Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, attends service at Newport Minster PHOTOS

Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, has visited Newport Minster to celebrate the re-opening of the building after a major £2.6 million refurbishment.

The Duke is the royal patron of the Friends of Newport Minster, and was among 400 specially-invited guests at the service today (Wednesday).

He gave a Bible reading as part of the service.

He was there to celebrate the Island craftspeople, professionals, donors and volunteers, who worked alongside the clergy, staff team and churchwardens on the project to create a new underfloor heating system, better toilets, new kitchen facilities, new seating and new meeting rooms.

Prince Edward arriving at Newport Minster (Image: Sienna Anderson)

Prince Edward at Newport Minster with The Right Revd Dr Jonathan Frost, Bishop of Portmouth (Image: Sienna Anderson)

• Earlier today, the Duke visited Spinlock in Cowes

The refurbishment means the Minster is once again a spiritual and community hub for the Island, with a growing range of events for all ages.

The church will reopen to the public on Friday from 10am to 1pm after its seven-month internal refurbishment.

Newport CE Primary pupils singing. Prince Edward in the front row. (Image: Sienna Anderson)

The first community group to use the building will be the Play Café toddler group on May 7.

The Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev Dr Jonathan Frost, led the re-opening service, and the Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight, the Ven Steve Daughtery preached.

A packed Newport Minster (Image: Sienna Anderson)

Students from local schools were among those leading worship.

The £2.6m project to complete the renewal of the building’s exterior and to refurbish its interior has been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, the National Churches Trust, the Benefact Trust, other grant-giving bodies, private individuals and local fundraising.

Prince Edward at the service (Image: Sienna Anderson)

Christ the King College pupils with The Right Revd Dr Jonathan Frost, Bishop of Portsmouth (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

There has been a place of worship on the Minster site for at least 1,000 years, with a medieval structure completed in 1175 and named after St Thomas a Becket.

It has had significant royal connections for the past 400 years, and is the final resting place of Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King Charles I. She died, aged 15, in 1650 but her grave remained unmarked until it was uncovered by workmen in 1735. The memorial in the Elizabeth Chapel was commissioned by Queen Victoria, who also commissioned the windows to the north of the chapel and the memorial for Prince Albert.

From left, The Rev Steve Sutcliffe, The Ven Stephen Daughtery, IW Archdeacon, The Right Revd Dr Jonathan Frost, Bishop of Portsmouth, The Rev Emma Cooksey (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

7th Newport Scout Group at the service (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

Camden and George, both Squirrels and age five, with Beeca Steen (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

Particular thanks went to Urs and Francesca Schwartzenbach and Hector and Jane Kier for their support of the refurbishment project.