AVID royalist Judith Watkinson led celebrations in the district as the Queen became Britain's longest-reigning monarch yesterday.

Mrs Watkinson went to the trouble of encouraging shops in her home town of Yeadon to mark the milestone - and decked out her mobility scooter in union flags too.

The 68-year-old, who lives in Marshall Street, Yeadon, and used to live in Harrogate Road, Bradford, said: "Shops and businesses in the area celebrate St Patrick's Day and US Independence Day, so I made a point of asking whether they will mark this momentous day for the Queen.

"I have loaned some of my memorabilia to help them create window displays.

"The first one was Oxfam and what they have done looks fantastic."

Of the Queen she added: "What she has done for this country - in my eyes she is fantastic.

"She's been there all these years and is such a constant presence and figure. However the world changes, she if still there and keeps up with the times too."

The Queen officially passed Queen Victoria's record of 63 years and 216 days at around 5.30pm yesterday.

During her time on the throne, the Queen has seen a total of 12 Prime Ministers and six Archbishops of Canterbury serve under her.

She received a rapturous welcome in Edinburgh yesterday, with the Duke of Edinburgh by her side, as she arrived at the city's Waverley Station to begin her journey on the new £294 million Scottish Borders Railway which she officially opened.

Bradford Council leader David Green yesterday added his thoughts, saying: "The Queen has been a figure throughout my life and the life of many people in the United Kingdom.

"She has been the consistent point of reference for so many not just in the UK, but throughout the Commonwealth.

"This milestone achievement that we are marking is unlikely to be beaten and her influence on British society is something that is very difficult to measure but has long been there."

The exact moment the Queen passes her great great grandmother Victoria's milestone is not known as there is no precise time for the death of her father, King George VI, who died in the early hours of February 6, 1952.

But it is thought he died at 1am so at around 5.30pm the Queen made history as calculations showed she had then reigned for 23,226 days, 16 hours and approximately 30 minutes, a few minutes longer than Victoria.