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LV Queen, Queen Mother and small children shaking hands with official before boarding train
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LV Crowd at station watch
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SV Princess Anne and Prince Philip and Prince Charles and young boy board train
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SV Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon leave clinic and into car
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Initials JMR/JH/MH/1143 JMR/JH/MH/1154



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Queen Elizabeth and other members of Britain's Royal family left London yesterday (30 December) for a New Year holiday at Sandringham, their country home in Norfolk. Earlier in the day Princess Margaret answered United States Press reports of a rift in her marriage by driving to the London Clinic to collect her husband, Lord Snowdon, who had a minor operation there weeks ago.

The Queen was wearing a midi-coat with fashionable "wet-look" boots as she arrived at Liverpool Street Station for the train journey to Sandringham, about 90 miles (150 km) north-east of London.

With her were the Queen Mother, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Princess Anne and young members of the Royal Family, including Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones and Viscount Linley, children of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon.

The marriage of Princess Margaret has been the subject of speculation since the Washington Post alleged early this week that the Princess and Lord Snowdon had agreed to a divorce. The report has been officially denied by a spokesman for the Royal Family. Yesterday the Princess answered the rumour in another way. She went to the London Clinic to be with her husband as he left after a minor operation.

Lord Snowdon walked with the aid of a stick. He told waiting reporters: "I feel much better. I want to take things easy for a bit".