Cambridge: Queen & Duke Of Edinburgh Visit

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are visiting Cambridge today (Thursday).

Buckingham Palace has confirmed Her Majesty will ride the Guided Bus, then visit the Medical Research Council Laboratories and the Rosie Maternity Hospital.

They are due to officially open both facilities.

The Royal party wil arrive in Cambridge before travelling by the Cambridgeshire Guided Bus to the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Rosie Maternity Hospital.

The Rosie Maternity Hospital is part of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Queen will visit the extension's birthing centre, meeting staff and new mothers, while the Duke will tour the neonatal unit to greet staff and families and view medical equipment. 

During their trip to Cambridge the royal couple will also visit the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, one of the world's leading research institutes, to officially open its new building. 

The unit has been nicknamed the "Nobel Prize factory" as scientists working there have been awarded nine Nobels. 

One of the most famous awards went to James Watson and Francis Crick who, with Maurice Wilkins, won the 1962 Nobel in medicine for their discovery of the structure of DNA. 

Costing £212 million, the new building will provide important new facilities for 600 scientists and support staff.

Cambridgeshire County Council Chief Exec Marc Lloyd said: "We are delighted that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are once again coming to Cambridge to see some of the innovative projects for which the city is rightly renowned worldwide. 

Her visit will begin with a trip on the Busway which is an example of how the transport infrastructure put in place by the County Council is helping the city to retain its place as a world leader for medical innovation and cutting edge research and development, while at the same time improving travel options for workers, those needing medical treatment or visitors to the city and surrounding areas."