The Princess Royal was given a red-carpet welcome by pupils in traditional dress on her second day in Papua New Guinea as part of her tour marking the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Anne started the day at Caritas Technical Secondary School, a Catholic boarding school for 700 girls in Port Moresby, where she was presented with flowers and given a tour of the facilities including the cooking laboratory and the gymnasium.
Wearing a narrow-striped sand-tone two-piece pantsuit, the princess offered the seated pupils inside the gymnasium some advice while also expressing her gratitude for the welcome.
In comments carried by local media outlet Loop PNG, Anne said the school was a place where pupils could build their skills and options for life as adults.
“But it’s also about enjoying being part of the educational process, making new friends and respecting one another wherever you might come from,” she added.
“So, my congratulations to this school and all of you who have been part of it over the years. And a particular thank you for the way in which you have celebrated Her Majesty’s Jubilee.”
Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, landed in Port Moresby on Monday evening after a weekend of engagements in Australia, including opening the 200th Sydney Royal Easter Show on Saturday.
They were greeted on the tarmac of Jacksons International Airport by Prime Minister James Marape, and Anne was presented with a garland of flowers before she inspected a guard of honour.
After visiting Caritas on Tuesday, the princess and her husband were scheduled to tour Papua New Guinea with visits to St John Ambulance, the Bomana War Cemetery, Adventure Park Papua New Guinea and the National Museum and Art Gallery.
She will also open a Women’s Resource Centre at Vabukori Village and the National Cardiac Diagnostic Centre at Port Moresby General Hospital, and will meet elders and community leaders at Hanuabada Village.
Anne will conclude the two-day tour with a dinner with Mr Marape and representatives from the charity sector and business groups.
It comes after the Queen and the royal family on Saturday marked the first anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh’s death.
