Leeds Castle has been host to plenty of royalty in its time.

The latest in a long line to visit was HRH Princess Alexandra, patron of the Leeds Castle Foundation, who attended today to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

The last private owner of the castle, the Hon. Olive, Lady Baillie, made it her lifelong love and ensured that after her death in 1974, it would be enjoyed by people from all over the world.

Since the foundation was set up, the castle has become one of the most visited historic buildings in the country.

While at the picturesque setting, the Princess officially opened The Gatehouse exhibition, viewed the new exhibition centre display rooms, met long-serving staff and attended an education workshop with students from Leeds and Broomfield Village Primary School.

The Gatehouse exhibition is a 15-minute walk through for visitors into the history of the 900-year-old castle. It includes a computer-generated fly-through history from its 12th century origins as a stone fortress to a 20th century retreat.

She also took a tour of the new exhibition centre, which opened in June, featuring two display rooms with its current exhibitions A Dog’s Life at Leeds Castle and Henry VIII and the Royal Armour Workshops at Greenwich.

Youngsters from Leeds and Broomfield primary had a special visit during an education workshop