DISABLED children at a Bristol school were thrilled when the Princess Royal visited on Friday.

About 15 pupils of Claremont School in Henleaze, many of whom have cerebral palsy, learning difficulties or autism, greeted the Princess.

After the Princess went into the centre, Lord Mayor Chris Davies and his wife Susan went over to the children and spent time chatting to them.

The Princess, wearing a beige overcoat and gloves, was on a visit to open the school's new centre for children with severe communication difficulties.

Later the children were brought back outside to see the Princess leave and she spoke a few words with staff members standing with the children.

Inside she had taken a tour of the brand-new North Bristol NHS Trust Paediatrics Communications Aid Service (PCAS) centre, before declaring it officially open.

Terri Morgan, 12, who was waving a Union flag in honour of the royal visit, said: "It was good to see the Princess. I met the Princess when she came to my brother's school in Henbury."

Andrea Underwood, assistant head at the school, said: "I think it's brilliant to have a royal visit. It really endorses what we are doing here.

"We built the children up for the visit and they were really excited."

The new building has been developed thanks to a donation of £135,000 from the Wooden Spoon Society, a charity of which the Princess Royal is patron, and local businesses that gave their time and expertise free of charge.

The PCAS team work with children who have severe communication difficulties.

PCAS assesses and provides these children with various voice-output communication aids – which can range from touch screens that provide a vocabulary of thousands of words, to simple books with symbols and pictures that the children can use to express what they want to say.

Sally Chan, a speech and language therapist who helped set up PCAS more than 10 years ago, said: "The building looks absolutely amazing; everyone feels at ease as soon as they enter and there is a comfortable soothing effect, which is vital for the children.

"We are so grateful to the Wooden Spoon Society. The total cost of the building would have been in excess of £250,000 and therefore not possible if it hadn't been for these guys.

"It was designed around the children and has a specially designed environmentally controlled room, where children can open windows, blinds and doors using a single switch.

"It is a much-needed home for PCAS and in addition, Drake Music Project will run music sessions for the children at Claremont School, so that they can generate music using switches, computer systems with specialist software, as well as communication aids.

"The new building will enable children with physical difficulties to be as independent as possible."

Later in the day Princess Anne visited a charity shop for Save The Children, of which she is also patron.

There she spoke to volunteers about their work and the work of the charity.

Shop leader Pat Moore, 71, of Downend, said: "She was very interested in what we do in the shop and the type of customers we get.

"It's very encouraging for all the staff to get a royal visit."

Her final visit was to Home Farm Trust, a charity for people with learning difficulties, whose new headquarters in Emersons Green was opened by the Princess.