By Leeza Clark

THE PRINCESS Royal followed in the footsteps of her late aunt, Princess Margaret, when she paid a visit to Dunfermline yesterday.

The princess has taken on the role, once held by her aunt, as patron of the Margaret Chapel Guild.

It was a decade ago when the late Princess Margaret visited the oldest house in the town, Abbot House, which is now an award-winning heritage centre led by an army of volunteers.

The princess’s visit was to acknowledge the work of those volunteers who are responsible for the ongoing success of Abbot House and also to recognise her role as patron.

The princess arrived at the gates to the west door to Dunfermline Abbey, where Lord Lieutenant of Fife Margaret Dean offered her a warm welcome.

The princess was then introduced to the Lord Lieutenant’s husband Brian Dean, Fife Council chief executive Douglas Sinclair, MSP Scott Barrie, MP Willie Rennie and Deputy Chief Constable Norma Graham.

On entering the abbey Mrs Dean presented Historic Scotland representatives Neil Young, Margaret Blair and Doreen Grove to the princess.

Ms Grove, who is the principal inspector of ancient monuments, then escorted the princess though the old nave, which was the original burial place of Saint Margaret.

She then met the abbey minister, the Rev Alastair Jessamine, and his wife Eleanor, session clerk Angus Hogg and his wife Rachel and the abbey’s Stuart Arnott and Danny Williamson.

The princess was then shown the Margaret window in the church and the tomb of Robert the Bruce before she was invited to sign the Abbey Church’s visitors’ book.

The party left from the south door to head through the graveyard, where they stopped to the remains of the shrine of St Margaret, to the adjoining garden of Abbot House.

Welcoming her to the Maygate centre was Dunfermline Heritage Trust’s honorary president, the Earl of Elgin and his wife Lady Elgin, the board of directors, the trust’s chairman John McNeely and Abbot House manager Ann Steedman.

Mr McNeely said everyone was delighted with the princess’s commitment to strengthening links first made by her aunt.

“The princess has picked up her duties and we are pleased to have her visit today,” he added.

Escorted by Mr McNeely and Ms Steedman, she then toured the visitor attraction where she learned more about the history of the building and Dunfermline itself.

There was also the chance to chat with volunteers, staff, corporate friends of Abbot House and members of the advisory committee on her way from room to room.

In the cafe she met several volunteers including Mavis Cairns and Marjorie Devine.

The princess walked back through history on her visit, showing great interest in the displays and gleaning information from the volunteer guides.

In the Margaret room she met volunteer Bert McEwan and they discussed the brightly decorated walls—an interpretation of how the abbey would have looked in the 12th century—and the head shrine of Saint Margaret.

“She had discussions with everybody here and was very interested and very knowledgeable,” he added.

The princess also showed great interest in a glass goblet—a parting gift to James VI of Scotland who was obsessed by the notion he would be assassinated.

Apparently he was told it would be evident if anyone had placed poison in the Pitfirrane goblet as the glass would change colour.

And the next room brought more personal memories for the princess, when she saw the reform room had a box bed.

She told volunteers John Richardson, Elizabeth Brookes and Betty Stratton that she remembered box beds, but enclosed by doors and not curtains like that at Abbot House, at a place she stayed when she was a child.

After signing the visitors’ book, the princess was presented with a book on the miracles of St Margaret by Dimps Devereux, who has been a volunteer in the cafe for many years, and a posy of ivory roses and freesias by the newest volunteer guide, Anne-Marie O’Reilly.