It was always a right royal occasion in those far-off days when Newcastle United were the kings of Wembley. As we witness the momentous handover from Queen Elizabeth II to King Charles III after the longest of reigns we may well recall that United were centre stage during the last royal shift in power.
Winning the FA Cup three times in five short years back in the fifties would normally have meant receiving the grand old pot each time from the same monarch. However when United embarked upon the run in 1951 King George VI was still on the throne and handed over the trophy at what turned out to be his last cup final appearance.
A year later United returned to the Twin Towers to receive the silver pot from Sir Winston Churchill during a time of transition while in 1955 the Queen, accompanied by Prince Philip, was 28 years of age attending only her third cup final since her accession to the throne. The significance of that occasion is highlighted by the fact that United have never claimed a domestic trophy in the 67 years since a young Queen did the honours.
