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Rosy glow: Princess Anne spends a day in the gardens on whistle-stop visit to NI
Chats: The Princess Royal with Colin Dickson among the roses at Hillsborough
The Princess Royal meeting guests and volunteers at Antrim Castle Gardens yesterday. Credit: Stephen Hamilton
The Princess Royal meeting guests and volunteers at Antrim Castle Gardens yesterday
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The Princess Royal viewed centenary roses grown to mark Northern Ireland’s centenary on a whistle-stop visit yesterday.
Princess Anne began her one-day visit at the picturesque Antrim Castle Gardens.
Her Royal Highness met with the gardening team and the Friends of Antrim Castle Gardens volunteers. She presented them with their Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service during the visit in recognition of their role in community life in south Antrim.
She also met with council staff who have been recognised for their work during the Covid-19 crisis.
On a tour of the public gardens, Princess Anne learnt about projects being taken forward by the council to mark the centenary.
Later she travelled to Hillsborough Castle, attending a reception where she met people from across Northern Ireland who are involved in a range of voluntary and charitable activities.
Among the attendees were healthcare professionals who played a key role in the response to the pandemic.
The Princess Royal was introduced to key representatives overseeing projects marking the centenary.
In the castle’s gardens, she met with Colin Dickson, breeder of the centenary rose, and viewed the flower which is currently being grown in the Granville Garden. She was presented with the centenary rose pin.
During a tour of the wider grounds and visitors centre, she also met gardening staff who have maintained the gardens during the lockdown period.
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