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Princess Royal visits leading British firearms distributor

The Princess Royal with managing director Sam MacArthur on her visit to Viking Arms last week.

The royal family continue to show their support for British fieldsports, with HRH The Princess Royal visiting firearms supplier Viking Arms. 

During the visit to North Yorkshire, Princess Anne officially opened Viking Arms’ new warehouse, toured the company’s state-of-the-art facilities, and met with staff members to learn about their contributions to the UK defence and fieldsports industries. 

Since the company’s foundation in 1965, Viking Arms has grown from a small family business into one of the UK’s leading distributors of firearms, ammunition, optics and accessories. During her visit, the Princess Royal spoke to Andy Norris, Viking’s head of sporting sales, about the vital role of gamekeeping and wildlife conservation in the UK countryside, as well as exploring the latest Leupold riflescopes. 

Mr Norris commented: “It was an honour to host Her Royal Highness. Her deep passion for the countryside and her extensive knowledge of wildlife management and conservation were evident throughout the visit. Her insights made the day truly memorable.” 

In addition to officially opening the new warehouse, the Princess Royal also presented an award to long-serving employee Janet Dinsdale, in recognition of her 25 years of service. The visit concluded with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.