A pensioner couple have spoken of their delight at having Princess Anne visit their home.

The Princess Royal was at the Royal British Legion Industries’ (RBLI) Centenary Village in Aylesford to officially open the £22m project on Friday.

But Rod and Veronica Eldridge, both 76, were delighted when the Princess popped in to see for herself what one of the new properties designed for ex-servicemen and their families looked like.

The Princess left her security detail in the corridor outside and made her visit accompanied only by her lady-in-waiting and by Lisa Farmer, the chief executive of RBLI.

Mrs Eldridge said: “It was wonderful, a magical moment.”

The couple showed the Princess around their flat, with Mrs Eldridge particularly keen to show off the gadgetry in her modern kitchen.

She described the Princess as “very down to earth and easy to talk to”.

And she said: “She was very interested in how we came to be at the village.”

Both Mr and Mrs Eldridge had been married before, but both lost their first spouses to cancer, before meeting up and marrying 11 years ago.

They bought an ex-council flat in Ashford, but had problems with a neighbour and Mrs Eldridge’s weight shrunk to just 6st with the stress.

Fortunately, at that point, they were put in touch with the RBLI and as they put it, “rescued.”

Mrs Eldrige said: “Rod was so strong throughout, but if he hadn’t phoned RBLI when he did, I don’t think I’d be here today.”

They moved in first to Queen Elizabeth Court at Aylesford and then, in November last year, moved to their current home in Greenwich House.

Mrs Eldridge said: “Since we arrived, we have just felt so supported, so loved. It’s amazing, there is no comparison with our life before.”

Their new home includes two bedrooms, two fully fitted wet rooms and a modern open-plan kitchen and lounge.

Mr Eldridge served in the Royal Engineers for 18 years and was stationed in Germany, the Caribbean and Newfoundland.

He also crucially did three tours of duty in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, where he was injured when an IRA supporter attacked him with a broken bottle.

Earlier, Princess Anne, who arrived in a black Range Rover with a police motorcycle escort, had met local dignitaries, including MP Tracey Crouch, the leader of Tonbridge and Malling Council Matt Boughton, and the Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling Cllr James Lark.

The Princess Royal was given a tour of Greenwich House, the latest block of 24 assisted-living apartments to open in the centenary village, escorted by Mrs Farmer and by General Sir Gordon Messenger, a patron of the charity.

The General made a speech welcoming the Princess and inviting her to unveil a plaque to mark the occasion.

But before she did so, the Princess surprised everyone by asking if she could say a few words. She then made an impromptu speech, in which she praised the charity for having taken the concept invented by their predecessors 100 years ago and reworking it to fit a modern world.

After unveiling the plaque, she was presented with a bouquet by five-year Lilleth Budgen, whose great-grandmother is a resident in the village.

The Princess then retired for a private lunch before leaving for her next engagement.

The Centenary Village provides a range of homes and welfare support for the country’s most vulnerable veterans.

The RBLI was founded in 1919 and was visited by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2019 on the occasion of its centenary.

The RBLI is still fundraising in order to add a community centre and an accessible gym for its residents.

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Mrs Farmer said: “It was an honour to welcome the Princess to the Centenary Village.

“We were extremely proud to showcase the support and accommodation we make available to vulnerable veterans and their families.”