Anne as competitor

Press, 19 July 1976, Page 3

Anne as competitor

NZPA-Reuter Montreal A relaxed and smiling Princess Anne joked and bantered with reporters ai her first press conference since arriving in Canada to compete in the British equestrian team at the Montreal Olympics. A press conference by a member of the Royal family is extremely rare, but the Princess took it in her si ride. One Canadian reporter asked her: "Will you swap badges with me?” The Princess said she only had one and wanted to hang on to it. Another r.'porter asked if she would “go over” a bad fall she had recently while trying to assure her place

I'm the British Olympic team. “Go over it?” she said. I [ “I’d rather not repeat it. < Actually. I remember nothing at all. I was unconscious for . ‘ about 10 minutes and then , ’ progressed steadily back to | I my present state of health. I , was very lucky.” | , Security for Princess i • Anne’s meeting with report- i . ers was no more obtrusive than for any other Olympic,, 1 competitor. i An armed guard at the i • door of the tefit screened theii ! 100 or so reporters. The Princess, in a red and ■ i r blue British track suit,]; I mingled with the crowd be-]' ■ fore taking a place beside] ■ her husband. Captain Mark |<

’’hilhps, a reserve in tne British three-day event equestrian team. The New Zealanders are quartered next to the British team in the competitors’ village at Bromont (where the equestrian events will be held) and Princess Anne’s! room is only two doors away| in the big complex. “She hasn’t invited us ■ over for a drink yet,” the i New Zealand equestrian] manager (Mr lan Nimmonji quipped yesterday. : It was hard to tell yesterdav that Princess Anne was 1 a princess — wearing a red [scarf over her blonde hair as she lined up for food like everyone else.