It was nothing for Agnes Riley to pick up the phone when she was younger and say "Dad, Buckingham Palace calling".

Mrs Riley's father, Ellis Wall, was a long-term Tamworth councillor. For years he worked at getting the royal family to visit the city.

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In 1954, when Mrs Riley was 16, she was invited to a Buckingham Palace garden party with her parents, where she was presented to Queen Elizabeth, who had only just been crowned the year before.

"She was so young and beautiful - I loved every moment of it," Mrs Riley said.

"We were lucky enough to speak to the Queen and my father said to her 'we so want you to visit Tamworth one day'.

"She said 'Mr Wall, I will come to Tamworth one day'."

Fast forward 23 years to 1977, and Mr Wall's persistence paid off. Tamworth was included in the royal Australian visit.

When Mrs Riley and her father greeted the Queen in Bicentennial Park, Mr Wall reminded her they'd spoken all those years ago.

"She said 'and didn't I tell you Mr Wall that I would come to Tamworth one day?'," Mrs Riley said.

"We were all amazed and astonished that she remembered.

"Imagine the millions of people she shook hands with in that time."

Fast forward again to this year. Mrs Riley's grandson, Luke Riley, decided to surprise her by writing to the Queen.

He sent her photographs of Mrs Riley and her parents at the garden party, and a letter about how his grandmother had always treasured and valued her memories of meeting the Queen - and of her astonishment at the Queen's incredible memory.

To Mrs Riley's delight, Queen Elizabeth responded, and said she "was delighted to be reminded of coming to Tamworth all those years ago".

"Thank you very much again for your kind thought in writing as you did," the Queen wrote.

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Mrs Riley said if her father was still around, he would have been tickled pink by the letter.

"I was certainly thrilled to get that response," Mrs Riley said.

"It's a real privileged to get a message back. I know they don't pass most things on to her.

"My father would be delighted if her were still around."

During her visit, the Queen opened up opened the Peel-Cunningham County Council Building, now home to Tamworth Regional Council.

Hundreds of people lined up at the city's airport to greet her and Prince Philip as they step off the plane.

Her son Prince Charles has also been a visitor to Tamworth, staying at Goonoo Goonoo Station in 1974.

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