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Princess Anne visits Fermanagh in 65th NI trip

Mark SimpsonCommunity correspondent, BBC News NI
News imageBBC Princess Anne wearing a teal outfit. She is facing a woman who is wearing a purple top. There is also a man with white hair and glasses wearing a suit. BBC
Princess Anne meets CEO of Brooke House Health and Wellbeing Centre Joan Clements

Princess Anne is in County Fermanagh on her 65th visit to Northern Ireland.

Her first trip to Belfast was in 1961 when she was 10 years old.

On her latest visit, her third this year, the Princess Royal, 75, went to Brooke House Health and Wellbeing Centre near Fivemiletown.

The facility seeks to improve the physical and mental health of serving and retired members of the British armed forces, police, prison and emergency services, and their families and carers.

Princess Anne was shown around a walled garden which is used for therapy purposes as well as to grow flowers and vegetables.

News imageA man with short brown hair smiles at the camera. He is wearing a grey jumper, and is standing outside in front of flowers and a large stone wall.
Head gardener Dougal Dorman said Princess Anne seemed 'genuinely interested'

Head gardener Dougal Dorman said: "I got the sense she was genuinely interested - I think she's a gardener."

News imageA woman wearing a dark-blue blazer smiles at the camera. She has grey hair and is standing in front of a harp. Behind her are trees.
Harpist Eileen Beamish played music for the visitors

Princess Anne spent more than an hour talking to staff and clients of Brooke House.

The royal visitor was entertained by a music group which included harpist Eileen Beamish.

She was greeted on arrival by Lord Brookebrough and the chief executive of Brooke House, Joan Clements.

It was one of a number of engagements planned for the Princess Royal on her third visit to Northern Ireland this year.

"It was a wonderful honour to welcome The Princess Royal to what we are proud to describe as an oasis of peace and our sanctuary for healing," Clements said.

"We want veterans to know there is this professional organisation waiting to deliver a whole host of confidential services to help them overcome their challenges, aid recovery and develop resilience."

During her trip to Fermanagh, Princess Anne visited Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic churches in Irvinestown

As president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, she paid her respects to RAF veterans by observing moments of reflection.

She met serving RAF personnel, RAF cadets, and groups of community representatives.

The 85th anniversary of the Air Training Corps was marked.

News imagePrincess Anne wearing a teal outfit. She is standing next to a man with short brown hair wearing a grey jumper. Princess Anne is wearing sunglasses and gloves. Behind them are three people. Princess Anne and the man next to her are standing on a patch of grass in front of a stone archway. There are ushes around them.
Princess Anne with the head gardener at Brooke House, Dougal Dorman

She also visited the Castle Archdale Museum in Irvinestown, which is a former RAF site.

During the visit she watched an RAF fly past.

Wing Commander Chris Hodges, officer commanding of the RAF Cadets in Northern Ireland said it was a "great privilege" to have her visit.

"We are particularly pleased with the progress our new unit in Enniskillen has made in the last 18 months.

"Thank you to the good people of County Fermanagh for their ongoing support."

The Princess Royal concluded her visit by planting a yew tree within the grounds of Castle Archdale.

She last visited Fermanagh in 2024 when she was shown around the Erne campus of the South West College in Enniskillen.