The new elephant exhibit in Newport drew royalty this week with a visit from the Duchess of York on Thursday.

Sarah Ferguson was in Rhode Island and made the trip to Salve Regina University to see the elephant migration exhibit and an elephant that was actually inspired by her.

There are currently one hundred life-sized elephants along the waterfront in Newport and those that went to see them on Thursday, got an extra treat.

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Guests were likely surprised to see British royalty among them viewing these stunning elephants, but that's exactly what happened with a seemingly random visit from the Duchess of York.

Ferguson has long been a supporter of conservation and protecting the planet and the goal of this traveling elephant art piece is to bring awareness to the need for coexistence between the people of India and the elephants around them.

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The project, along with being a massive art exhibition, is a global fundraising project created by United Kingdom-based nonprofit Elephant Family. That may be why UK royalty came to see the exhibit first stop on it's tour of the United States.

Of course with the Newport Folk Festival happening this weekend and the Newport International Polo Series beginning it's season this Saturday, The Duchess may have a few more plans in Newport over the next few days.

Ferguson is not new to Newport, she was in town back in 2019 for the Inaugural Audrain's Newport Concours & Motor Week event, chaired by Jay Leno.

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That event won't be happening until mid-October for 2024, so perhaps the Duchess of York will be in Newport again this fall.

For now, guests have until September 6th to view these stunning elephants for themselves.

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