There remains no clear answer for why hundreds of disappointed schoolchildren missed out on the chance to see the Queen arriving in Mitcham for the very first time.

Yesterday’s visit by Her Royal Highness and the Duke of Edinburgh to St Mark’s Academy was an historic first for Mitcham and she was welcomed by flag-waving residents as she arrived via Tamworth Avenue.

But nearly a thousand children from Cramer and St Thomas of Canterbury primary schools missed out after being invited by Merton Council to wait for the car to drive down Cedars Avenue, only for it never to arrive.

Yesterday Janet Watkins, who witnessed the debacle, said: “St Thomas of Canterbury School arrived at about 11.20am with children chanting God Save the Queen and waving the flags and banners that they had made.

“Some of the children told me that they intended to shake hands with the Queen if they got a chance. “At 12.25pm we were all told that the Queen had been and gone without coming along Cedars Avenue.

“The staff of St. Thomas' then had to return the upset children to school.”

Yesterday, a council spokeswoman said the police were responsible for the last-minute change.

But a Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said they were not responsible for the route, suggesting the decision lay instead with Buckingham Palace officials.

But a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman told the Wimbledon Guardian: “Routinely on a visit the Queen’s route there by car is not published in advance so I’m not sure where this came from.

“The routes are always subject to change and are not cast in stone.”

Merton Council did not say from where the information about the route came from, but instead offered the two Mitcham schools a chance to meet the council’s next mayor.

A council spokesman said: "We are glad so many people came out to see the Queen yesterday, however we understand the disappointment felt by those school children who missed out on seeing her.

“The route to the school had been planned beforehand, but on the day a different way was taken.

“As first citizen of the borough, the Mayor Councillor David Williams will arrange to visit all those schools who missed out on seeing the Queen.”

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Was your child one of those affected? Leave a comment below, tweet us at @WimbledonNews or email: newsdesk@wimbledonguardian.co.uk.