IT IS not every day that a member of the Royal family calls by your house for a chat.

But one young couple in Wingham, near Canterbury, welcomed the Princess Royal into their home on Tuesday when she visited a rural housing scheme in the village.

Jason and Clare Uden have moved into a house in Miller Close which is among 25 newly-built properties for rent or shared ownership.

Princess Anne is president of the Rural Housing Trust which created the affordable housing development in partnership with Wingham Parish Council and Dover District Council.

Clare, 25, a qualified nanny who grew up in the village, said: “We always wanted to buy a home of our own in the village but our future here was uncertain because house prices are out of our reach.

“But thanks to this development we can now stay in the community we love.”

Jason added: “It was very exciting to get a Royal visit. My friends at work just did not believe it when I said Princess Anne was going to be calling round.

“But she was very down to earth and knew a lot about the Rural Housing Trust and was very impressed with the houses.”

Chairman of Wingham Parish Council, Bryan Curtis, said the development was only granted planning permission on the condition the homes remained affordable and available exclusively to local people in perpetuity.

The Princess was presented with a posy by 10-year-old Melissa Blackman, whose parents Mark and Melanie also live in the new development, and unveiled a plaque to mark the official opening of Miller Close.

Later she chatted with other residents at a reception at the village hall.