A shirty message for a Royal guest left University of York chiefs feeling red-faced today.

SHIRTY: Helen Woolnough wears her controversial T-Shirt to present a posy to the Princess Royal Picture: Frank Dwyer

When the Princess Royal came to the university's biology department she was met on her arrival by a small group of students - including students union president Helen Woolnough, who presented her with a posy.

What wasn't immediately obvious was that Ms Woolnough's T-shirt bore this cheeky message on the back.

But today she said: "It wasn't intended in any way to be offensive or a statement on the Royal visit.

"We wore them purely because they are the standard issue students union officers' T-shirt."

Ms Woolnough said the shirts bore the union logo and the wearer's name on the front.

"We wear them to be identified, they're not intended to be anything but student union sense of humour."

They were told they did not need to dress formally, so the automatic thing to do was to wear the union T-shirts.

Ms Woolnough added: "I don't honestly think we need to apologise for trying to be identifiable as student union officers.

"We will apologise for any offence that was caused, but that wasn't the intention at all."

They did not wish to give any message that the university or the union was anti-Royal. The visit was enjoyable and this was a misunderstanding.

Deputy vice-chancellor Professor Ian Wand said today the incident was embarrassing, adding: "It's something I suspect the university would have preferred not to have happened."

He said members of the public sometimes found the way students expressed themselves "very direct and very blunt".

Professor Wand thought a senior member of the university probably would discuss it with Ms Woolnough.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "It's not something we would comment on, it's a matter for the individuals."

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