A PLYMOUTH student met royalty and was interviewed by the BBC on a trip to London to collect her Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Yu Xia met HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, as she collected the accolade, which took her 18 months to complete.

The 25-year-old also wants to promote the award programme to other Chinese students studying in Plymouth.

Now working as a project manager at China’s Meridian School of English, Yu collected the award at St James’s Palace.

She told the BBC: “It was a really proud day and I got to speak to Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, who was fascinated by my new role in Beijing, and my educational and work experiences at Plymouth University and the Tellus Group.

“It took me 18 months to complete the Duke of Edinburgh Awards programme, which included voluntary work, gardening, and lots of cooking at a rural village in the Bordeaux region of France.

“I also completed a hiking expedition across Dartmoor, and lots of swimming activities. I really enjoyed the programme and met lots of new friends, and improved my English skills, and learned a great deal about Plymouth business and culture and the way of life in the UK.”

Yu insisted she is not a role model, but wanted to do the Duke of Edinburgh Award to highlight the programme to 14 to 24 year olds.

Talking about her role in China Xia, added: “I have been with the Tellus Group since 2011, and now based in Beijing.

“My job is to recruit students from China and Taiwan, and primarily responsible for the promotion and enrolment in the Chinese market to help children, adults, and college students to the UK to learn English, or participate in summer camps, winter camps, as well as work placement opportunities.”