VIDEO: As Her Majesty marks Sapphire Jubilee, watch rarely seen footage of The Queen's first visit to Sheffield in 1954

She became the UK's longest-reigning monarch in 2015 at the age of 89 and has already commemorated her Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees.

Today, after 23,742 days on the throne, it's the start of the first Sapphire Jubilee in British history.

She came to the throne in 1952 and made her first visit to Sheffield in October 1954.

Now rare archive footage has emerged of the royal visit to South Yorkshire.

The tour of the county started in Barnsley and then The Queen and Prince Philip visited Rotherham before finishing off the trip in Sheffield.

The British Pathe footage shows the Queen - who was aged just 28 at the time - being greeted by the Lord Mayor followed by a Guard of Honour mounted by the Hallamshire Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment.

Following the Guard of Honour the Queen then appears on the balcony of Sheffield Town Hall much to excitement of the thousands of people who had gathered outside to catch a glimpse of the monarch.

Next on the agenda for the royal couple was a half hour tour of the River Don Works of the English Steel Corporation.

The film footage ends with clips of the Queen and Prince Philip at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough ground where more than 40,000 children had gathered to greet them.

Following a display of marching by the youngsters 3,000 of them then formed a huge Union Jack in honour of the royal visitors.

The royal couple then climbed on a Land Rover which drove around the edge of the pitch to give the thousands gathered in the stands a closer look.

* Do YOU remember the royal visit to Sheffield of 1954? Use the Comments section below to share your memories.