IT may not have been the greatest turn-out for a royal visit, but the rain did not stop three royal enthusiasts from turning up to see Princess Anne on a visit to Kent.

Carol Plowman, Joan Halligan, and Antonia Russell, all from Tonbridge, braved the wet weather on Tuesday to catch a glimpse of the Princess Royal when she visited The Princess Royal Trust for Carers centre in Tonbridge High Street.

Mrs Halligan said: "It’s a pity there weren’t more people here to see her, but I suppose they wanted to keep it quite low key. She looked lovely in such bright colours."

The Princess was greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Allan Willett, the High Sheriff of Kent, Andrew Wells, the chairman of Kent County Council, John London, the mayor of Tonbridge and Malling, Cllr Derek Still, and the director of operations at the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, Margaret Fletcher, before being given a tour of the centre and meeting the carers and those they care for.

Later she attended a Rural Housing Trust seminar in Newchurch, near Ashford, and visited a primary school in the village of Aldington, where 16 affordable homes were recently built.