THE Princess Royal visited RAF Lyneham this week to offer support to those whose loved ones are serving in the war in Iraq.

She met personnel and their families at the base where she is the Honorary Air Commodore.

She congratulated one woman who is making thousands of yellow ribbons for people to wear in support of those who have been sent to the Gulf.

Beverley Isaac, 37, whose husband, Senior Aircraftsman Huw Isaac, 38, is due to be deployed with 4626 Auxiliary Medical Squadron, said: "We just want to drum up some support for the lads.

"Someone mentioned the ribbons on the RAF's Internet chatroom recently and so I just offered to make them for people.

"I started out by getting some cheap ribbon from a firm in Swansea, and now I have got 5,000 orders to do this week.

"It's incredible how it has taken off. Princess Anne seemed very interested in what I was doing."

Tracy Wood, 31, who has two sons and whose husband, Cpl Jason Wood, 33, is currently based in Kuwait, said: "You see such a lot of stuff about all these war protests but they are in a minority.

"We want to show our husbands and partners out in the Gulf that there is a lot of backing for them."

About 700 personnel have been deployed to the Gulf from RAF Lyneham, which is home to four squadrons flying 52 Hercules transport aircraft.

Karen Wilson, 37, whose husband, Sgt Rob Wilson, also 37, has been away since November with 4626 Auxiliary Medical Squadron, said it was tough looking after her son Robert, nine, and daughter Charlotte, six, while

"We miss them but I know it is difficult for them too," she said.

"They have all had to get rid of their personal effects in case they are captured so they don't even have any pictures or letters from their families.But that's life in the blue suit" (RAF uniform).

Lynn Boon, 36, whose husband, Cpl Phil Boon, 38, is an aircraft refueller based at RAF Lyneham, praised the role of the Hive, or community centre for families quartered at the base, where the princess was greeted on Tuesday.

"I am a volunteer here and it's very, very valuable to people," she said.

"It gives people a lot of support at a tough time."

The Princess Royal was later travelling to Hohne Garrison in Germany to talk to relatives of soldiers in the 7th Armoured Brigade, better known as the Desert Rats.

Her visits are the latest in a series of trips to military installations by members of the Royal Family since the war began.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "The Princess Royal is Honorary Air Commodore at RAF Lyneham and there are families of troops in Germany that have gone to the war. She wanted to do these visits."