Camilla's Royal occasion was '˜a brilliant day out'

And even though the Peterborough City Rowing Club star was well beaten in her first appearance at the famous event, she described the day as ‘absolutely brilliant’.

Plumb, who was the city club’s first female sculler to qualify for the star-studded occasion, had the misfortune to draw European champion and Olympic silver medallist Victoria Thornely in the first round of the Princess Royal Challenge Sculls.

Not surprisingly, she was well beaten.

But the 20 year-old from Eye was far from despondent.

She said: “Obviously the outcome of the race was predictable but I did not give up. I raced my own race and sculled as quickly as I could.

“The weather was much better than originally forecast which meant conditions were a lot more favourable than they were at the qualifiers.

“However, with the heavy amount of traffic on the river in the navigation channel moving around, conditions were still rather challenging.

“As a whole though the day was brilliant.

“As I was rowing up to the start of my race I passed a boat with the Prime Minister and her husband on it.

“And the umpire in the umpire launch following my race was Matthew Pinsent, which was great!

“Supporters lined the banks right the way from the start and the noise as I passed the enclosures, within the last 500 metres of the course, was incredible!

“It really spurred me on in those final metres of what was a challenging race.

“The event as a whole was incredibly busy with club, university and international rowers taking part.

“It was good practice for me ahead of this coming weekend where I shall be racing at the Redgrave-Pinsent rowing lake at Caversham, trialling for team England.”

The trial is for the Home International Regatta and Plumb will be be trialling in a lightweight single scull.

She qualified last year in the lightweight singles and also rowed in an open weight quad.

“ Fingers crossed I can qualify once again,” added Plumb.