Queen in Leeds: Live coverage from Briggate, Arena and the City Varieties

• More words, pictures and video through the day. Please refresh page for the latest version.

The royal couple watched local acts perform in the 13,500-capacity Leeds Arena, which is due to be completed next year.

The Queen, who was wearing a Karl Ludwig dress and coat in beige and cream tweed with a matching hat by Angela Kelly, was treated to an aerial acrobatic display and musical performances by local schoolchildren.

She and the Duke met builders and apprentices who have worked on the £60 million project before unveiling a plaque in a topping-out ceremony.

Joshua Wilkinson, 18, a general construction apprentice from Leeds, said: “I said to her ‘Nice to meet you’ and explained what I do.

“She said I must have a good head for heights. It was nice to meet her. I expected to be really nervous around her but she makes you feel really calm. It’s something I’ll always remember.”

The visit was part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee tour which yesterday saw her visit Tyneside, Teesside and Durham.

Students from Little London Community Primary put on a concert and nine-year-old Aleesha Cantrell read a poem in which she told the royal visitors: “Welcome to Leeds.”

She said afterwards: “Butterflies were running through my tummy but I felt contented.

“I only found out I was reading it for her a couple of days ago and I started crying.

“The Queen looked really nice but I thought she would be taller.”

Leeds City Council commissioned and will own the £60 million arena and construction will be complete in March 2013, followed by final fitting out.

The Queen and the Duke arrived on Briggate - Leeds’s main shopping area - to cheers from thousands of people.

Crowds 10-deep lined each side of the pedestrianised street.

The Duke surprised a number of children who wanted to give flowers to the Queen by asking his protection officers to lift them over the barrier and escort them to his wife, who was working her way down the opposite side of the road.

Junior Frood, eight, from Meanwood, Leeds, was the first the Duke helped over the barrier.

He was escorted by the royal entourage from one side of the street to the other where he presented his bouquet and letter to the Queen.

His mother, Kerry Frood, said: “He just absolutely loves the Royal Family. He was up all night because he wanted to give a letter to the Queen.

“It says ‘thank you for looking after our country and I look forward to coming to Buckingham Palace in the summer’.

“He just can’t believe it.

“I told the Duke the flowers were for the Queen and he just told the police to lift him over the barrier. It was amazing. I was just about in tears.”

The Duke also helped Charlotte Carlyle, eight, to scale the barriers.

Charlotte, from Morley, said she was nervous meeting the Queen.

Her mother, Catherine Carlyle, said: “Prince Philip asked who the flowers were for and when I said they were for the Queen he asked them to lift her over.”

The Duke helped adults cross the street too.

Luke Smith, 24, said: “I’m such a huge fan of the Queen. I spoke to the Prince and he just said, ‘why don’t you give them to the Queen yourself’. So they let me climb over. It was fantastic.”

Kellyann Gillies, 31, from Morley, showed the Queen a picture of herself during a visit to Leeds a decade ago.

“I was here then and I’m here now,” she said.

“I showed her the picture and she asked if I was here last time.

“I think she looked great. She’s fantastic.”

The Queen and the Duke emerged into Briggate after a visit to the famous City Varieties Music Hall.

The theatre is best known as the venue of the long-running TV show The Good Old Days, which ran from the 1950s to the early 1980s.

The royal visitors sat in the front row and watched a performance by the City Varieties Youth Theatre Company in the style of the TV programme.

The Queen watched the youngsters perform routines including music hall classic The Laughing Policeman.

Leeds City Councillor Judith Blake welcomed the Queen.

She told the packed theatre: “It is fantastic to see children and young people at the heart of this exciting day.

“Nothing makes me more proud of our city than the achievements of our children and young people.”

After a long walkabout down Briggate, the Queen and the Duke enjoyed a musical performance in the street before leaving the city by car.

Staff at the music hall spent the last few weeks polishing fixtures and fittings as they made sure everything was immaculate to welcome their royal guest.

Anne Shaw, house manager at Varieties, has been in charge of the painstaking preparations for today’s visit.

Speaking ahead of The Queen’s arrival she said: “We’re really excited and honoured to welcome Her Majesty to this beautiful Leeds theatre.

“A lot of work and preparation has gone into the big day and we’re now putting in the finishing touches! It’s been such a busy time but we have great people working here and everyone has helped out.”