Editing Austin Princess (section)

==Popular culture==
At the height of [[Beatlemania]], Austin Princess limousines were the Beatles' preferred mode of transport. According to their chauffeur/roadie, [[Mal Evans]], the Princess was chosen because the wide coach doors opened allowing the Beatles to dive into the car to escape crowds of fans.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LDUuIm74pdMC&dq=Beatles+Austin+princess&pg=PA230 | title=The Beatles }}</ref>

[[John Lennon]] owned a 1956 Austin Princess Hearse which he bought secondhand from a mortuary in 1971 to use as his personal limousine for a few years. The hearse was famously used by Lennon and [[Yoko Ono]] in the 1972 promotional film ''[[Imagine (1972 film)|Imagine]]'' that accompanied [[Imagine (John Lennon album)|the album]]. Shortly after filming he customized the hearse by adding five airline seats in the rear of the hearse, (complete with ashtray arms).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cline |first=Amanda |date=2021-11-13 |title=The Beatles' John Lennon Had a 1956 Austin Princess Hearse With Airline Seats |url=https://www.motorbiscuit.com/the-beatles-john-lennon-1956-austin-princess-hearse-airline-seats/ |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=MotorBiscuit |language=en-US}}</ref>

A 1964 Austin Princess was used during the state funeral of [[Winston Churchill]], carrying his coffin through London from Festival Pier to Waterloo Station. The hearse survives and has been restored and put back into funeral service.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McGrail |first=Ben |date=2022-08-22 |title=Winston Churchill's hearse has been restored and is now available for funerals |url=https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2022-08-22/winston-churchills-hearse-has-been-restored-and-is-now-available-for-funerals |access-date=2024-10-22 |work=[[itv.com]]}}</ref>

On March 20, 1974, [[Princess Anne]] was returning to Buckingham Palace from a film premiere in a 1969 Austin Vanden Plas Princess Limousine when a lone gunman attempted to kidnap her. Several shots were fired into the car causing the Princess' bodyguard and chauffeur to both be shot and injured, but Princess Anne was fortunately unharmed despite being manhandled by the assailant. (This particular Austin Vanden Plas Princess was one of the last Princess limousines to roll off the production line in 1969 and delivered to the Royal Mews in 1972. As they went out of production, two were put aside for the use of junior members of the Royal Family for official engagements.)<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shuster |first=Alvin |date=1974-03-21 |title=Princess Anne and Her Husband Escape Kidnapping Attempt as Car Is Fired On |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/03/21/archives/princess-anne-and-her-husband-escape-kidnapping-attempt-as-car-is.html |access-date=2023-11-22 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

<gallery widths="175px" heights="150px">
Sandringham Princess, Sandringham Museum - Norfolk. (6143755343).jpg|1969 Princess at [[Sandringham House]]
1969 Vanden Plas Princess Royal Limousine Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon.jpg|1969 Princess at the [[British Motor Museum]]
Stoffelijk overschot van prinses Wilhelmina overgebracht, de lijkwagen verlaat d, Bestanddeelnr 914-5734.jpg|Funeral of [[Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands]] 1962
Vanden-Plas_Princess_DM4_Motorhome_front.jpg|Princess DM4 motorhome conversion
</gallery>
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