Royal visit shines spotlight on West Northamptonshire organisations
31 October 2025
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited a series of community groups and organisations across West Northamptonshire on Wednesday (29 October), recognising their outstanding contributions to the local community and their ongoing support for the Armed Forces.
The visits highlighted milestone anniversaries, successful community partnerships, and the strong local commitment to upholding the Armed Forces Covenant.
The first stop was Edward Green & Company, a Northampton-based heritage shoemaker renowned for its craftsmanship and long-standing support for veterans’ employment and skills. The Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Anne Burnett joined the line-up to welcome HRH and showcase local manufacturing excellence, an acknowledgment to HRH’s role as the President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT).
The programme continued with a visit to The Bridge Substance Misuse Programme, where Deputy Lieutenant Hassan Shah welcomed HRH as the centre celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The Bridge plays a vital role in helping people rebuild their lives and is a key partner in WNC’s Armed Forces Covenant work, hosting the Council’s monthly Armed Forces drop-in service.
The tour marked another local success story at The Good Loaf bakery, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The social enterprise provides training and employment opportunities for women facing barriers to work, including veterans and family members of those who serve.
HRH also attended a ‘Conversation with Cadets’ event at the Clare Street Army Reserve Centre, where cadets from the Army, Air, Sea, and Combined Cadet Forces demonstrated their skills and leadership in action. The event, which also served as a recruitment fair, provided employers with a chance to meet the next generation of talented young people and learn more about the transferable skills developed through cadet training.
“It was a great honour to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal back to Northamptonshire. Her visit shone a light on the remarkable organisations and individuals who make such a positive difference in our communities - from supporting veterans and their families to creating opportunities for young people through the cadet forces.Anne Burnett, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire
“The event at Clare Street Army Reserve Centre was particularly inspiring, and the venue itself provided an excellent setting for the day, perfectly showcasing the professionalism and community spirit of our local Reserves. It is a fantastic facility that deserves to be better known and more widely used across Northampton.”
The visit also followed the Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadet Investiture, which took place earlier this month to celebrate the appointment of new cadets for the year ahead, and saw the Northamptonshire Armed Forces Covenant Partnership Board meeting, which focused on the contribution of cadets and reservists to the county’s Armed Forces community.