Princess Anne cultivated some important friendships when she visited Oxford yesterday.

The Princess Royal dropped into the 2016 Oxford Farmers Conference, of which she is honorary president, at the Examination Schools in Oxford High Street.

Among some of the biggest names in the UK farming industry, the princess also found time to have a quick chat with Lord Mayor of Oxford Rae Humberstone.

He said: “I found the conference very informative, there were talks on different attitudes to food and how we can improve food quality and eat more healthily.

“Oxford might be a city but we’re in a rural setting.”

The Oxford Farming Conference, held in the city for more than 70 years, brings together the biggest agricultural firms in the country to discuss the industry.

At the same time as the conference, the Town Hall has hosted the Oxford Real Farming Conference, which was founded to provide a platform for small, independent farmers.