The Princess Royal paid a visit to the Tank Museum ahead of today’s Royal wedding.

She attended Bovington Tank Museum yesterday to open its new workshops and inspect a newly restored tank named in her honour.

The workshops are the fourth phase of the museum’s redevelopment which has received £14m in funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund over the last 12 years.

The workshops have been used to restore a Second World War Matilda II tank, which has been named ‘The Princess Royal.’

On arrival, Her Royal Highness was given a tour of the new workshops and met the engineers behind the tank’s restoration, before addressing attendants.

Speaking about the new workshops, she said: “Can I just add my congratulations to all involved, this has been a really interesting process watching this tank museum develop and grow, but this part of the process, this building, really does add enormously to your ability to maintain the collection in any way you really want to. And thank you for including so much in the educational package for STEM, for apprentices, for internships to take full advantage of what you have to offer here, although I can’t help feel that some of them you will have real difficulty getting them out of here.”

She added: “But my congratulations to all those involved, the volunteers, the staff that run it, it’s difficult to do when you’ve got building on the place, and all those that have contributed to the success of this museum and raising its profile not just across Dorset but worldwide. And for those of you considerably more computer literate than I am, that’s the place to go apparently, I wish you all the best in the future. This building is very much about the future and I wish you well.”

Bovington Tank Museum chairman Peter Gilchrist said: “These workshops will help us to preserve these vehicles, restore the ones that have not been restored yet, and there are a lot there, and to make sure they’re available for future generations.”

Pupils' delight

A number of year 6 pupils who are involved in the museum’s STEM club, where given the opportunity to meet The Princess Royal during the event.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and maths and is a monthly after school club aimed at high achieving pupils in the Purbeck area.

Students from 11 primary schools were in with a chance of meeting Her Royal Highness, and those lucky enough to attend where picked at random.

Speaking before meeting Her Royal Highness, Alexander Wright, aged 10, from St Mary and St Joseph’s Primary School in Wool, said: “I am excited, but nervous because it’s not every day get to see royalty.”

Adelaide Miller, aged 10, who also attends St Mary and St Joseph’s Primary School, said: “I am excited but then I am a bit nervous, you don’t really see them every day or speak to them.”

Both pupils added that they’re excited to watch the Royal Wedding today.

Imogen Bessant, who attends St Mary’s and St Joseph’s Primary School, said she was pleased to meet the princess and added: “Before I met her I felt kind of nervous because there was a lot of police and police cars around, but after I met her I felt relaxed, it wasn’t as bad as I thought."

Llellyn Fisher-Thomas aged 11, who attends St George’s C of E Primary School in Langton Matravers, said: “At first I was quite scared I didn’t want to make myself look silly in front of a princess.

“I thought she would be quite scary, but she was nice and asked us if we have lots of toy soldiers and tanks.”