HATHERLEIGH Town Crier Ros Chard has a date with royalty tomorrow (Friday) when she escorts the Duke of Edinburgh on his visit to North Devon to see projects which have benefitted from the Tarka Country Millennium Awards.

Ros received an award earlier this year to organise a junior town crier competition in Hatherleigh and the winner, nine-year-old James Bartle, will accompany her at the North Devon Yacht Club at Instow.

The pair will call out the traditional Oyez, Oyez, Oyez to mark the beginning of the visit where Prince Philip will see displays of working partnerships created by Tarka Country Trust and the Tarka Foundation.

Ros said it was a great privilege to be asked to be involved with this prestigious event and she was delighted to represent Hatherleigh.

It will not be her first time in the company of royalty, however, as she met the Queen when her father, Henry Carlton Chard, was awarded the MBE for services to export, and Princess Anne on several occasions.

?I am used to the protocol around royalty so it is not something I am nervous about,? said Ros. ?However, to escort the Duke of Edinburgh is a big honour for me and very exciting for James, whose parents will be coming along to watch.?

Ros, who will be wearing her late father?s MBE, is keen to carry on the tradition of town crying in Devon and at Hatherleigh Carnival on November 9 she will hold a competition for members of the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers.

The junior town crier?s competition in July attracted 20 young hopefuls from Hatherleigh Primary School.

Ros will also be accompanied at the North Devon Yacht Club by her dog ?Millie the Magnificent? and they both will be dressed in robes made by the Hatherleigh community.