Traditional dancers welcome Princess Anne to Sri Lanka for historic visit

The Princess Royal has been welcomed to Sri Lanka with a dazzling performance by traditional dancers.

Anne carried a bag in each hand as she walked down the plane’s steps before greeting dignitaries at the start of a three-day visit celebrating the UK’s ties with the Commonwealth country.

Groups of dancers and musicians performed for the royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, with drummers playing a hypnotic beat in hot and humid conditions.

Andrew Patrick, British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, was among the dignitaries who formally welcomed Anne for what he described as a “historic” visit.