HISCOX welcomed royalty this morning as the Duke of York arrived in Hungate to officially open the firm's new Business Club in the city.

Prince Andrew was invited for a tour of the insurer's new £19 million flagship office, which has been operational since November last year.

The four-storey building is home to more than 300 new jobs, with numbers set to hit 500 over coming years.

The Duke of York officially launched the Hiscox Business Club, which has seen the firm open up office space to small business in York, with 76 members signed up already.

After unveiling the plaque at Hiscox, Prince Andrew headed to York Racecourse for the first day of the Dante Festival, where he will present the winning trophy to the winner of the 3.25 race.