YORK tourism and business bosses have predicted that next month’s royal visit will be a huge economic boost to the city.

The Queen is due to visit York on Maundy Thursday on April 5, when she is expected to enter the city at Micklegate Bar, where she will be greeted by the Lord Mayor and York’s council chief executive Kersten England – and later go to the Minster for a service to distribute the traditional Maundy Money.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York said, the visit was predicted to bring additional tens of thousands of pounds into the economy and to generate publicity around the world attracting further visitors.

“It will encourage people to come into York and spend money and it’s so great for the visitors in the city on that day because there will be a fantastic atmosphere,” Mrs Cruddas said.

“It’s a huge acknowledgement of the importance of York to get a visit at the time of the Diamond Jubilee.

“It’s a big commitment to the city and it’s good news for the people here but also for us as marketeers. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get people to come to York.”

It is understood that about 10,000 visitors are expected to go to Micklegate to catch a glimpse of the Queen when she will meet the Lord Mayor and local representatives. Susie Cawood, head of York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said the Queen’s visit was “fantastic publicity” for York with “huge knock-on economic benefits”.

She said: “It puts York on the map.”

As the Queen prepares to visit York to distribute Maundy Money and celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, The Press is preparing to publish a series of special Royal supplements and we want to hear from readers about their own experiences.

Were you born on the day the monarch became Queen? If you were already around, how did you spend Coronation Day? And were you in York when the Queen last visited the Minster on Maundy Thursday, in 1972? Do you have pictures of that day, or of your coronation celebrations?

If you are prepared to share your memories with other readers, email mike.laycock@thepress.co.uk or kate.liptrot@thepress.co.uk, or contact Mike Laycock on 01904 567132 or Kate Liptrot on 01904 567168.