PRINCESS BACKS SON OVER DRUGS RORY CARROLL

Princess Michael of Kent yesterday sought to defuse the royal family's
latest drugs embarrassment by publicly supporting her 20-year-old son,
Lord Frederick Windsor, after he admitted taking cocaine.

The Queen's cousin confessed he snorted the drug from a glossy
magazine at a party in Fulham, west London, three months ago.

In a statement his mother said: "I brought my children up to be
anti-drugs. I am disappointed that he experimented in this way, but he
has assured me that he will not do it again, and I believe him."

Frederick, the great-grandson of George V and 28th in line to the
throne, is due to return home today from his summer work experience
job with a finance firm in New York, where journalists confronted him
at the weekend.

He told them: "I admit it is true. It is very difficult to avoid
getting into this sort of thing when you move in these circles, but I
don't blame anyone else for the incident.

"I hope this will be a lesson to others. I have now rejected that side
of life and I'm going to commit myself to my studies."

The second year classics student at Magdalen college, Oxford, snorted
cocaine from a copy of Spy, a US gossip magazine, when around 20
guests were present.

The revelation came after Tom Parker Bowles, the son of Prince
Charles's companion, Camilla Parker Bowles, admitted to a cocaine
problem earlier this year. Frederick, like Mr Parker Bowles, is said
to be friendly with Prince William.

One of Frederick's friends yesterday played down reports of his
influence on the prince.

The friend said: "He sees him at official family functions but they do
not go out together. They know each other, of course, but they are not
close."

A report published on Saturday by the British crime survey showed that
cocaine has become Britain's fastest growing recreational drug among
20-year-olds

Home office researchers said those who tended to use drugs most are
the very rich, the very poor, and young, prosperous professionals.