The Queen and Prince Philip visit Essex

School children in Essex switched their classmates for royalty today as they welcomed two very special guests to the county.

ITV News Anglia's Victoria Lampard reports from today's visit by the Queen and Prince Philip.

The Queen and Prince Philip have spent the afternoon at a school in Essex helping to celebrate its 450th anniversary.

It follows this morning's trip to Chelmsford Cathedral where they marked the diocese's centenary and met volunteers.

A boarding house at Felsted School, near Dunmow, was seriously damaged by a fire in 2012.

Today, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh officially re-opened a new building as well as meeting staff and pupils.

An Essex school will be serving lunch to the Queen today as she visits to mark the 450th anniversary celebrations of the opening of Felsted School.

Prince Philip will join the Queen as they enjoy a school dinner, of sorts, prepared by staff there.

Staff have spent the weekend making preparations for the royal visit, including ironing table cloths.

Both students and staff will be at the lunch. Afterwards, the Queen will meet staff and students and see a display showing the history of the school.

The Queen will also open the schools new boarding house, which replaces the one that was destroyed in a fire in July 2012.

Chefs at a school in Essex, rebuilt following a fire in 2012, are hard at work preparing a special menu for the Queen and Prince Philip.

Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh are visiting Felsted School to celebrate its 450th anniversary and the completion of a new boarding house.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will have lunch in the Common Room Dining Room before meeting students and staff.

The school choir will also sing a specially-composed anthem, to mark the anniversary.