MARLBOROUGH was abuzz today as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visited the town to unveil a special mosaic to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.


Mayor Edwina Fogg had commissioned the ten-foot-long ceramic depiction of the town hall and its surroundings from Marlborough Tiles and the Duchess agreed to unveil it.


Wearing a velvet suit trimmed in dark brown, the Duchess arrived at the town hall dead on 11am to be met by Coun Mrs Fogg, accompanied by chairman of Wiltshire Council, Coun Christine Crisp; Chief Constable Patrick Geenty and members of Marlborough Town Council.


She received a posy from ten-year-old Josephine Vergera, a Year 6 pupil at St Peter's Junior School, who was overwhelmed by the honour.

Josephine said: "I was very nervous but when I curtsied the words just came out. I said, these are for you, Your Royal Highness."


After a tour of the refurbished cells in the basement, the Duchess appeared through the trapdoor from which generations of defendants entered to be tried.


She met many local VIPs, including Billy Whitelegg, a past president of the Showmen's Guild, Debbie Pepler, from Marlborough's twin town of Marlborough, New Zealand; and Lamin Marjang from their link town of Gunjur, in The Gambia.


The Duchess was delighted that her daughter, Laura Lopez, who lives locally, had come to the town hall with the Duchess's twin grandsons, Gus and Louis, who are nearly three.


The Duchess also met the team from Marlborough Tiles who had created the mosaic - director Jamie Robb and artists Jenny McShane, Kirsty Robinson, Helen Whitfield and Val Byatt - before unveiling the creation on the steps of the town hall to great applause from the crowd of almost 200 who had gathered to greet her.


Her unveiling of the mosaic was accompanied by a trumpet fanfare from 15-year-old St John's School pupils, Harry Austen and Stephanie Browning.


It was also a great day for the town's newest macebearers, Luke Callaghan, 16, from Ramsbury, and 18-year-old Josh Daniel, whose first royal occasion this was. Luke and Josh are thought to be the youngest council macebearers in the country.


The Duchess then approached the crowd and talked to them. While she was doing so, Lisa Hudson, manager of the cake shop opposite, presented her with some spooky Halloween cakes for her grandchildren.