[endowed a £50 million fund for white children…]

Socialist Organiser no. 109, 18 November 1982 · scan p. 2 · about 366 words

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endowed a £50 million fund for white children in South Africa who suffer disadvantage through being disapproved of by the vast majority of the population.

In a touching speech in which Princess Anne reminded her hosts that she too had a little white child back home, she said that the emotional upset of being called an oppressor was something that she and her brothers had had to suffer as children and it had produced unattractive personality traits in all of them as adults. The fund will not be used to treat the complex but to provide a few material comforts which will help to make it seem less important.

Tour

However the international significance of her tour has been underplayed by the British press according to Buckingham Palace. Official press releases had compared the Princess to Mother Theresa of Cal cutta on a mission of mercy to the children of the world.

But when she was opening a BUPA children's hospital in Swaziland and trying to explain the Save as You Starve health care insurance policy there were harsh words at the subsequent press conferSun ence.

The Princess had explained the purpose of her visit to the press corps and said she would answer questions. The first question from the British press contingent was 'Are you jealous of your sister-in-law's sex appeal?' An unnamed palace spokesman said: "These children are the refugees of tomorrow and they could grow up with no respect for the British royal family if it were not for the efforts of Her Highness. Yet all the bloody press seems interested in is whether the Princess cares for her horse more than she cares for Mark. I'll tell you the Queen is bloody choked. Says the whole trip is a waste of time But the palace is still hoping to rescue something from the ashes of the visit and it is generally acknowledged that Princess Anne has managed to conceal her contempt for everyone she met better than most members of the Royal Family.

Now she is due to have confidential meeting with Mr. Michael Heseltine, minister for poverty at home, to discuss a tour of Toxteth and Brixton.

Patrick Spilling