Believe me, there are not many occasions when a popular royal is overshadowed by an aged and frail politician.

So meet the Princess Royal and Baroness Margaret Thatcher.
Here we had an 81-year-old former Prime Minister and our hardest working royal, a mere 56.

One who talked of growing up through “those extraordinary years” of the Cold War and one who helped end it.

Both were at RAF Cosford yesterday for the historic opening of the national Cold War exhibition at the base’s museum. And both drew applause and approval from guests, top brass and personnel.

But it was Margaret Thatcher, one time Iron Lady, a most formidable presence on the world stage, who everyone jostled to see and follow.

And it was she who got the first warm royal welcome when the princess arrived. She walked directly past the podium and other dignitaries to shake the hand of the woman who was instrumental in changing the course of 20th century history.

While in her official speech, the princess paid a clear and generous tribute to Margaret Thatcher when she looked directly at her and said: “There are others here much better qualified to open this spectacular exhibition than I am.”

Frail and slow but without the walking stick on which she has leaned heavily these past years, the baroness waved away the idea of the lift and insisted on taking the open, metalwork staircase from the exhibition’s second level to the ground floor.

In a warm, moss green winter coat and with that familiar immaculate hairdo, our once brisk and straight-backed first woman Prime Minister was tiny beneath the mighty wings of valiant aircraft, legends of war now proud and silent in peace. What secrets of both joy and terror they hold.

It had been hoped that Russian president of the day, Mikhail Gorbachev, and former American defence secretary Robert McNamara would join Baroness Thatcher for what would indeed have been a historic moment.

Who will forget those famous words after her first meeting with Russia’s top man: “I like Mr Gorbachev, I can do business with him.”

Sadly neither the Russian nor the American were fit enough to travel. But the Iron Lady did.

As of course, did the Princess Royal despite what sounded like an over-used voice or sore throat.

In an elegant, loose-flowing camel coat with striking embroidered lapels, she took the interest for which she is so well in known in everything she saw.

And on this occasion was with her naval husband, Tim Laurence, who will be promoted to vice admiral, and made chief executive of Defence Estates this April and who was also clearly absorbed by the new exhibition’s story.

The princess told assembled guests: “Having grown up in that period, what a difficult war to understand.

“This exhibition is a real contribution to the understanding of that war period in people’s lives. It covers lifestyle and all areas like economies, social and cultural aspects of life, on both sides of the Iron Curtain.”

It does indeed. The £36 million package which created the stunning, futuristic, silver-sided building round the hardware of history has been well spent.

On two storeys within its walls – through the obligatory museum shop, of course – stand or hang the awesome remains of military might.

Director general of the Air Force Museum, Dr Michael Fopp, is proud to point out that despite the obvious challenge, planes and engines had been positioned on the ground or strung above our heads within one centimetre of the plan. To which you can only say “wow!”.

Those of us who can remember those words which crossed the east-west divide, will also recall that “glasnost” means openness and “perestroika” means resconstructing.

Both of them began that process of melting the Cold War.

The new Cosford enterprise with its heavyweight tanks and bombs as well as planes including Britain’s trio of V-bombers, Vulcan, Victor and Valiant, paints a broader picture than just of military hardware.

It includes life-sized Russian dolls; a history of spy days as well as fly days; Nevil Shute’s best seller of the era, On The Beach; portraits sent across the borders of Berlin; and a statue of Lenin incongruously holding a bag advertising the site’s shop.

A Russian attache was on the guest list, international media came from the former USSR and a princess graciously acknowledged an elderly lady who had touched that era in a remarkable way.

By Shirley Tart