IT may have been an historic occasion - but the acting Dean of York Canon Michael Smith wasn't above cracking a joke as he planted a young lime tree near York Minster this afternoon to honour the Queen's 70 years on the throne.

The Dean was fresh from choral eucharist in the Minster - and sporting his full robes of office.

"Not my usual gardening clothes!" he joked, as he lifted a spadeful of earth and tamped it in around the tree's base.

Joking aside, it was a real privilege to be playing a small part in the celebrations to mark the Queen's Accession Day, he said.

"It is a historic day - the first time a British sovereign has reigned for 70 years. Trees are a symbol of longevity and stability. This tree is being planted in honour of HM the Queen and in celebration of her dedicated service."

The tree was planted as part of the national Queen's Green Canopy initiative in which groups across the country are being invited to plant trees during the Jubilee year.

It will eventually form part of a small public park in front of what used to be the Minster School, but is now being turned into a refectory.

A stone plaque is being made to identify the tree as having been planted for the Jubilee. A statue of the Queen - which will stand in an empty niche at the west front of the Minster - is also being made to commemorate her 70 years on the throne.

The people of York, meanwhile, are being invited to throw Jubilee street parties during the extended Platinum Jubilee bank holiday from Thursday June 2 to Sunday June 5.