THE Duke of York will pay a flying visit to York and North Yorkshire today to highlight the region's economic success - and its rich cultural heritage.

As well as making the case for boosting international trade and investment, the duke will take time out of his schedule to officially open a new gallery at a rural museum.

Speaking at York's St William's College, the duke will outline the work done by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), and pay tribute to Yorkshire's lawyers and their contribution to the local economy.

Meanwhile, the picturesque village of Hutton-le-Hole, in the North York Moors, was "abuzz" as residents prepared for the duke's arrival.

The duke will spend the morning at the village's Ryedale Folk Museum, visiting the site, speaking to members of staff, local school children - and unveiling a plaque at a new state-of-the-art gallery and exhibition centre there.

Andrew Dalton, the museum's gallery manager, said: "It's a very exciting visit for us. "The gallery opened its doors in November 2005, and we have been waiting for a convenient time when a member of the royal family would be able to come and officially open it."

Mr Dalton said: "The whole village is abuzz. It is always an honour to have a royal visit us, and it's a great opportunity for other people around the country to see what goes on in this small village in the North York Moors."

This afternoon, the duke - who is the UK's Special Representative for international trade and investment - is expected to speak at the Yorkshire Union of Law Societies' biennial lunch. The duke will talk about the role solicitors can play to encourage their business clients to access UKTI's services.

Yesterday, the duke hailed the UK's science base as "making new strides every day to rank it amongst the best in the world" at an information, communication and technology conference in Cambridge.

Updated: 09:51 Wednesday, May 17, 2006