AKIPRESS.COM - The Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have visited the set of the television series Game of Thrones June 24, on the second day of their visit to Northern Ireland.

The Paint Hall Studios in the city's Titanic Quarter is a focal point for Northern Ireland's burgeoning film industry.

They met members of the cast and crew, before being given a small replica of the program's iconic Iron Throne as a gift.

Although the Queen declined to sit on the throne, which is made out of swords, she was presented with a miniature version by Dan Weiss, one of the executive producers of the drama.

She and the Duke of Edinburgh were shown a vast array of weapons used in the often blood-soaked storylines, which have helped generate £82m to the Northern Ireland economy since HBO began filming here in 2009.

According to the Northern Ireland assembly, it has created the equivalent of more than 900 full-time and 5,700 part-time jobs in a region of fewer than 2 million people.

The Queen and the Duke spoke to six cast members from both the current and past episodes of the series, which is based on the books of George R R Martin. They included Lena Heady (Queen Cersei Lannister), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Conleth Hill (Lord Varys), Rose Leslie (Ygritte), 17-year-old Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) and 18-year-old Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark).

Contribution: The Guardian, BBC, Reuters