SHE might have been visiting Huddersfield, but the Queen got a taste of India when she enjoyed a civic lunch at the university.

She was given a three-course Indian lunch when she made the university the first stop on her four-venue tour of Huddersfield yesterday.

The Queen and Prince Philip arrived at the university at 12.25pm, fresh from a visit to Bradford.

Staff and students waited outside the entrance to the university's Central Services Building to catch a glimpse of the royal party arriving.

The Queen, wearing a crimson coat and hat, stepped out of her official car with Prince Philip, who was wearing a grey suit with a tie to match the monarch's outfit.

They were greeted by a welcoming committee, which included Vice Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire John Brennan and his wife, Claire; the chief executive of Kirklees Council Rob Vincent and wife Heather; the newly-appointed Mayor of Kirklees, Clr Jean Calvert, and her consort Shane Eastwood; and university vice chancellor Prof Bob Cryan and his wife, Kathleen.

Prof Cryan led the party into the building, where they made their way to the Castle Hill Suite for lunch.

Fifty guests were invited to join the Queen for the meal, including the Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Dr Ingrid Roscoe and Sellers International chairman David Armitage. Half the guests were chosen by the university and half by Kirklees Council.

The Queen and her guests enjoyed the meal, prepared by chefs from the Mumtaz restaurant in Bradford.

After the hour-long meal, the Queen was given a presentation box of spices by youngster Fiza Bashir before making her way out of the Central Services Building to cheers from a crowd of staff and students.

Prince Philip left to tour an eco-friendly housing development at Primrose Hill, but the Queen had one last duty to perform, unveiling the foundation stone of the university's new Creative Arts building.

The £14m building is being built on the edge of the Queensgate campus and is due for completion in 2008.

It will house the university's music and art and design departments.

Prof Cryan thanked the Queen for unveiling the commemorative stone.

He said: "We consider it a great honour that you have visited us to unveil the foundation stone of our latest investment in creative arts.

"The building taking shape behind us will be a new home for creative arts at the university and will provide world class facilities for our music and art and design students.

"The building is the physical demonstration of our continuing support for the town of Huddersfield and it is an investment for the benefit of students and staff for many years to come."

The Queen then pulled back the blue velvet curtains to unveil the stone, which had been created at short notice by Marsh monumental mason Fred Evans, using stone from Johnson Wellfield Quarries at Crosland Hill.

The unveiling was watched by a committee including former vice chancellor of the university Prof John Tarrant, the university's director of estates, Colin Blaire, the Dean of Art, Design and Architecture Emma Hunt, Dean of Music, Humanities and Media Dr Tim Thornton and university council chairman Chris Brown.

After the unveiling the Queen was presented with a bouquet of white roses by Prof Cryan's nine-year-old daughter, Georgia.

The Queen then joined her lady-in-waiting in her official car to be whisked away to her next engagement at The Media Centre at the bottom of Northumberland Street.