Princess to visit Chile

Jan 11, 2007, 13:30 GMT

Britain's Princess Anne will visit Chile later this month.

The Princess Royal will travel to the South American country on January 22, for a three-day whirlwind tour.

British Embassy press attaché Mariela Vallejos told the Santiago Times: "She's coming as a gesture of goodwill in terms of fostering relations with Chile, which are already very good, at least from the U.K. point of view, and I think from the Chilean point of view as well."

Anne will spend her first day in Punta Arenas where she has been invited to visit the Chilean Antarctic Institute, the Munoz Gamero, a 19th century English sailing boat grounded years ago, and meet with members of the Anglo-Chilean community.

John Rees, the British Embassy's honorary consul in Punta Arenas, said: "Here there is an Anglo-Chilean community that goes back quite a while. The community has its origins in the old sheep ranches."

On Tuesday (23.01.07) the princess - married to Timothy Laurence - will meet with Chile's President Michelle Bachelet in Vina del Mar and then visit a centre in Valparaiso that works with abused children.

Her final day will see her travel to Santiago to tour the new headquarters of the 14th Firefighters Company. Anne's brother Prince Edward laid the foundations for the building during a visit to Chile in 2005.

(C) BANG Media International