THE bugle fanfare sounded and Princess Alexandra stepped from her silver BMW.

The Queen's cousin was greeted by Chester-le-Street Army cadet Sergeant Paul Haworth, who welcomed her at the Bailey Gate of Durham Cathedral.

Soldiers from 3rd Battalion The Rifles, Durham Light Infantry veterans, the Company of the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, and Territorial Army soldiers in combat uniform awaited her inspection.

The royal visit to Durham commemorated her 50th year as Colonel-in-Chief of the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) and The Rifles.

The Colonel Commandant of The Rifles, Lieutenant General Nick Parker, said: "This is for us to help make people realise that the DLI is not dead and its spirit is alive in the current regiment in The Rifles.

"I have detected that the Army is in the heart of this city, more than in an awful lot of other places in the country.

"This city seems to me more engaged with and proud of its contribution to the Army.

"It is a pretty significant event because the Army and the DLI are such a significant part of the community here.The royal visit gives this event the ultimate patronage, because it shows that it is not just important to Durham and the Army, but to the entire country.

"It means a huge amount to the regiment to have this engagement with the Royal Family as the people who uphold all of our traditions."

Lieutenant General Robin Brims laid a wreath in the regiment's memorial garden and a bugler sounded the Last Post.

A two-minute silence was followed by the sounding of Reveille. The parade was followed by a short march past Princess Alexandra, followed by a service in the Cathedral, led by the Dean of Durham, to celebrate the 50th anniversary.

Dean of Durham the Very Reverend Michael Sadgrove said: "I don't need to tell you how the people of Durham and the North-East have been conspicuous for their courage and devotion to duty in times and places of great danger, such as now in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Each year, names are added to the roll of those who have died.

"This annual reunion service is our way of acknowledging publicly that there is a price to be paid for peace and security in our world.

"We are privileged this year to be doing this in the presence of our Colonel-in-Chief, whose long connection with the DLI, the Light Infantry and the Rifles, we celebrate today."