Princess Anne has voiced her support for genetically-modified (GM) crops in a stance that positions her against her brother, Prince Charles.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today programme, due to be broadcasted tomorrow (22 March), the Princess said GM has “important benefits” for food production, and said she would be open to growing GM crops on her own land.

'Gene technology has got real benefits to offer,” she said, adding that 'maybe have an occasional downside but I suspect not very many.”

The Princess, who runs her own farm and chairs many farming charities and initiatives, said 'we have to accept' the process could help production and livestock health.

The Prince of Wales, however, has been a longstanding opponent to GM food. In the past, he has said relying on “gigantic corporation”s for food would result in 'absolute disaster'.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph in 2008, the heir to the throne said: “If they think it's somehow going to work because they are going to have one form of clever genetic engineering after another then again count me out, because that will be guaranteed to cause the biggest disaster environmentally of all time.'

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