CROWDS of schoolchildren and spectators gathered outside the Senedd this morning to greet the Queen as she arrived to officially open the new session of the Welsh Assembly.

The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, arrived in Cardiff Bay at about 11.40am, greeted by cheers and waving Welsh flags.

Dressed in a turquoise coat, the 90-year-old and her family processed up the steps of the Senedd and into the Siambr.

Torfaen Young People’s Forum was one of the groups invited to the Senedd to welcome the royal party.

Group member Felix Collins, aged 16, got the chance to speak to the Queen and the Prince of Wales.

“I said have a good day and they said ‘thank you very much’,” he said.

“It was really good.”

St Alban’s RC High School pupil Owen Ashford, aged 14, said: “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“We were stood right at the front.”

Addressing the Senedd, the Queen said: “I have continued to follow the Assembly's progress with close interest and to note the remarkable record of achievement over the first four terms.

“Though a relatively young parliamentary institution, you have established a reputation as a strong, accessible and forward-looking legislature, serving all the diverse communities of Wales.”

She added: “Your responsibility is great and the expectations are high, but I have no doubt you will continue to succeed as you discharge these new duties.”

Responding, first minister Carwyn Jones said: “The beginning of the new parliamentary term is a special moment.

"A new assembly has been elected, a new government has been sworn in and a new agenda for Wales is being developed.

"But more than this the beginning of the new term marks a pivotal moment in the life of Welsh devolution itself.

"In the coming months and years, further powers will be granted to this Assembly marking its maturity into a more powerful parliament."

The Queen followed her speech by signing a commemorative parchment before processing out of the Senedd to greet the hundreds of gathered dignitaries, visitors and well-wishers.