KNUTSFORDIANS are ‘disappointed’ to be on the receiving end of a right Royal snub.

To mark the momentous occasion of the 150th Royal May Day, the May Day committee, with the help of Lord Lieutenant David Briggs MBE, put in a bid requesting a visit from a Royal member.

However, the committee’s bid, which was entered two years ago, was turned down by the Royal household to the disappointment of the festival’s organisers.

Steve Wilkinson, Chairman of the Royal May Day Committee, said: “The fact that it was the 150th anniversary, we thought it was ideal.

“But we just have to accept that we are not going to get a Royal visitor and must move on. We sort of reached an agreement with Lord Lieutenant that May Day wasn’t going to be the day.”

The Royal May Day festival is one of the oldest of its kind and has the interesting and unique record of having been witnessed on two occasions by Members of the Royal Family.

In 1887, their Majesties King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, then Prince and Princess of Wales, saw the Crowning Ceremony and accepted a bouquet from the May Queen Mary Ellen Howarth.

The visitors were so impressed by the festivities that they gave it their Royal seal of approval and allowed the committee permission to use the ‘royal’ prefix.

The second royal visit came in 1929 when Her Late Royal Highness the Princess Royal came to Knutsford to witness the festival proceedings.

Val Bryant, curator of the Royal May Day’s Crowning Glory exhibition, was consulted on the bid before it was submitted.

She said: “I was very disappointed. It’s their ancestors who gave us their title – it’s their lineage.

“The Royals go all over the country to open places that they have no connection to, but this has a lovely connection.

“The Cambridges want to be seen as being with the public a bit more, going on walkabouts, being normal. They want to appear as human beings. Look at the opportunity they are missing.”

When the Guardian approached Buckingham Palace to ask why the bid was turned down a spokesperson said that invitations are a private matter of Royal Members.

The spokesperson added: “They have a lot of engagements all over the country and it is not possible to accept all of the invitations.”

What do you think about the rejected request?  Comment below.