THE Princess Royal arrived at Aldenham School in Elstree on Wednesday in a culmination of the school's year of celebrations.

Four hundred years after the school was given its patent by Queen Elizabeth I, Princess Anne, the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, joined the school in its quatercentenary celebrations.

The Princess stepped out of her private helicopter dressed in autumnal colours. In a tour of the school, which lasted more than two hours, she was given an opportunity to see pupils at work and at play.

Her first port of call after meeting headmaster Mr Stephen Borthwick and assembled dignitaries was to open the school's artificial all-weather hockey pitch.

The £315,000 cost of the pitch was raised jointly through a grant from the Sports Council and the school's 400 Appeal.

The Princess said: "I hope this pitch will live up to your expectations and I hesitate to suggest it will make you better players, but I am sure you will maintain your success and learn new skills.

"Your school has had a very interesting year and there are few schools that have 400 years of history to look back on, but now you should look to the future."

Throughout the tour, the Princess talked animatedly with pupils of all ages as she was led from class to class.

She discussed the merits of chemistry with students and saw pupils comparing tabloid and broadsheet newspaper styles in an information technology class.

The head of the English department, Mr David MacGregor, told the Princess about the school's exciting expedition to Kazakhstan.

He said: "We talked about the expedition and she even gave me some information about the wildlife there. She has been there before so we were able to share experiences.

"I had been led to believe she was very serious minded and very well informed and she lived up to expectations. We had a very pleasant conversation because we shared this common ground."

Headteacher Mr Borthwick said: "It was an absolutely superb day - we have waited 400 years to have a royal visitor." She wore a green woollen double breasted suit, with large, decorative gold buttons. Her skirt rested just above the knee and she wore black leather riding boots to complete the ensemble.

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