MOST people who meet the Queen get a brief handshake - but two East Lancashire women were treated to a five-minute audience.

Community worker Shahida Hanif and midwife Pam Inniss chatted to Her Majesty at a Buckingham Palace reception held to honour people who have contributed to their communities.

The two also met the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of York and the Duke of Gloucester.

Zara Phillips, daughter of Princess Anne, was also at the reception on Tuesday night.

Shahida, 40, a public health nurse from Great Harwood, said: "The Queen went round shaking people's hands and talking to people for about two hours.

"She spoke to us for about five minutes. I didn't know what to expect - I thought it would be really formal, she would shake our hands and move on." The pair were invited after being honoured for their work at the Royal College of Nursing's 2004 Mary Seacole Awards.

Shahida works for Blackburn with Darwen NHS Primary Care Trust and is also a youth worker for the county council.

She has been recognised for her work with the ethnic minority in the borough and also teaches self-defence at community centres in her drive to "empower" women.

She said: "The Queen asked about our award. She said the NHS did a lot of good work but sometimes it was portrayed negatively. She said she believed in the NHS and it was a shame there was so much negativity around it." Her Majesty also recalled her visit to Blackburn in May.

Pam, from Blackburn, was invited for her work at the Royal Blackburn Hospital which saw her establish a midwife-led diabetic clinic focusing on South Asian women.