CROWDS of well-wishers lined up in sunshine to catch a glimpse of the first royals to visit the Three Counties Show for four years.

Speaking exclusively to the Evening News, the Earl and Countess of Wessex said their day yesterday had been "wonderful".

"It's been marvellous," said the Earl.

The Countess described the Malvern event as a "wonderful show".

"There's a lot of enterprise going on here, despite being in the middle of such hard times," she added.

The couple arrived by helicopter before being driven to meet Three Counties president Sally Clive.

They were quickly lead to the Herefordshire Village to see first hand the county's long, slow recovery from foot-and-mouth.

From there, they toured the Regional Foods and Rural Stress Information Network marquees, meet Worcestershire Young Farmers and presented awards to long serving agricultural workers.

Little Alexia Kyriazi presented the Countess with a posy at the start of the three-hour visit.

"She said she hadn't seen me for a very long time," said the seven-year-old, whose mum Sarah Davenport works for cancer charity the Haven Trust, of which the Countess is a trustee.

"It was nice seeing her again."

Sue Harling, wife of Herefordshire Council chairman Peter Harling, met the couple at the Herefordshire Village.

"Sophie said she knew Herefordshire quite well," she said. "She said she liked it very much."

"It's marvellous to see them here today," added her husband. "We need all the promotion we can get".

The couple, flanked by four security guards, collected brochures as they chatted to craftspeople in the marquees, quizzing them about the impact of foot-and-mouth.

"It isn't the first time I've met her," said Geoffrey Ball, of Herefordshire sausage makers, Brother Geoffrey.

"I would've given them a sausage to try, but they're not quite cooked yet."

Diana Palmer, co-ordinator for Herefordshire Farmers Market, presented them with a hamper of honey and stuffed Hereford Bull.

Even the Young Farmers played their part with 20-year-old Becky Mussell rehearsing Britney Spears smash hit Oh Baby Baby for the talent competition on Sunday.

"It was really nerve-wracking singing in front of them, but they were really nice," she said.

But for seven-year-olds John Ade and James Longmore, from Hanley Swan Primary, chocolate ice creams were much more appealing.

"My sister has met the Queen said John. "Now I don't feel so left out."

Show chief executive Chris Milne said the couple had shown enormous interest.

"It's meant an awful lot to the show having them here," he added. "It will have provided a great deal of hope for the people in the countryside."