Arriving at Preston station aboard the royal train on Thursday morning, her Majesty was met by excited crowds and wellwishers.

She emerged wearing a lilac silk floral dress and light-weight coat by the acclaimed designer Stewart Parvin, and a lilac hat by Philip Somerville.

Army cadets from Lancashire and Greater Manchester performed a guard of honour for the monarch, and she was presented with flowers by schoolchildren from Penwortham.

Beverley Palfrey, 37, from Penwortham, said: "We have come to see the Queen because my little girl wanted to. We are quite excited. I found out about it last week when it was in the paper. It is nice for the Queen to come to Preston."

Minutes later the monarch was taken in the royal car to the famous Lancashire Cheese Firm, Singleton's of Longridge.

Pupils from Longridge High, the school next door to the award-winning firm, cheered as the Queen arrived.

Brother and sister team Bill Riding and Tilly Carefoot, who jointly run the family business - the only business in the Lancashire town to win the Queen's award for entreprise twice - gave the Queen a guided tour explaining the cheese-making process to her.

Mrs Carefoot said she was "overcome by emotion but held it together".

She said: "She is so charming and she asked such pertinent questions. We talked a lot about international trade and she was very interested to discover just how far-flung our cheeses are."

"I am very proud to share this with my staff - without everybody we couldn't have got this award."

The Queen met staff and dairy farmers in an intimate gathering at the factory on Preston Road, before being presented with a basket of Singleton's cheeses by three of the Riding and Carefoot children.

Leaving Longridge, the motorcade of vehicles and staff headed off to Fulwood Barracks in time to meet war veterans and other members of the Queen's Lancaster Regiment, the only regiment to recruit solely from its own region.

Lft Col Mark Kenyon, commanding officer for the 2nd battalion, Duke of Lancaster regiment, is parade commander and played host to the Queen on the day.

He said: "The soldiers are clearly delighted and very proud. This isn't something that happens often and is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of these young people."

In her whistlestop tour the Queen only broke for lunch for an hour between engagments at the Barracks, departing Preston in the middle of the afternoon.

Despite the rain, which held off just in time for Her Majesty to board the car to lunch but carried on and off through the day, wherever she went the Queen was met with cheers and smiles from Lancastrians.

View our special slideshow of the Queen's visit.

Related stories:
>> Fulwood Barracks welcomes the Queen
>> Her Majesty greeted by school children
>> The Queen arrives in Preston
>> The Queen visits Preston: LEP Live coverage
>> Preston set to greet the Queen (with video)