THE Princess Royal was in Malvern yesterday visiting the Malvern Spring Gardening Show in its 25th anniversary year.

It was a cold day and the princess, dressed in a green double-breasted coat with a dark green velvet collar, needed her umbrella when it started to rain during her tour of the show.

In a busy schedule she visited exhibitors in the event’s enormous flower marquee, viewed floral art displays in the showground’s Avon Hall and met and chatted with designers in the show gardens.

She also found time to meet the showground staff, laughing and chatting with office staff and groundsmen.

Sharon Gilbert, press officer for organisers the Three Counties Agricultural Society (TCAS), said: “She was lovely. She took the trouble to talk to the staff and seemed genuinely interested in everyone. I think she really made the day for everyone she spoke to.”

Princess Anne arrived at the Three Counties Showground at about 11am at the wheel of a Range Rover.

After meeting local dignitaries the princess toured the 25th Malvern Spring Gardening Show with the TCAS president James Hervey-Bathhurst, of Eastnor Castle, near Ledbury.

Princess Anne first visited the event 25 years ago, the year that it started life as a small regional flower show.

Doreen Smillie, the show’s manager, said: “The Princess Royal is no stranger to the Malvern showground and we’re delighted that she chose to visit us in this special anniversary year.”

During her visit to the floral marquee the princess met people who have been exhibiting since day one of the show. They included David Matthewman, who had created a 25th anniversary birthday ‘cake’ from sweet peas.

Viewing the floral art exhibition she admired the Best in Show display by Arnaud Metairie, a naturalistic piece featuring flowers growing around a wooden swing.

Relaxed and at ease and ignoring the weather Princess Anne spent some time looking around the show gardens, including the Time Machine Garden created by students from Holme Lacy College, near Hereford, complete with a greenhouse made from plastic bottles.

She also viewed the Recovery and Wellbeing Garden which has been created by designer Mark Eveleigh, of Colwall, near Malvern, and awarded gold by the Royal Horticultural Society.

The princess met Mr Eveleigh’s 10-year-old daughter Daisy, and son Hamish, seven, who had been given the day off school specially to attend the show.

Daisy said: “The princess was nice. She wanted to know if I was helping look after the chickens.”

Princess Anne also chatted to garden designer Craig Hamilton-Smith at the Morgan Garden where two Malvern-made Morgan sports cars were parked on a drive.

He said: “It was lovely to talk to her. She was very interested in the garden and how I had got interested in gardening.”

At the end of her visit the princess stopped in the 25th anniversary show garden where Malcolm Hodges, who was president of the TCAS 25 years ago, presented her with a framed floral batik print.

Mr Hodges said: “The princess congratulated me as one of the people who got the show started 25 years ago and she said it would soon be equal with Chelsea.”