ROMSEY’S £86,000 tribute to horses that died in the Great War has been give royal approval.

During yesterday's unveiling ceremony of the life-size bronze resin statue by the Prince’s Royal her royal highness told the sculptor Amy Goodman that it was 'lovely'.

Hundreds of invited guests looked on as the Princes Royal removed the Union Flag from the tribute in Romsey War Memorial Park.

And the Princess wasn’t the only crowd-puller at the unveiling ceremony because Joey the war horse puppet was also there, and he trotted up to the statue for a closer look at it and nodded his head in approval at 40-year-old Amy’s work.

Her Royal Highness was greeted by the sound of the National Anthem as she entered the war memorial park.

Afterwards Amy who has been working on the eye-catching new feature of the park at her Test Valley-based studio for several years, said: “The Princess was very interested in my work and she knew a lot about Lionel Edwards who was a captain at the Romsey Remount Camp.

"She wanted to know how I made it and she said it was very nice."

She added: "It was a very proud moment for me meeting the Princess and I hope that the people of Romsey are very proud of my work too.

"It was quite overwhelming when all the horses from the Household Cavalry came into the park and seeing Joey there too was amazing.”

A silence fell across the park when a 16-year-old Wiltshire girl called ‘Rea’ sang a thought provoking and moving poem called Home Lads Home telling the story of troops and horses that went into battle in Flanders in the Great War. More than 120,000 horses were trained for battle at Romsey Remount Camp on Pauncefoot Hill.

Romsey War Horse project chairman Dorothy Baverstock who is also the town’s mayor said the unveiling ceremony could not have gone better.

“It was perfect and the Princess Royal was so lovely. The whole war horse committee have been absolutely brilliant and it was so nice to see all the primary school turn up to see the Princess Royal. It was a very proud day for Romsey and the statue will be good for pulling in more visitors to Romsey."

During her visit the Princess Royal was introduced to Phoebe Merrick chairman of Romsey Local History Group who presented a book on the War Horse to her royal highness.

“She was lovely and good at talking to you and making you feel at ease."

Before the unveiling ceremony in the park, the Princess Royal took the salute in the Market Place where a military parade which had set off from Broadlands a little earlier, paused briefly before heading for the park.

The parade consisting of soldiers from the Royal Veterinary Corps and the King’s Royal Hussars of which the Princess Royal is Colonel-in-Chief along with the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the Household Calvary, Royal British Legion officials, local army, air and sea cadets, Scouts and Guides was led by Romsey Old Cadets Carnival.

Doreen Cutland had pitched her spot early with her family to get a glimpse of Her Royal Highness and Joey the War Horse.

The 82-year old great grandmother said: "We really wanted to see the War a horse and Princess Anne and all the parade and the atmosphere."

Her great-grandson said Reece Lloyd, eight, said he had been looking forward to seeing Joey all morning.

He said: "I really liked it when he was jumping up and swishing his tail."