Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Princess Anne leads school’s celebration
Princess Anne was the guest of honour at a special service to celebrate her former school’s centenary at Canterbury Cathedral. The Princess Royal attended the event for Benenden School near Cranbrook, which she attended in the 1960s.
The ceremony was marked by the King’s sister’s participation in the procession and the reading she gave during the service, with more than 1,500 people in attendance. Head teacher Samantha Price - who departs the school at the end of the current academic year after almost 10 years at the helm - said the Princess’ presence was a privilege. “This was the perfect formal occasion on which to celebrate the past 100 years of this wonderful school and to look forward to Benenden’s exciting second century,” Mrs Price said.
“Her Royal Highness is a wonderful ambassador for Benenden and we are honoured that she has joined us for a second time during this centenary year.
“She is the finest possible female role model for our students and, as you can imagine, they are always incredibly excited when she attends our events.”
The service was led by the school’s chaplains as well as fellow alumna of Benenden Reverend Dr Pippa Turner as the guest preacher. Princess Anne continues to be closely linked with the school, holding the titles of President of the Benenden Society and Founders’ Patron. Her previous visit to the school was in September 2023,
when she gave the closing speech on leadership in the public eye at its global conference Inspiring Future Female Leaders.
The Princess also opened a courtyard in the school’s new hall and music school complex and formally launched its digital archive and centenary book - Benenden 100. Benenden continues to be recognised as one of the leading independent schools in the country. Last month it was named one of the top 25 in the UK by global high-net-worth lifestyle brand Spear’s.