Trinidad and Tobago’s culture, achievements and people have been praised by the Queen, who wore a stunning banquet dress in honour of the nation.

The Queen attending a Trinidad state dinner in an ‘Emblem dress’.

The monarch acknowledged her hosts by attending a Trinidad state dinner in a gown featuring two of the Caribbean nation’s national birds and its national flower.

Known as an “Emblem dress”, the Queen has not worn a similar symbolic outfit for more than 20 years.

The sovereign has travelled to the West Indian nation with the Duke of Edinburgh to open the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) where Prime Minister Gordon Brown will meet with other world leaders.

At the banquet held in the grounds of President George Maxwell Richards’ official home in the Port of Spain, the Queen highlighted the achievements of her hosts.

She paid tribute to Trinidad’s efforts fighting drug traffickers, as the country – like other parts of the Caribbean – is a staging post for cocaine smugglers.

The monarch told the president: “Your government’s leadership on regional security has been rightly praised, particularly its pioneering efforts to encourage the sharing of good ideas and techniques in counter narcotics co-operation throughout the Caribbean.”

The sporting exploits of cricketer Brian Lara, who holds the record for the highest test score – 400, were also highlighted.

The Queen said: “The cultural achievements of your authors, painters and photographers enjoy wide renown in this, as were pleased to be reminded this afternoon, the birthplace of calypso music and the steel pan.

“In the sporting world you have produced a batsman widely regarded as one of the finest ever to have played the game.”