PRINCESS Anne has been nominated by British officials to preside over the lowering of the Union Jack in Hong Kong on June 30, 1997, as part of preliminary planning for the handover.
A senior royal presence is seen as essential at the ceremony to mark the change of sovereignty, and Whitehall has selected Princess Anne as most suited to performing this role, sources in London said.
Preparations for the handover are still at an early stage, but were high on Governor Chris Patten's agenda during his latest visit to London, which ends with his return to Hong Kong this evening.
Whitehall wants a major ceremony, with a substantial British military presence, to reflect the departure from its last major colony. This would include an aircraft carrier in Victoria Harbour, and Mr Patten's departure aboard the royal yacht Britannia.
But China is set to block plans for such a grandiose ceremony, barring a dramatic improvement in Sino-British relations over the next two years, and instead organise its own celebrations.
Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, is one of the few members of the royal family not to have been the subject of controversy recently.
