BLACKPOOL and Lytham St Annes laid out the red carpet for a Royal visitor on Monday.

The Duke of Kent visited the towns' RNLI stations to meet the staff, volunteers and their families who crew the lifeboats, administer the lifeboat stations and fundraise for the charity in the area.

The Duke has been president of the RNLI since 1969 and last visited these stations in 1983. The chairman of the RNLI, Peter Nicholson, and the chief executive, Andrew Freemantle accompanied the Duke throughout.

On Monday morning the Duke arrived at Lytham lifeboat station to be met by the Lord Lieutenant and other local dignitaries. He met RNLI members and managers and visited the lifeboat museum to view the 150th anniversary display.

During an official lunch the Duke presented honorary secretary Frank Kilroy with a 150th anniversary vellum. In the afternoon the Duke moved up to Blackpool's South Shore to meet members including Keith Horrocks who looks after the RNLI's first interactive visitor centre, which was built as part of an operational lifeboat station and attracts around five million visitors each year.

The Duke also met devoted Blackpool RNLI member Terence Rogers, who got a double dose of royalty this week when he met the Duke on Monday (July 23) and went down to Buckingham Palace on Wednesday (July 25).

Terence was invited to a royal garden party at the palace in the presence of the Queen in recognition of his 19 years of loyal service to the RNLI.

Terence, his wife Karen and daughter Laura were among 41 lifeboatmen, station personnel, fundraisers and RNLI staff who have been chosen to attend in recognition of their long service to the RNLI. Terence joined the Blackpool lifeboat crew in March 1982 and retired in February this year.

Since then he has become a shore helper at Blackpool lifeboat station. Terence has been given several awards, including the RNLI velum award and two Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society Awards, one for the rescue of a 12-year-old boy and the other for rescuing a girl aged eight.

Terence says he's always wanted to be part of the lifeboat crew. "It's just something I was aware of as a child. I remember walking round the lifeboat station several years ago and it seemed like a natural thing to go into. It's a privilege to be connected with the RNLI."