Princess Anne Fined for Speeding

L O N D O N, March 13 -- Britain's Princess Anne — Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter — pleaded guilty today to breaking the speed limit, even though she thought police were following her as an official escort.

The 50-year-old princess was caught driving her luxury Bentley at 93 mph in a 70-mph speed zone near her home Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, England, on Aug. 27, 2000. She was fined $570.

The princess — who was on her way to an official function at the time — ignored the police car that pulled out behind her flashing its lights.

Kim Edge, clerk of the court, said: "She saw the police car and believed it was waiting to escort her on her journey. She accelerated from behind the slow-moving traffic, to a clear part of the road where the officers could see her."

Copping a Plea

In addition to the fine, the princess was ordered to pay $43 for court costs and had five penalty points placed against her license. A maximum of 12 points is allowed before a license is withdrawn.

Princess Anne pleaded guilty to speeding in a letter forwarded to the court by her lawyers.

Chairman of the Bench Graham Sacker commented: "We have taken into account Her Royal Highness' immediate guilty plea. This was an offense of average seriousness by a person of high means."

The princess is president of some 222 organizations — the most prominent of which is the Save the Children Fund — and spends a lot of her time at official functions.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman issued a statement saying, "The princess was keeping to a tight schedule … she has admitted that she was speeding at the time and she accepts that she is subject to the normal rule of the law and will be paying the fine."

As part of her official schedule, the princess was touring a police station today and did not appear in court. She arrived for the tour in a silver Jaguar — as a passenger.