Isle of Wight boys made news headlines at Queen's 1987 visit – Isle of Wight County Press

In May 1987, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh travelled to Ryde to mark the 200th anniversary of the sailing of the first fleet to Australia.
Their walkabout made national news headlines when two small children burst from the crowd and ran across the street to give flowers to the Queen.
Scroll through the gallery of pictures above to see more…
The County Press photos from the time didn’t have their names – but now the mystery of their identity has been revealed.
Marc Overton told the County Press this week that he was 11 and his brother, Paul, was five, and they lived in Bembridge at the time.
Isle of Wight County Press: The County Press clipping from the 1987 Queen's visit to Ryde, which shows Marc and Paul Overton with the Queen.The County Press clipping from the 1987 Queen’s visit to Ryde, which shows Marc and Paul Overton with the Queen.
Marc said: “I remember when we got to Union Street, our Mum and Dad giving us rosettes and buying flowers from one of the florists on the street.
“We then stood behind the barrier and held the flowers to give to the Queen. Lots of people were holding out flowers, but the royal party were not getting very close to our side of the road.
“There was a gap between the barriers and we were being urged by people around us, to give the flowers.
“We ran into the middle of the road and handed the flowers to the Queen.
“It all seemed very quick, but the Queen didn’t seem surprised at all with us being in the middle of the road and seemed very happy and grateful to accept the flowers. We then ran back to our parents.
“The next issue of the County Press published the photos with the caption that we managed to get through the barrier and policemen.
“We also received calls from relatives on the mainland, who had seen us on the national news.
“We are still both very proud of being able to give flowers to the Queen. So much so, we both have copies of the photos in our homes.”
On the day of the 1987 visit, Islanders lined the road right the way up Union Street and into St Thomas’s Square at the top, where the Queen and Duke went into St Thomas’ Church to see the British-Australian heritage exhibition and unveil a replica of the anchor of HMS Sirius, the ship which originally undertook the 13,000-mile trip to Australia 200 years before.
Then the royal couple spent some time walking down Union Street, chatting freely to Islanders, and they were also entertained by local musicians.
Isle of Wight County Press: Ian Reed is pictured handing the Queen some flowers during her 1987 visit to Ryde. Photo: IWCP Archive.Ian Reed is pictured handing the Queen some flowers during her 1987 visit to Ryde. Photo: IWCP Archive.
Ian Reed, who was eight at the time, said: “We had the day off school and my mum took my sister and I to Tomlinson’s florist in Union Street and bought a bouquet each for us to hand to the Queen on her visit.
“As a child the crowds seemed huge and I was so excited to be at the front when she was getting close.
“I greeted her with a:”Welcome to the Isle of Wight,” and passed her the bouquet….to which she replied: “That’s very kind, young man…the flowers are beautiful.”
Victoria Yardley, of Ryde, also remembers the Queen walked past her in Union Street, when she was stood behind her brother, James Yardley.
She said: “I told my friends this last week and they thought I was joking.”
After their walkabout in Ryde, the royal couple were taken to Queen Victoria’s former home, Osborne House in East Cowes, where they attended a private reception to mark the bicentenary of the sailings to Australia.
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