THESE primary school children from Grove had probably never met anyone with names as long as the children they met at Blenheim Palace.

Millbrook School foundation stage pupils Alisha Rutter, aged four, Imogen-Rose Turner, four, and Adam Reeder, five, made a special visit to the palace last month.

Representing their whole year group, the children were invited to attend the palace's annual Heritage Education Awards ceremony on April 14.

They were presented with prizes by the Duchess of Marlborough Edla Griffiths for artworks they had created on their last visit to the palace.

The Duke and Duchess hand out prizes each year for children's artworks done in the grounds which they like the best.

On their visit, the pupils also got to have tea with the Duchess and her own children – Lady Araminta Clementine Megan Spencer-Churchill and Lord Caspar Sasha Ivor Spencer-Churchill.

Millbrook office manager Kate Newcomb explained: "When the nursery class originally visited Blenheim they looked at the shapes in and around the palace.

"On returning to school the children then made some 2D and 3D shapes of features and object they had seen there."

The Duke and Duchess liked the artworks so much they decided to give the young artists some prizes.

They presented the children with a giant Gruffalo floor puzzle to take back to the school and certificates for their whole class.

The presentation was followed by a viewing of all the children’s art work in the education room at Blenheim, followed by afternoon tea in the Marlborough room with the Duchess, Lady Araminta and Lord Casper.

Ms Newcomb added: "The children had a fantastic day, enjoyed meeting lots of other children from surrounding schools and, especially, they enjoyed the gorgeous cakes."