Princess Anne was all smiles as she attended an NCI reception (Image: Jasmine Carey/ Express)
was all smiles this morning as she awarded long-serving volunteers for their work to help keep people safe at sea.
74, visited the National Coastwatch Station in Shoreham, West Sussex, on Thursday as patron of the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI), a charity which is run entirely by volunteers.
On arrival to the coastal town, the princess – who wore a tartan skirt with a matching coat and bright red scarf – was met by members of the public as she was led into the NCI station, which was originally built as part of the emergency coastal battery at Shoreham Fort during the Second World War.
It now serves as a lookout serving all areas of the coast between Brighton and Worthing.
On arrival at the station, the Princess Royal was welcomed by His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex Lady Emma Barnard, followed by the charity’s chair Stephen Hand and NCI Shoreham Station Manager Colin Clay.
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Her Royal Highness toured the station and found out about the highly trained volunteer watchkeepers and how they help save lives at sea using visual and radio watch, which included a chat with duty watchkeepers.
After the tour, The Princess Royal attended a reception at the nearby Shoreham Sailing Club where she presented long service awards to Mike Hobbs, who has volunteered for 15 years, alongside Tim Tuson and Craig Searle, who have both volunteered for five years.
Mike Hobbs, 85, said it was a “great honour” to be given a long service award by the Princess Royal.
Anne unveiled a plaque to commemorate the visit, which will be placed in the National Coastwatch station, before making a joke about the rainy weather and the upcoming forecast for the weekend, which she said can be a “bit of a challenge”.
The charity’s chair Stephen Hand said: “Without exception, these visits always lift our spirits and create the perfect opportunity to celebrate lifesaving work and bring together our volunteers, friends and supporters from local communities.
“She was absolutely brilliant. It it our absolute delight to have her as out patron.”
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The Princess Royal unveiled a plaque (Image: Jasmine Carey/Express)
Colin Clay, station manager for the NCI Shoreham, also revealed what the princess was like on the visit.
He told Express.co.uk: “She is very down to earth, easy to talk to and puts you at ease. She is one really lovely, nice lady.”
Before leaving, the Princess Royal signed the visitor book as she bid farewell and was thanked for her visit.