PEOPLE gathered for a royal visit as Princess Anne visited two North-East landmarks.

Members of the public and officials turned out to give the Princess Royal a special welcome as she visited the Zetland Lifeboat Museum on Redcar’s seafront, before heading to Saltburn’s Valley Gardens and the Cleveland Way in the afternoon.

The Northern Echo:

Princess Anne and the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

In Redcar, Princess Anne, who is the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was welcomed by the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Johanna Ropner, where she met Redcar MP Anna Turley, Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland Billy Wells, district chief executive of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Amanda Skelton and museum volunteers.

The Northern Echo:

Princess Anne was shown the lifeboat Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

The Princess Royal was then given a tour of the recently-restored Zetland lifeboat by museum secretary Jim Veitch and museum chair Janette Picknett.

Spectating Lynne Young, daughter of Tony Young, who helped to restore the lifeboat, said: “We’re very proud. It’s lovely that Princess Anne has come to acknowledge all the hard work that everybody has put into the project. It’s something else to put Redcar on the map.”

The lifeboat, which was built in 1802, has saved over 500 lives in its time.

John Kenyon, originally from Redcar and whose father worked with Mr Young, said: “I’ve always been involved with the Zetland, mainly as a child. We were always friends of the curators – we would go in and say hello, take in fish that we would find in the rock pools and you grew up playing on the beach and the Zetland was here.

“It’s great they’ve put the effort in to rebuilt it. I think it’s fantastic that so many volunteers work at the museum, giving up their free time for an old boat and giving it the recognition it deserves.

“I think it’s fantastic that a member of the royal family has come along to see it and that shows the appreciation of the royal family of the work put in by volunteers.”

In the afternoon, the Princess Royal travelled to Saltburn Valley Gardens, which is part of the 109-mile Cleveland Way National Trail, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.

The Northern Echo:

Princess Anne was shown part of the Cleveland Way Picture: DAVE CHARNLEY

Malcolm Hodgson, trail manager, said: “This is a very special year for the Cleveland Way, so it is wonderful that The Princess Royal chose to share the celebrations with us and to meet the many staff, volunteers, landowners, user groups and supporters who help to make the trail so special.”

The Princess Royal finished her visit to the borough with a private function organised at Saltburn Valley’s Tea Rooms where she met council officials.

Councillor Mary Lanigan, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council leader, said: “It was wonderful that Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal came to our wonderful borough to see one of the world’s truly historic maritime boats as well as our stunningly beautiful countryside on the Cleveland Way.”