By Jill Slater

Students, royal watchers meet Prince Edward

Sep 19, 2014 | 10:20 AM

Any day you get an award is a pretty special day, but to get that award from royalty is a once in a lifetime moment.

His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex continued his three day royal tour of Saskatchewan with a stop at RCMP Depot Division and Government House in Regina.

The Prince handed out the Gold Award in the Duke of Edinburgh program to 28 young people being recognized for volunteer work and adventurous travelling. The lucky few who had a brush with royalty said he was charming and refined and a little bit overwhelming for some of the young people who shook his hand.

“It was pretty amazing, not everybody gets to have that experience, it’s pretty special when it happens,” commented Kaylen LaRoque of Regina.

The teenager didn't just meet the prince she had to make a speech. But when she went up to the podium she realized her notes were gone.

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“When I lost my speech he didn’t give me a hard time,” she laughed. “He had a good sense of humour he was making jokes and talking to each of us individually.”

LaRoque says she found the Prince surprisingly down to earth.

Following that ceremony, Prince Edward met with the Lieutenant Governor at Government House before being awarded a military pin.

Among the crowd of royal watchers was an American couple who didn’t realize they would get a chance to see royalty.

Barbara Storaasli said she really wanted to check out Government House with her husband Olaf on their trip to Regina from Oakridge, Tenn. But when they arrived to tour the building, they discovered that everything was locked up.

Olaf Storaasli wanted to leave, but then they found out Prince Edward was going to be there his wife convinced him to stick around and wait.

“I said no let’s stay, so we stayed! He’s humouring me along and just joined into it,” she laughed. “We were hoping that we could get a wee wave or something.”

The tourist couple says they barely had time to snap a picture as Prince Edward strolled by, but they say it was worth it.

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On Twitter: @princealbertnow