Letter: Princess lends a hand

Sir: One can only assume that Tom Wilkie, in his open letter to Princess Anne (15 April), wishes to make a positive point in support of current and future British science. But has he got his act together? Is the Princess Royal an appropriate target for his 'barbs'?

Since becoming patron of the Medical Research Council's Dunn Nutrition Centre in Cambridge, she has played an active and constructive role. Her interests are broad, and cover not only the obvious fields of maternal and child health in the Third World, but also more scientifically obscure subjects such as the complexities of gastrointestinal physiology.

Do you think the real problem may be that most scientific establishments have not taken the trouble to inform members of the Royal Family about their activities, and to invite them to support their work by becoming a patron? The primary initiative must come from the scientists themselves. They may well find that the association can be as stimulating as ours has been with Princess Anne.

Yours faithfully,

R. G. WHITEHEAD

Director

Dunn Nutrition Centre

Cambridge

18 April