Princess Anne returns to former boarding school and it's super impressive

The Princess Royal took a trip down memory lane on Thursday as she visited her former school in Kent.

Princess Anne, now 73, attended Benenden School in Kent in the 1960s, and recalled happy memories from her school days during her public as she attended the Centenary Global Conference "Inspiring Future Female Leaders".

The royal, dressed elegantly in a tartan coat with red pocket and button detailing, was the final speaker of the conference.

A Facebook post shared by Benenden school stated: "Our final speaker of the Inspiring Future Female Leaders conference was none other than HRH The Princess Royal – Benenden Senior and head of the Benenden Society.

"Her speech touched on the changing nature of leadership in the social media age, the role of education in instilling skills for life beyond academic measures and what leadership looks like in the public eye.

"She shared memories and experiences from her school days, her life as a member of The Royal Family and from her many contributions to myriad organisations and charities."

Anne was educated privately at home during the earliest years of her schooling, as was tradition for the royal family at the time, but at the age of 13, she was sent to the independent boarding school.   

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See more royals on their first day at school in the clip below...

In an interview with Vanity Fair in 2020, Anne said: "I was ready to go to school. I had a governess and two friends and that was never going to be enough, really, so I was only too pleased to be sent off somewhere else."

She added: "I think boarding school has been demonised by some when in fact it’s a very important aspect to have available and many children actually thrive in it."

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Anne left the school in 1968 with six GCS O-Levels and two A-Levels, and began to undertake royal engagements at the age of 18.

The Princess isn't the only royal alumni - Princess Alia bint Al Hussein and Princess Basma bint Talal of Jordan were both educated at Benenden, as well as Princess Benedikte of Denmark.

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The school is based in a Victorian country house set in 250 acres of beautiful gardens and woodland.

It boasts sports and leisure facilities, including an all-weather pitch for hockey and tennis, a 25-metre swimming pool, a theatre and a science centre.

Boarding fees for the 2023 to 2024 school year are £15,800 per term. Fees for day students are £11,860 per term.

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