THE Earl of Wessex surprised two friends having a quiet cup of tea yesterday when he wandered into a cafe during his royal visit to Uplands School.

Blunsdon residents Richard Todd, 46, and Gina McDonald, 66, were enjoying a pot a tea in Uplands Charity shop and café next door when the Prince strolled in.

“Shock, horror,” the Earl joked as he saw the surprise on their faces. “You thought you had come in for a quiet tea.”

Gina said: “I was gobsmacked. It was absolutely brilliant. I love the royal family and it is a pleasure to have met him.”

Earlier the Earl had found himself wrestling with a curtain as he tried to unveil a plaque on his visit to mark 60 years of the Duke of Edinburgh award.

It took a couple of tugs before the plaque was finally revealed and despite it not going as smoothly as the Earl may have hoped, he was still all smiles.

“That was a challenge,” he joked to the students, staff and a group of dignitaries, including Mayor of Swindon Andrew Bennett and the High Sheriff of Wiltshire, Lady Gooch, who were gathered in the school hall.

The 52-year-old, who celebrated his birthday last week, had a busy morning and spoke and shook hands with excited students and staff who gathered to meet him waving flags.

One of the students who spoke to him was 18-year-old Gemma. She said: “He asked what music we do and I said singing and playing the drums. I was excited to see him and I was waving and cheering.”

The Earl’s visit was to celebrate the success the Duke of Edinburgh award is having on the youngsters at the special school in Tadpole Lane.

The award helps people aged 14 to 24 achieve different goals and skills through things such as playing music to going on night walks.

The Earl was given a tour by the Upland’s Duke of Edinburgh’s coordinator Rebecca Davies and executive headteacher Jackie Smith before tucking into some sandwiches for lunch.

Students Louis and Spencer also showed off their trampolining skills, however it was not enough to tempt the Earl to have a go himself. But he did give in to some toe-tapping and clapping when the school’s Duke of Edinburgh’s band played a medley of Queen songs, as well as Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger.

After being handed a piece of art by students, he said: “Thank you very much indeed for everything and well done everyone. Thank you to the school for giving the children the opportunity to do the Duke of Edinburgh’s award. I wish you the very best of luck.”

Headteacher Deirdre Fitzpatrick said: “It has been a really honour and he was great with the children.

“The DoE is an absolutely fabulous organisation and even more fabulous that schools such as ours, which has students with the most severe learning difficulties, can get involved.”