NOVEMBER 4, 1996

Williams's royal seal of approval

BRITAIN's Princess Royal - formerly Princess Anne - officially opened the new Williams Grand Prix Engineering's factory at Grove last week, unveiling a commemorative plaque to mark the event.

BRITAIN's Princess Royal - formerly Princess Anne - officially opened the new Williams Grand Prix Engineering's factory at Grove last week, unveiling a commemorative plaque to mark the event.

The Princess has enjoyed a long association with Williams and is even said to have driven a Williams F1 car in a closed test at Silverstone in the early 1980s - no-one got a photograph to prove the event had ever taken place.

She is also patron of the Spinal Injuries Association, the team's official charity, and after the unveiling attended a private auction of Williams team memorabilia with the proceeds going to the charity.

The team moved from its old factory at Didcot to the new base at Grove during the course of the 1996 season - which makes the team's double World Championship success this year all the more remarkable.