A play written and performed by three Malvern schoolgirls has been given the royal seal of approval.

The Prince of Wales's office wrote to the Malvern St James Girls' School pupils after they sent him pictures and a programme from their play.

The letter said Prince Charles was unable to reply personally but had asked an aide to pass on his thanks for sharing their project with him and to tell the girls he was very interested to hear about it.

The pupils Jessica Gregg, Caitlin Walters and Saskia Osterloff decided to write to the Prince after he unveiled a memorial to the special operations executive women at RAF Tempsford recently.

Their play, called The Women That Time Forgot, was inspired by the lives and bravery of three special operations executive women who were trained in parachuting, unarmed combat, self-defence and clandestine radio operations during World War Two and went on to work with the French Resistance.

The play formed part of their A level course in Drama and Theatre Studies and the letter from Prince Charles praised the girls for putting in "a great deal of effort."

Patricia Woodhouse, headmistress of Malvern St James Girls’ School, said: “Jessica, Caitlin and Saskia wowed us with their very professional production of ‘The Women That Time Forgot’.

"It was in turns poignant, uplifting, melancholic, and even humorous.

"The girls showed their ability to play a variety of roles and ages, and communicate the bravery and depth of personality of these extraordinary women.”