Queen Elizabeth II visited Yosemite in 1983. See photographs from her trip

Queen Elizabeth II, who died Thursday and was the longest-reigning British monarch, briefly visited Yosemite National Park on March 5, 1983.

News stories in Bee archives recounted the queen’s landing at Castle Air Force Base in Merced County and a procession through Coulterville on the way to Yosemite. She was accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip. She was the first English monarch to visit Yosemite.

During her visit, Queen Elizabeth II said she was “delighted to be here.”

The queen and Prince Philip visited Inspiration Point, Bridalveil Fall, El Capitan and Cathedral Rocks and attended services in Yosemite Chapel in the valley.

During her visit, three Secret Service agents died and two sheriff’s deputies were injured in a head-on car crash. They were part of an advance security team for Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Yosemite and about 40 minutes ahead of the royal party. The queen said she was “very saddened” by the deaths.

One resident who watched the procession in Coulterville said, “She came through like lightning.”

Queen Elizabeth II originally was scheduled to drive through Mariposa, and the Chamber of Commerce spent weeks preparing. At the last minute, the route switched to go through Coulterville.

This story was originally published September 8, 2022 at 1:03 PM.

Brianna Vaccari

The Fresno Bee

559-441-6166

Brianna Vaccari covers Fresno City Hall for The Bee, where she works to hold public officials accountable and shine a light on issues that deeply affect residents’ lives. She previously worked for The Bee’s sister paper, the Merced Sun-Star, and earned her bachelor’s degree from Fresno State.