AN Eastleigh art gallery with a royal name received a royal visit yesterday as the town rolled out the red carpet for the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

The royal couple stopped off during a whistle-stop tour of south Hampshire to officially open the latest exhibition at the Beatrice Royal Contemporary Art and Craft Gallery.

It was a big moment for Anjelica Cleaver, a seven-year-old pupil at Sherbourne House School, Chandler's Ford, who presented a special posy to the countess.

With the royal schedule running slightly late, Anjelica had patiently waited for the royal couple to sweep through the doors of the gallery in Nightingale Avenue which nestles in the heart of The Aviary estate.

But Anjelica nearly missed the opportunity of crowning her day with a photo opportunity.

For after performing her royal duty she was about to return promptly to the VIP line-up of guests greeting the royals.

She was summoned back by Sophie, who said: "Don't go away. I am sure everyone wants a photograph of you."

So with Edward and Sophie beside her, Anjelica beamed a big smile to the battery of cameras.

Art gallery chiefs are hoping that the royal visit will help to establish the Beatrice Royal as a gallery of national importance in its field.

The earl was keen to hear how the gallery had put down its roots in Eastleigh and he was given the story by the man whose entrepreneurial skills laid the foundations.

Opened in 1994, the gallery is owned by the Tramman Trust, a charity set up by former DIY king David Quayle after the sale of the Chandler's Ford-based B&Q empire.

Mr Quayle told the earl how the gallery had been created from a former church building and how help from lottery funds had boosted the project.

After officially opening the "Word and Works" Christmas exhibition, the Earl and Countess of Wessex spent about an hour touring the gallery.