It was during the early years that the hotel had its most famous visitor, Princess Victoria, the future Queen Victoria. In 1830 the princess, age 11, stayed overnight at the hotel with her father. Eight years later from the balcony of the hotel it was announced that Victoria, now Queen, had allowed the prefix "Royal" on its name, which the town still bears to the day. In these early days the hotel was one of the largest in Europe with over 100 rooms. In these early days the hotel was not just a place where the wealthy tourists stayed whilst 'taking the waters' but it was also an important meeting place for local gentry and landowners, those who were to shape the future of the town.