatre, The Queen Mother attended a performance of Love’s Labour’s Lost by the Stratford Ontario Festival Company in 1964; Princess Margaret attended St Joan (1963), The Rivals (1971), The Merchant of Venice (1984) and Rumours (1990); and The Prince of Wales attended Coriolanus, with Kenneth Branagh in the title role, in 1992.