It has been a long time since the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Brighton and Hove but it was worth the wait.

Thanks to the Queen, this resort, made famous by her ancestor George IV, has at last achieved city status.

And her visit yesterday was a celebration of all the vast and varied people and places Brighton has to offer.

The Queen and the Duke met the great and the good such as Mayor Andy Durr, the Lord Lieutenant, the council chief executive and leaders of major companies.

But she also met ordinary folk such as swimming instructor Maudie Ottaway who has given sterling service to Brighton and Hove over many years.

The Queen went to a project which helps the homeless. The Duke went to Falmer to visit the Sussex Innovation Centre. Together they went to the Lighthouse arts centre in Middle Street.

She even had £1 ready to pay for a copy of the Big Issue when she normally carries no cash, showing she was prepared for what Brighton and Hove had to offer.

City leaders were determined to show the Queen all sides of the city.

Brighton and Hove is not a smokestack city of the past. It is an eccentric, mobile, new media city of the future.

The Queen celebrated that during the visit. Here's hoping city status helps the resort tackle its undoubted problems with vigour and enterprise.