Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, arrived in Salisbury for the unveiling of a special plaque honouring inter-faith communities.

The poignancy of the event was highlighted by the Duchess being welcomed to Salisbury by Salisbury’s first-ever Muslim mayor in its 800-year history.

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The Duchess was presented with a bouquet of flowers by the schoolchildren of Pembroke Park Primary School before chatting with them and the pupils of St Joseph's Catholic School, both of which were specially invited for the event.

Samantha Barratt, 33, head of languages at St Joseph's, who helped escort the pupils to the Guildhall Square, said this was her first royal event despite growing up near the royal residence.

She said: “I’m quite lucky because I grew up in Maidenhead, which is right next to Windsor, so we kind of used to see the Queen kind of driving around on the estate a little bit but this is like the first official meeting.”

Toni Hayzen, 37, head teacher of Pembroke Park Primary School, said: “The children have been very excited to come and meet a royal. It’s like a once-in-a-lifetime thing, really.”

The crowd was large considering the short notice the public was given of Duchess Sophie’s appearance. Dozens turned out after learning of the occasion less than 24 hours ahead of time.

The Duchess then unveiled the plaque beneath a new magnolia tree that is to be planted at Queen Elizabeth Gardens in the autumn.

During her visit to Wiltshire, the Duchess also visited various venues in Shrewton, Downton and Bulford.