Queen enjoys 'impromptu' tour

The Queen on her impromptu walkabout in Solihull

The Queen has gone on an "impromptu" walkabout in the West Midlands as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Her unscheduled tour happened during a visit to Solihull, on Tuesday, a day that also included Prince Philip keeping a date with a robot called "Victoria", in Birmingham.

More than 20,000 people turned out to greet the royal couple as they arrived in the region.

So many people handed the Queen flowers outside the Touchwood Shopping and Leisure Centre that three police officers had to be drafted in to help the monarch's lady-in-waiting carry them.

Police officers had to help collect the flowers

They had travelled to Solihull in the Royal Train and arrived at the town's station after an overnight journey from Slough.

After opening a Jubilee Garden at the shopping centre, the Queen was heading to open Parliament, though not at Westminster but in Birmingham, where children have their own talking shop.

The visit to the Young People's Parliament was part of her official opening of Birmingham's Millennium Point, a £114 million centre of technology and entertainment.

Gala concert

Prince Philip's date with Victoria the robot was due as part of a tour of Millennium Point, at the University of Central England Technology Innovation Centre, where creators of the robot have programmed her to shake his hand.

Also in the building, which is the size of six football pitches, the royal couple were set to visit Thinktank, Birmingham's new museum of science and discovery.

On Tuesday night, after a walkabout in Centenary Square, they were also due to attend a gala concert at the city's Symphony Hall, featuring the likes of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Asian folk drummers the Dhol Blasters.