TWO pupils from a boarding school near Odiham had a memorable meeting with a member of the Royal Family.

GCSE pupils Emilie MacVean and Luca Capelle, from Lord Wandsworth College, in Long Sutton, met The Princess Royal at an event in London.

They gave a speech to guests at the party, which was organised by the Royal National Children’s Foundation, for which Princess Anne is a patron.

The charity works with the school’s charitable arm, the Lord Wandsworth Foundation, which helps children who have lost the support of a parent through death, divorce or separation by providing a place at the boarding school.

Around 10 per cent of pupils receive financial support from the foundation to help pay towards schools fees.

Both pupils talked about the challenges they faced growing up and their current life at Lord Wandsworth, before chatting to Princess Anne. They were joined by former pupil Teige Maddison, who is now at university having taken completed his A-levels.

The talks come at a time of increased debate about the charitable status of private schools and their co-operation with the state sector.

Headteacher Fergus Livingstone said: “The benefits of boarding school are becoming more widely recognised among a broad range of people and organisations.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to share this insight into the ways in which our foundation makes a real difference to all the students in our school.”