A Royal Prize Day
Categories: News, Events
The Royal School was honoured to host Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal at their annual Prize Day on Friday, 30 June.
The Princess Royal presented academic and achievement awards to pupils and gave a thought-provoking speech, highlighting that the skills and behaviours nurtured at school prepare students for a modern world beyond the classroom, where artificial intelligence is increasingly prominent. The Princess Royal also recognised that The School had undergone a lot of change since her last visit to the Haslemere site six years ago and continues to adapt to an ever-changing society.
After the ceremony, The Princess Royal spent time meeting staff, governors, parents and pupils before departing past rows of students from The Royal Prep School and The Royal Senior School who formed a guard of honour, waving Union flags.
Head boy, Hugo, and his parents, Anthony and Angela Kennedy, were amongst the party who were invited to meet The Princess Royal after the presentation. Hugo said, “It was a great honour to welcome our President, The Princess Royal, to The School and to be able to talk to her about what a special place it is. Princess Anne was particularly interested in the forward-thinking Future Ready curriculum as well as the steps The School is taking to be more eco-friendly. I felt privileged to be able to tell her what The School has done for me, in terms of building my confidence, which has resulted in me being appointed head boy."
Mrs Kennedy added, “The whole afternoon was truly special and we made memories we’ll cherish forever. The Princess Royal showed such warmth, genuine interest and care for The Royal School and its wonderful young people. We especially loved that she took the time to talk to each student when she gave them their prizes. She also smiled so warmly at each student as they walked off the stage.”
The Royal School has maintained a strong relationship with The Royal Family since its foundation in 1840 as a school for the daughters of naval officers. Queen Victoria was a founding donor and HM Queen Elizabeth II became Patron upon her accession to the throne in 1952, continuing in the role until her death in 2022. Princess Anne was passed the Presidency from her uncle, Lord Mountbatten of Burma in 1975. She has visited The School several times since and last attended Prize Day in 2017.