MORE than 160 soldiers from Hampshire’s own regiment, the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, will march through Winchester later this month.

Hundreds of people are expected to line the streets to celebrate the event, similar to when thousands lined the roads of Southampton and Romsey to welcome the soldiers back to their homeground in 2009.

Among them is likely to be dozens of local schoolchildren who are being encouraged to witness the spectacle.

The parade on Monday, July 22 takes place under the right of Freedom of Entry, an ancient privilege that allows some regiments to parade through the city with “bayonets fixed, drums beating and colours flying”.

The regiment, nicknamed The Tigers, was formed in 1992 when the Royal Hampshire Regiment amalgamated with the Queen’s Regiment.

The event has been arranged jointly by the city council and the regiment to celebrate its return from Afghanistan.

The grand event will start from the Peninsula Barracks at noon and will see the soldiers marching down the High Street to The Broadway.

The parade will halt in front of the Guildhall and form up for inspection and speeches at 12.10pm. There will be around 160 soldiers marching and the Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers.

After the presentation the parade will march around King Alfred statue and back along the lower High Street before a reception at the Guildhall.

The presentation and reception will involve the mayor, Ernie Jeffs, the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire and High Steward of Winchester, Dame Mary Fagan, together with other civic and military VIPs, councillors, soldiers, families of the regiment and invited guests.

The Broadway will be closed to traffic from early morning on July 22 until 3pm and roads joining the High Street area will be closed for a short time during the parade.

The march is the biggest in the city since the Homecoming Parade in June 2010 for a battle group that had served in Helmand province in Afghanistan.