British officials say the Olympic torch for the 2012 London Games will be flown to Britain on Friday.

Greece passed the torch to Britain's Princess Anne, a former Olympic equestrian, during a rainy ceremony in Athens on Thursday.

Soccer star David Beckham was among the British dignitaries attending the event. The torch was lit in Greece 10 days ago.

London Olympic Chairman Sebastian Coe describes the arrival of the flame in the host country as a clarion call to the participants from more than 200 nations.

Torchbearers will carry the flame nearly 13,000 kilometers across Britain, starting Saturday in far southwestern England.

The flame's final destination is a cauldron in Olympic stadium on July 27, the opening day of the games.