His Royal Highness Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (pictured) visited the Isle of Wight on Tuesday 3rd July 2012.
The Duke of Gloucester is the most senior male line descendent of Queen Victoria, and carries out a number of royal engagements on behalf of his cousin Queen Elizabeth II.
In the morning, HRH visited the Royal Victoria Arcade in Ryde, which was opened in 1836, to view renovation work and meet representatives from organisations involved in the project. His Royal Highness was shown the new Rotunda, the first part of the arcade to be restored and unveiled a plaque to commemorate the visit.
He also visited Ryde Heritage Centre, which is located below the arcade, and was shown interesting artefacts from the Victorian era.
In the afternoon, HRH visited Osborne House to present Queen’s Awards for Voluntary Service to two local voluntary organisations.
Representatives from the Friends of Shanklin Theatre and Isle of Wight Steam Railway (pictured) gathered together in the Council Room at Osborne House to accept Queen’s Awards which recognise their valuable work within the Island community.
The Duke who is renowned for his special interest in railway preservation and the arts spent a great deal of time chatting to the Queen’s Award recipients.
Following a tour of Osborne House and meeting staff who work in the historic property, HRH took a stroll down to Queen Victoria’s private beach. Later this month, visitors to Osborne House will be allowed access to the beach for the very first time. Read more here…
A photo gallery of the Queen’s Awards presentation can be viewed here www.wightphoto.com/queensawardsosborne
All Images: Copyright Isle of Wight Photo Agency.
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