MONMOUTHSHIRE welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge yesterday, St David’s Day, when they paid a visit to a farm on the outskirts of Abergaven and then visited Abergavenny market.

William and Kate met farmers Gary and Jess Yeomans at their Pant Farm where they breed goats.

The royal couple spent 40 minutes looking around the g farm which has been providing goats milk to a local cheese producer for nearly 20 years.

Their Royal Highnesses during their tour of the farm heard from Gary and Jess Yeomans about the challenges and opportunities faced by the sector and how the farm works with local industries and services.

The Duke and Duchess also met with representatives of the wider farming sector, both in Wales and across the UK, as well as those secondarily employed by the industry to gain a better understanding of how the agricultural sector underpins so much of the local economy. Following their time at Pant Farm, the royal couple were met by hundreds of cheering crowds who had waited in the bitter cold to greet William and Kate.

Local schoolchildren dressed in traditional Welsh outfits waved flags as they lined up outside the market hall.

Both William and Kate looked delighted to meet the youngsters and stopped to have a chat with the children.

Kate had a small posy of yellow daffodils and at one point William was handed a box of goods.

The delighted crowds started gathering hours before the couple arrived in the town but their wait was worthwhile as after touring the inside stalls and meeting local stallholders the couple made sure they made their way along the crowds to chat to people whose wait was rewarded with close up photographs and a quick word and a smile.

The royals then went on to visit Blaenavon Hwb, a community-focused youth centre.

that helps to support over 600 local young people.