Sir Tim Laurence, the husband of Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, has accepted an invitation to become the President of The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust (GWRT).

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust is an independent charity that supports and maintains the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway as a living museum.

The Trust recently launched a £1.5 million appeal to support the repair and restoration of the Railway’s iconic Stanway Viaduct, which has fifteen arches, each 36 feet (11 metres) high.

Prior to his appointment as President of The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust, Sir Tim viewed the viaduct and travelled over it and visited the signal box and Carriage and Wagon works at Winchcombe during a visit to the railway.

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust is a separate organisation from the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (Plc) which owns and operates the railway.

The two organisations work in partnership to keep the railway fully operational and make it one of the Cotswold’s leading visitor attractions.

Although the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway does not have any special events planned for the Coronation of His Royal Highness, King Charles III, the railway will have a presence at the Coronation as Sir Tim will be one of the guests in Westminster Abbey.

The railway’s next event will be the Cotswold Festival of Steam 2023 ‘Cheltenham & Gloucester Remembered’ from Friday, 12th to Sunday, 14th May.

Philip Young, Chairman of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust, said: “We are delighted that Sir Tim has accepted our invitation to become our President just as we seek to raise £1.5m in our appeal. I and my fellow Trustees look forward to working with Sir Tim not only to secure the viaduct for the future but also to develop the heritage railway we love.”

Sir Tim Laurence commented “I look forward to helping the GWRT in their important work supporting the steam railway, and to meeting the dedicated staff and volunteers who work so hard to keep the railway running for the benefit of the public”.