THE hearty cheers of a lively crowd completely drowned out the gentle rumble of the royal train as it rolled into Hereford this morning.

Nearly 1,000 residents and pupils clapped and shouted as the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh arrived in the county for a full day's visit.

And while there was no time to stop and talk to the people lining the streets, a beaming smile and a wave from the country's first couple could clearly be seen as they drove past in separate cars on their way to their individual destinations.

The Queen - dressed in a long, light green jacket and skirt and a fetching cream hat with a purple feather - seemed particularly pleased by the number of admirers, some of whom had waited as long as an hour-and-a-half to give the couple a right royal welcome

One young royal fan, six-year-old Robyn Bevan, of St Paul's Primary School, Hereford, had brought a flag and a bunch of flowers for the occasion.

"The Queen is lovely. She's always smiling and she gave me a big wave," she said.

Her mum Emily said they were big supporters of the royal family.

"Robyn was desperate to see the Queen and this is probably the best chance she will get for a while," she said.

Elizabeth Webb, aged 70, of Hereford, said she had seen the Queen on quite a few occasions and she was still her favourite royal.

"I think it's great for the county that she's here. Farmers in particular have had a bad time over the last few years and her visit will do a lot to boost morale," she said.

The Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire, Sir Thomas Dunne, was on hand at the train station to greet the royal couple before following the Queen to the Hollybush family centre in the city.

The centre was the first of six locations she and her husband will be visiting on their whistle-stop tour.

But as with any occasion like this, the Queen's visit was for her subjects.

Beatrice Taylor, originally from the south of France, who now lives in the city, clutched daughter Emily, aged 20 months, and spoke of her joy at seeing the Queen.

"She's such a lovely lady and she's well-known all over the world. We love her in France and are so excited to be here."