Princess Royal visits British military peacekeepers serving in Cyprus

The Princess Royal has made an overseas tour, visiting British soldiers serving with the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus.

Anne met members of the Royal Logistic Corps, the Army unit which she serves as colonel-in-chief, to recognise their service as one of the UN's longest-serving peacekeeping forces.

The peacekeepers led Anne on a tour of a section of the UN-controlled buffer zone that separates the island nation's breakaway Turkish Cypriot north from the internationally-recognised Greek Cypriot south.

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The Princess laid a wreath at a cemetery in the buffer zone where many Commonwealth soldiers who died in conflicts including both world wars are buried.

The visit came the day after Harry's ghost-written memoir Spare went on sale around the world. The book exposes bitter divides inside the House of Windsor.

During her visit to the country, Anne met with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades.

They both discussed climate change-related issues, the energy crisis spurred by Russia's war in Ukraine and efforts to restart stalled talks to reunify Cyprus, a government statement said.

Mr Anastasiades gifted the Princess a silver copy of a cup from the fourth century BC and a photo album of Cypriots who volunteered to fight with British forces during the Second World War. Anne reciprocated with a portrait of herself.

The Princess also met with soldiers and their families at Dhekelia Garrison, one of two military bases that the UK retained after Cyprus gained independence from British rule in 1960.

British High Commissioner to Cyprus Irfan Siddiq said in a statement that the visit was "an important opportunity to showcase the strength of the enduring links between our two countries".