THE Princess Royal visited Worcester to mark the 10th anniversary of the Worcestershire Association of Carers and officially open the Fairfield campus.

Wearing brown shoes, a beige suit with red cheque, brown gloves and a neck scarf, Princess Anne's first stop today was St Peter's Baptist Church, in St Peter's Drive where she was presented with a posy of yellow roses by three-year-old Grace Harry before meeting focus groups of carers.

The princess sat with each focus group for five minutes speaking to them about their experiences and concerns of being a carer. The groups debated what would improve their lives as carers; how the training of health staff could be improved to recognise their needs as carers; and the issues surrounding discharge from hospital.

Maggie Parker, carers group coordinator, said: "The Princess was lovely, very charming and easy to talk to. She was quite clever and had definitely got a sense of fun, we all felt very comfortable with her."

It was then time for Her Royal Highness to cut the association's birthday cake. Addressing an audience of more than 200 carers, she said: "Thank you for what you have done. In the last 10 years I am sure there are a lot of carers who would not have come forward and helped had it not been for your association."

From the Baptist Church, the Princess travelled to Fairfield Community Primary School, Brickfields, to officially open the Fairfield campus. As she entered the school hall the students greeted the Princess with a chorus of "Good morning your Royal Highness" and started singing a song composed specially for the visit.

Princess Anne was presented with a posy of white roses by 10-year-old Grant Attwood and then unveiled a plaque and signed the visitors book.

Headmaster Alex Wall, said: "The children have been fantastic, we have had a weeks study about the Royal family so they knew who to look for. The new school is a great improvement, it is clean, tidy and well equipped."

In the late 1990s the school, formerly called Elbury Mount Primary School, was rated the 13th worst primary school in England and it had decreased in size from 400 to 134 pupils in five years. The new school opened in June 2006 after substantial redevelopment and the now for the first time in years the nursery and reception classes are over subscribed.