THE PRINCESS Royal received a warm greeting from scores of well wishers - and one in particular - when she visited Hampshire yesterday

During her day-long visit to the county, Princess Anne visited a Portchester charity shop, a Southampton business, Winchester's Citizens Advice Bureau and a new sheltered housing development in Alresford.

Her first port of call was the Save the Children shop in West Street, Portchester, which she officially opened 15 years ago.

It was a particularly special occasion for Ellis Norrell, who had waited in the cold with onlookers to catch a glimpse of the royal. Ellis, 69, never imagined the princess would remember him from her childhood but as she turned to step into her chauffeur-driven car she caught the pensioner's eye, mouthed his name and then made her way to talk to him.

Amazed he might have been, but how could she have forgotten the former warrant officer who saw the little princess grow up as he served aboard the Royal Yacht reaching the rank of coxswain.

Ellis, of West Street, Portchester, said: "She asked how I was and how I was keeping. It was really nice to see her again and bring back the memories."

Dressed in a tweed outfit and neck scarf, a relaxed-looking Princess spent half an hour chatting to volunteers before she was whisked off to William Street in Northam, Southampton, to visit System Wessex.

Alice Stubbings, the five-year-old daughter of company managing director Mark Stubbings, greeted the princess and presented her with a posy.

The princess was given a guided tour of the factory before officially opening a showroom where six unique model cells for police stations and prisons were on display.

It was then on to Winchester Citizens Advice Bureau, where she had lunch with some 50 volunteers to celebrate its 50th anniversary. She was then driven to Alresford, where she opened the £3m Makins Court sheltered housing complex.