Western Isle of Man town to welcome Princess Anne

The Isle of Man is set to welcome the Princess Royal as she visits a refurbished cathedral as well as an exhibition celebrating the RNLI's Manx roots.

Princess Anne will start her visit at a service of thanksgiving in Peel, marking a milestone in the Cathedral Isle of Man refurbishment project she is patron of.

She is then scheduled to view the All at Sea Exhibition marking the 200th anniversary of the RNLI at the House of Manannan nearby.

Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer said the visit would "allow us to highlight the Island's community spirit, heritage and culture".

Crowds are expected to gather at each location, however the government has warned some road closures and restrictions will be in place for the one-day visit.

Closures and parking suspensions will be in place on East Quay and Atholl Street during the visit, which will start shortly after 11:30 BST at the cathedral.

The service, which will be attended by 350 invited guests, will she the princess unveil an engraved floor stone celebrating the £2m restoration project .

Princess Anne will then meet some of the donors, project architects and engineers who have been involved in the building's reordering.

That will be followed by a guided tour of the All at Sea Exhibition at about 13:15, which highlights the influence shipwrecks in Manx waters had on Sir William Hillary's founding of the maritime lifesaving organisation.

Representatives from the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, the fishing and farming industries, RNLI, and local businesses and community organisations will be present at the quayside museum.

Chief Minister Alfred Cannan said the Manx community would give the princess "another warm welcome", with many people "looking forward to a special day to mark the reordering of the cathedral and the bicentenary of the RNLI".