Royal Visit Announced for the 2011 Great Yorkshire Show
HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall are to visit the Great Yorkshire Show on Wednesday 13 July, 2011. The Prince of Wales is Patron of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, which organises the event.
Bill Cowling, Honorary Show Director said: We are absolutely delighted with the news, and a programme for their time with us is underway. Their knowledge and enthusiasm for farming and rural life is well known, and their visit will make the show particularly special. We look forward to welcoming them.
Their Royal Highnesses will get an in-depth insight into what is Englands premier show, touring the showground, meeting livestock exhibitors, visitors, as well as staff and stewards.
More than 130,000 visitors are expected to come through the gates for the prestigious showcase of agriculture and country life which runs from Tuesday 12 Thursday 14 July. Record entries in several of the competitive sections have already been announced with all cattle stalls taken and a waiting list in operation, plus more than 2,000 sheep (a record) and over 2,000 horses competing. This will be the 153rd Great Yorkshire Show.
The show is no stranger to royal visitors. Most recently HRH The Princess Royal was welcomed last year, and Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh spent a day at the event in 2008. The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall last visited the show in 2006.
Historically royal visitors have included HRH Prince Albert who toured the event in 1848, HRH The Duke of York, who later became George VI, and HRH The Duchess of York were guests of honour in 1951, and in 1972, HRH The Duchess of Kent became the Societys President for the year.
The Yorkshire Agricultural Society was formed in 1837 and is a charity dedicated to supporting the farming industry and rural life. The value of the support it provides to regional farming and countryside initiatives has risen year on year to almost 1m. It is based at the Regional Agricultural Centre, Harrogate; the RAC includes Fodder, the Societys award winning regional food shop and caf which opened in June 2009.
The Society is the organiser of the annual farming and country showcase, the Great Yorkshire Show and its sister event, Countryside Live. The 2011 Great Yorkshire Show runs from Tuesday 12 Thursday 14 July and Countryside Live is on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October. The 2010 Great Yorkshire Show attracted 131,382 visitors and last year there were 10,221 visitors to Countryside Live.
Both take place at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, North Yorkshire and are flagship events for agriculture and rural life.