WITH Wimbledon still fresh in their memories, excited youngsters from seven different schools took to tennis courts with a difference for a special royal appointment.

Prince Edward visited Prested Hall health club in Feering yesterday to spend the day playing real tennis with students from schools including Colchester County High School for Girls, Stanway School, Honywood School in Coggeshall and Colchester Sixth Form College.

The Earl of Wessex, who is the youngest of the Queen’s four children, is aiming to play at all 47 real tennis venues across the world.

The sport dates back to the 1500s and is played on a hard, indoor court and is where lawn tennis has its origins.

In total there are 27 courts in the UK and Prested Hall is one of just three venues in the country to have two courts.

Mike Norgrove, the chairman of Real Tennis at the Prested Hall, said the day would live long in the memories for the children.

He said: “It’s fantastic to have him here and it’s fantastic for the sport that he’s picked it as a way of promoting the charity.

“It’s been great for the children too because it’s an opportunity for them to try a sport which they are unlikely to have played before.

“Hopefully some of them will decide to come back in the future and have another go.”

But Prince Edward’s trip to Feering yesterday wasn’t just about tennis - it also part of a series of engagements which are aiming to build support for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

He has been taking on more responsibilities relating to the award scheme since his father Prince Philip stepped back from royal duties last year.

Jenni Anderson, the director of fundraising for the award, said: “It’s all about building the confidence of the students and setting them up for later life.

“An event like this is fantastic because it gets them to try something new and it’s an opportunity to develop a broad range of skills.”

Youngsters from the County High School for Girls took part in a skills session with Prince Edward while Jake Mead, a Year 9 student at Honywood School and member of the real tennis club at Prested, was lucky enough to play a doubles match with the prince.

Matt Ramsay, the Duke of Edinburgh manager at Honywood School in Coggeshall, said he hoped the visit to Prested Hall would encourage some students to take up real tennis.

Mr Ramsay said: “When some of them get involved in the award, sometimes there aren’t many things which are completely new to them and things which aren’t a one-off.

“This is one of those things though.

“A lot of them won’t have played this sport before and maybe some of them will come back because it’s not far from school for them at all.”