Chelmsford College student Julie Lark was due to meet Prince Charles in London on Thursday.
The prince was launching the Manpower National Skills Festival 2000 and invited Julie to share the event, as national winner of the Skillbuild painting and decorating competition.
Julie, 20, was one of only a dozen young people demonstrating their skills at the launch. She has been busy in the college's specialist paint shops, preparing her demonstration screen for yesterday's visit.
At 18, she won the regional finals of the Young Decorator of the Year competition and has been strongly supported by specialist teacher David Baxter, who teaches craft skills and interior dcor techniques.
He said: "She has worked very hard and deserves all the rewards her efforts are bringing her. I was always confident that she would achieve the best."
Later this year, Julie will be representing Great Britain when she travels to Montreal for the Olympic Skillbuild competition.
Julie is pictured preparing her demonstration screen for Prince Charles
Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article