SHORT TAKES : Charles, Diana in Hong Kong

Prince Charles and Princess Diana arrived in Hong Kong today for a three-day official visit, possibly the last by British royalty before the colony reverts to China in 1997.

All air traffic was halted before the royal flight touched down at Kai Tak Airport, which has one of the world’s most spectacular runways, jutting out into the harbor.

Charles is expected to hear the concerns of Chinese in Hong Kong who are worried about their future under Beijing sovereignty. Local fears have been heightened by the crushing in June of China’s pro-democracy movement.

The couple had been scheduled to visit China, but the trip was canceled after the brutal crackdown in Beijing, and they went to Indonesia instead after a last-minute invitation by President Suharto.

Meanwhile, in Houston the Duchess of York ended a five-day visit to Texas with a visit to an inner-city school where she took part in a day filled with anti-drug messages.

The 30-year-old former Sarah Ferguson was also serenaded by more than 600 pupils at Blackshear Elementary School.

The duchess, who is married to Britain’s Prince Andrew, came to Houston on Thursday at the invitation of the Houston Grand Opera, which is saluting 300 years of British opera.