It cost just over £8,500 to police the visit of the Princess Royal in October last year.

The cost was released under a Freedom of Information request, submitted by Isle of Man Newspapers.

Our FoI asked the constabulary for the full price of policing Princess Anne’s day-long visit to the island in October 2019.

The total cost for the police was £8,529.89.

During her visit, the Princess Royal spent the day at a bakery, a bike shop, a bridge and a hotel while greeting young cyclists, students and business owners.

She began with a tour of the renovated Market Hall in Douglas where Lieutenant Governor Sir Richard Gozney, and Chief Minister Howard Quayle introduced owner of Bikestyle, Gavin Quayle, and Noa Bakehouse owners Miles and Pippa Pettit.

Outside, Princess Anne met well wishers including the newspaper club from Henry Bloom Noble School who hoped to get an interview with her. However, despite waiting in the rain for some time, they left a bit disappointed.

The Princess Royal later opened the extension at the Ramsey Park Hotel, which has roughly doubled its capacity.

There she met owner Trevor Hemmings and hotel manager James O’Neill.

Following a champagne reception and buffet at the hotel, the Princess Royal made her way to Peel.

There, Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer showed her the new harbour bridge where Manx Bard Zoe Cannell recited a poem before Princess Anne unveiled a plaque to mark the official opening.

Manx National Heritage director Edmund Southworth also met HRH at the House of Manannan ahead of her seeing the garden restoration of the Cathedral, of which she is patron.

Princess Anne’s visit last year was her first official one to the island since 2015 when she was here to see the Cathedral.

Before that in 2014, she was given a tour of Jurby prison.