THE Queen and Prince Philip arrived at Dartington to be met by crowds of cheering, flag waving schoolchildren — along with a pair of snowdrop hunters and their labradoodle, a plate of corgi mince pies and the man from Wooloomooloo.

The only thing missing was the art college streaker who it had been rumoured would show but never did.

In the end the long wait, up to an hour for some of the youngsters standing behind the barriers outside the courtyard at Dartington Hall, was a bit of a disappointment as the royal pair climbed out of their limo and strode straight off to the VIP guests waiting some 100 yards away outside the Great Hall.

It was also a disappointment for the man from Wooloomooloo, who had been hoping to have a word with Prince Philip about the wartime service they had shared in Sydney in 1945.

John Moore, who lives in Totnes, had brought a placard along to help catch the Prince's attention.

The 86-year-old former matelot, whose Royal Navy ship had been tied up alongside the Prince's at Wooloomooloo in Sydney, when the Prince was a lieutenant, explained: "I thought if I could catch his eye I could have a quick word with him."

The snowdrop hunters were Pat and Alan Harris, from Middle Warberry in Torquay, who had come to the estate with their labradoodle dog Cenydd to look at the snowdrops without even realising there was a royal visit in progress and decided to stick around.

"It's really a once in a lifetime chance," said Pat.

Around 300 youngsters and adults were lined up behind the barricades on the road through the estate to cheer the royal couple when they arrived in bright sunshine and clear blue skies.

Children from Berry Pomeroy, Broadhempston, Landscove and Dartington village schools along with children from The Grove and St John's Primary Schools in Totnes, King Edward VI Community College and the Bidwell Brook special school in Dartington helped swell the crowd.

Many of them had won their royal place after having their names drawn out of a hat.

The word among the Dartington College of Art students was that one of their number was planning a royal streak. As it turned out he didn't but the students watched the visit anyway.

"We may as well see her while she's here," said one of them, 22-year-old Jack Jago.

Meanwhile a pair of students called Johnny and Andreas were busy giving away 'corgi meat' mince pies, each with a little flag bearing the picture of a corgi on top.

"I suppose you could call it a sort of protest," said Johnny as he handed the pies out.

Despite the tight security, which saw police sniffer dogs in action right up until the arrival of royal visitors and the rear entrance to the estate closed off to all traffic, the Queen barely managed a wave to the crowds of children as she headed off towards the Great Hall where lunch was due to be served.

Arts college theatre student Jo Hellier was not impressed. The 21-year-old said: "It was rubbish. I at least expected her to turn around and look in the direction of the people, but oh no it was right off to the hall."

But 10-year-old Jenny Smaridge, from Berry Pomeroy School, who had waited an hour for the Queen to show up, said: "I was a bit disappointed but really happy to be here. I've never seen the Queen before and I really, really like Dartington Hall."

The Queen was presented with a posy of lilies and roses on the steps of the Great Hall by Dartington Hall Trust chief executive Vaughan Lindsay's 10-year-old daughter Isla.

Among the guests at the private lunch were Totnes MP Anthony Steen, Kate Caddy, granddaughter of Dartington's founders Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst, Transition Town Totnes' Rob Hopkins, Cllr Melvyn Stone, chairman of South Hams Council, and its chief executive David Incoll, and Totnes Town councillor Tony Mead.

During the meal the Queen was presented with a sample of work by local potter Marianne De Trey, now in her 90s, and after the lunch she unveiled a miniature of Andrew Lacey's bronze statue Megalith Still, which stands outside the main entrance.

The Queen also met South Devon youngsters and officers from the UK cadet movement including Wing Commander Brian Wills-Pope, Devon and Somerset Air Cadets commanding officer, earlier in the day at the Wyvern Barracks in Exeter.