Supporters of the Royal Family were out in force in Oxford today to welcome the Queen to the city.

In the morning she toured new galleries at the Ashmolean Museum in Beaumont Street, which opened last month following a £61m refurbishment.

Then she was driven to Brasenose College, in Radcliffe Square, which is celebrating its 500th anniversary.

The Queen, dressed in a powder blue coat and hat, was welcomed by Prof Roger Cashmore, the principal of the college, and Prof Richard Cooper, the vice-principal.

Staff, undergraduates and alumni of the college gathered in Old Quad to welcome the Queen, who joined staff and students for lunch before unveiling a plaque to mark the Quincentenary.

Ellie Stonham, 21, a third-year geography student at Brasenose, said: “I’m unbelievably excited to see the Queen here — it’s possibly the highlight of the term so far.”

Members of the public gathered in Radcliffe Square to welcome the Queen, including retired businessman Alan Preen, 59, from Milton Keynes.

He said: “In these chaotic times, the Queen provides stability and has integrity — she does a lot of good for the country.”

Jennifer Lewis, director of alumni relations and development for Brasenose College, said: “Elias Ashmole, the founder of the Ashmolean Museum, was a student at Brasenose, so it is particularly fitting that the Queen should visit the college after visiting the Ashmolean Museum.”