The unveiling of Banbury's Lady on a White Horse statue, pictured, by the Princess Royal yesterday (April 27) was cheered by a large crowd.

Some of the crowd had waited since early morning for a glimpse of Princess Anne and a first look at the statue, inspired by the nursery rhyme Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross.

The Princess, inset, a keen horsewoman, said: "Banbury holds a special place in history, because it's so well known through its nursery rhyme and it's extraordinary that for all the time the Cross has been here, there has been no lady on a white horse."

She added: "It's a very fine piece of art, that reflects the fame Banbury has achieved, not just in the UK, but worldwide, through the few lines of its rhyme."

The £175,000 statue, first suggested in 1988, was funded by donations from the public and businesses and with grants.

John Bell, a member of the statue appeal committee said: "For Banbury, the statue represents what in olden times was the arrival of spring, and so it's appropriate that we're unveiling the figure at this time of the year."

The Princess also opened the new headquarters of the Banbury-based charity Adoption UK, in South Bar. The charity works with adoptive parents.