Princess Anne has once again been crowned the hardest-working royal, having completed 217 engagements in 2024. The ‘no-nonsense’ Princess Royal carried out 31 more official duties than her elder brother King Charles, who managed 186 despite undergoing cancer treatment over the past year.
This data was gathered by Reboot SEO company and is based on entries published in the Court Circular, as reported by The Telegraph. The Duke of Gloucester and Prince Edward tied for third place with 126 engagements each, while Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, came fifth with 124.
Despite a brief hiatus in June due to a horse-related injury that resulted in a concussion, Princess Anne still topped the list. The incident occurred at her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire, leading to her being admitted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol.
Her commitment to public service, coupled with her straightforward approach, has cemented her status as one of the most beloved royals, consistently earning high approval ratings in opinion polls.
Prince William and Kate, who are usually among the top ranks in these annual listings, saw a decrease in their number of engagements this year, following the Princess’ cancer diagnosis and subsequent preventative chemotherapy, reports the Express.
Prince William engaged with 71 official commitments in 2024, while Princess Kate was seen at a modest tally of 11. During an interview in South Africa last month, the Prince of Wales candidly discussed the string of health concerns faced by the Royal family, describing 2024 as “probably the hardest year in my life.”
Princess Anne not only throws herself into her myriad of Royal duties but is also renowned for her passion for horse riding and her accomplishments within equestrian events. She made history as the first member of the Royal Family to participate in the Olympics, showcasing her talents in Montreal in 1976.
As the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Princess Anne initially stood third in line for the throne at the time of her birth, though she has since moved to 17th in the line of succession. Her romantic life saw her marrying twice, with her first husband Captain Mark Phillips being the father of her two children, Peter and Zara.
In a conversation with Vanity Fair in 2020, the Princess Royal reflected on her choice not to bestow Royal titles upon her offspring: “I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles… So I think that was probably the right thing to do.”
Adding to the dialogue around her mother’s decision, Zara Tindall spoke to The Total Sport Podcast for Seven: Rob Burrow, remarking: “From my point of view, I was obviously very lucky that my mother didn’t give us any titles so I really commend her on that. We were very lucky that we got to do it a bit our own way.”
She further added: “My family has a great work ethic as well which I’m hoping they instilled in me and is still going to this day.”