Princess Anne made a flying visit to Macclesfield to formally open the Fermain Academy.
The Queen’s daughter flew in by helicopter landing at the King’s School‘s playing fields, ahead of her trip to the free school for pupils with behavioural and attendance problems.
She formally opened the academy on Oxford Road which started teaching its cohort of boys and girls in September last year.
The Princess Royal then returned to the Westminster Road field to fly on to Crewe to open a new confectionary line at Wright’s Foods and a new production line at Bentley.
A number of King’s pupils abandoned their half-term plans to meet Princess Anne, 66, whose first thought was for the affect of the helicopter’s propeller.
Kate Marsh, 17, from Macclesfield, said: “She said she was surprised anyone had turned up to meet her during half term and that she hoped my hair hadn’t been ruined by the helicopter.”
“I told her not to worry about my hair and that I would not have missed the opportunity.
“It was a real honour and it was wonderful to see someone of such standing taking such an interest in the local community.”
Dr Simon Hyde, King’s headmaster, said: “Her Royal Highness was not too concerned about my hair, but she did want to know what activities the school was doing through half term and I was able to briefly tell her about our Sixth Form exchange trip to Germany, the Year 11 trip to Paris and the Duke of Edinburgh’s awards student expeditions in Yorkshire.”
It is the third time the Royal Flight has used the King’s Westminster Road playing fields in the last decade with Prince Edward, his wife Sophie the Countess of Wessex and Princess Anne all previously landing on what are normally rugby and cricket pitches for their trips to Macclesfield.
Daniel Crosby, 17, from Congleton, was also in the party of students greeting the Princes Anne, said: “I will remember this day for the rest of my life and I feel deeply honoured to have been chosen to represent the school.”
Michael Abrahamse, 17, from Tytherington, added: “She is so hard working. She had three official functions for Monday, and apparently maintains that level of work day in day out, and what concerned her most was hair styles. It was a lovely moment for us all.”
