HRH The Duchess of Gloucester Visits Drusillas

PUBLISHED 4.6.2026: 

Drusillas Park was honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness: The Duchess of Gloucester yesterday afternoon as part of a special royal visit to learn more about our historic zoo following our centenary celebrations last year.

Her Royal Highness was received by Mrs Kathy Sambrook OBE DL, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex and Cllr Gavin Blake-Coggins, Chair of Wealden District Council. Before being welcomed by Drusillas Park Managing Directors Cassie Poland and Ollie Smith, alongside Michael and Kitty Ann, who owned and managed Drusillas Park from 1958 to 1997.

The visit commenced at the Sulawesi Black-Crested Macaque habitat, where The Duchess met members of the Drusillas team representing departments from across the business, recognising the diverse range of expertise and dedication that contributes to the Park's success.

Her Royal Highness was then escorted through the zoo by Cassie Poland and Ollie Smith, who shared insights into the Park's history and ongoing commitment to animal welfare, education and conservation.

At the Sloth and Bat Walkthrough, The Duchess met Zoo Manager Mark Kenward and Head Keeper Gemma Romanis. They discussed the Park's sloths, including the successful hand-rearing of an infant sloth, Flash, in 2016. The Duchess showed particular interest in Flash’s development and how she gradually transitioned from relying on her human keepers to adapting to life as a fully independent sloth.

The Duchess then visited the Park's Colobus Monkey habitat, Drusillas' largest recent investment in animal facilities. Here, her Royal Highness was introduced to James Woodward, Head of Education, and Presha Soogrim, Head of Conservation and Zoo Administration, who spoke about Drusillas' education initiatives and international conservation partnerships.

The final stage of the visit saw Her Royal Highness accompanied by Michael Ann, who reflected on the early years of Drusillas Park and shared stories from its history spanning more than a century.

Following the visit, Managing Director Cassie Poland said: "We were incredibly honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness to Drusillas Park. It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the hard work and commitment of our team, as well as the conservation, education and animal welfare programmes that are at the heart of everything we do. The visit was a proud moment in Drusillas' history, particularly as we reflect on our centenary celebrations last year and look ahead to the future."

Managing Director Ollie Smith added: “We are grateful to Her Royal Highness for taking such a genuine interest in our work and in the care and welfare of the animals at the zoo. It was a privilege to escort her around the Park and showcase everything that goes into creating a memorable and meaningful experience for our visitors.”