Also present were Andrew and his daughter Princess Beatrice, and the Earl and countess of Wessex.
Stellenbosch (founded in 1679) is about 50 km east of Cape Town and is the second oldest town in South Africa. It was named (like Simon's Town) after the former Governor Simon van der Stel. The town is situated on the banks of the Eerste River ('First River') and has some fine examples of Cape Dutch architecture.
The town of Paarl is bordered on the east by the Boland Mountains and on the west by the imposing Paarl Rock. As a district, it encompasses the wards of Wellington, Voor Paardeberg and Simonsberg-Paarl. Franschhoek Valley can be found 15 miles (24km) south-west of Paarl, and Stellenbosch lies just beyond the Simonsberg Mountain, a large granite outcrop that forms a part of the Cape Fold Belt.