Princess Anne unhurt in Fiji bowl attack

Princess Anne

A man was arrested for throwing a metal bowl in the direction of Princess Anne in the Fijian capital yesterday, police said.

No one was injured in the fracas outside the Save the Children Fund office in Suva where Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter had just officiated at a charity function, police spokeswoman Sylvia Low said.

A 24-year-old man with a history of psychiatric problems hurled a 15cm-diameter steel bowl towards a policeman who was closing the door of a car the princess had just entered, Low said.

The bowl struck no one.

"A police officer was closing the door and this guy... threw a steel mortar... toward the police officer," Low said.

"The officer was near the princess, but she was already seated in the vehicle," she added.

The man has yet to be charged but is expected to appear before a magistrate on Monday, Low said. Princess Anne flies to New Zealand today for a four-day visit to take part in the closing sessions of the 2006 Emerging Pacific Leaders' Dialogue. The two-week dialogue opens in Brisbane, closes in Auckland, and includes study tours to 10 Pacific locations. Princess Anne will also take part in events with organisations she has a personal interest in, including Save the Children New Zealand and Riding for the Disabled.