The Princess Royal visited Leeds, and the surrounding area of Yorkshire on Thursday, less than 24 hours after inclement weather caused her visit to the north-east of England to be postponed.
Princess Anne had been due to formally open two sports centres in Banff and Macduff and attend a private event at Duff House on Wednesday, but a dignitary had to step in when it emerged that it was too windy for the royal helicopter plane to land at RAF Lossiemouth. Buckingham Palace released a statement saying: “The engagements with regret had to be postponed but will be reinstated at the earliest opportunity.”
Yesterday, The Princess Royal spent the day in West Yorkshire, visiting a number of successful local organisations & businesses. pic.twitter.com/FVRSIkBh5H
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) January 26, 2018
However, the weather in Yorkshire held up, as the 67-year-old Princess carried out multiple engagements including visiting a cheesemonger and a scratch card manufacturer in Leeds.
The Queen’s only daughter first headed to Ginetta Cars, in Garforth. They received a royal visit in their 60th year; the company makes race cars.
princess anne at ginetta cars (royal family)
She then moved on, and was greeted by cheering crowds and children as she arrived at Cryer and Stott in Castleford, which started off as a market stall selling milk and cheddar. Anne met Sir Gary Verity, who represents the Tour de Yorkshire, which is set to pass through the area. The Princess then spoke to staff and schoolchildren.
Cryer and Stott owner Richard Holmes felt honoured to be visited by Princess Anne. He said: “To be personally chosen for the visit because of our success and innovation as a small family-run company is fantastic!”
Her Royal Highness Princess Anne is in Yorkshire today visiting the delicious @CryerandStott cheesemonger as they celebrate their 20th anniversary, welcome to Yorkshire! #RoyalThursday pic.twitter.com/27S7mFvU4y
— Welcome to Yorkshire (@Welcome2Yorks) January 25, 2018
The business employs 20 staff across three retail outlets and supports over 300 local producers. Here, the Royal tried some of the company’s blue cheese, which they later tweeted she ‘thoroughly enjoyed’.
Baroness Rona Fairhead, Minister for Trade and Exports at the Department for International Trade remarked: “Cryer and Stott are a wonderful example of a local business that has seen great success both at home and internationally. The Princess Royal’s visit is a testament to this.”
The Princess Royal also visited Leeds-based ‘Scientific Games’, to celebrate 40 years of lottery instant game design and production in Yorkshire. Scientific Games is the largest supplier of instant games in the world, with five facilities across four continents, providing innovative games and technologies to over 150 lottery services worldwide.
Her Royal Highness was accompanied by the local High Sheriff, as she was greeted by Scientific Games employees and the President of the World Lottery Association, Jean-Luc Moner-Banet. Anne toured the state-of-the-art facility while learning about the design and production process of games enjoyed in the UK and Europe.
At Scientific Games International, The Princess Royal received a tour of the factory & met a number of the staff. This year the company is celebrating 40 years of production in Yorkshire. pic.twitter.com/Idktq5AtvN
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) January 26, 2018
At the end of the visit, the royal guest unveiled a permanent plaque, which follows Scientific Games being presented with The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category in 2005.
Kevin Anderson, Vice President, International Business Development, Scientific Games said; “We were extremely honoured to host The Princess Royal, and the visit recognises the dedication of our talented team of designers, technologists and manufacturing professionals here at Scientific Games Leeds over the last 40 years. With an interest in the National Lottery good causes through her numerous charity patronages, it was a pleasure to show her first hand the fascinating processes and science that is involved in the creation of modern instant games.”
Princess Anne’s final stop of her day in Leeds was at Leeds College of Building on the Hunslet Campus, near the city centre. The college is the only specialist further and higher education construction college in the UK.
princess anne unveiled a plaque at leeds college of building (royal family)
Princess Anne also unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion of her visit.
Unusually, the day didn’t consist of visiting a patronage for The Princess Royal.
