The Duke of Gloucester visited the Great Fen in Huntingdonshire to hear more about the project to transform the land.
He was joined by many senior figures, including the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, the chairs of Cambridgeshire County Council and Huntingdonshire District Council, and representatives of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire.
Woodwalton Fen is one of the last remnants of ancient fen in Britain and the Duke was shown conservation management practices and aquatic insects and newts that were part of a survey.
The Wildlife Trust introduced him to their future plans and the transformation of new areas of the Great Fen into wetland habitat.
Wildlife Trust BCN CEO, Brian Eversham, said: "It was fantastic to welcome our new royal patron to the Great Fen.
"He took a keen interest in the ambitious work we and our partners are doing here to save fenland nature.
"He was particularly interested in the land and water management, and how we work with farmers and others to create a wetland where there was once drained farmland."
Mr Eversham also highlighted the importance of royal recognition and the role of staff and volunteers in the project.
He added: "This is a 100-year vision which we are only 25 years into and we are aiming to create one of the biggest wetlands of its kind in Europe so to have a royal seal of approval and to be recognised by influential people is hugely important to us.
"I would like to say a big thank you to staff and volunteers from the Wildlife Trust and our partners for making the day such a success.
"I hope the Duke will be able to see further developments in the Great Fen on future visits."
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