Princess Anne declared 'trooper' by royal fans after losing major title to King Charles

Fintan Starkey

By Fintan Starkey


Published: 07/01/2026

- 17:55

The Princess Royal begins her new set of engagements this week

Royal fans have showered Princess Anne with praise on social media, hailing her as a "trooper" and "national treasure" even after King Charles claimed the title of hardest-working royal for 2025.

The 75-year-old Princess Royal, Queen Elizabeth's only daughter, had held the unofficial distinction for several consecutive years before her elder brother surpassed her tally.


Fans expressed their admiration in the comments section beneath an Instagram video showing her leaving a London event for Transaid, a charity she supports as a patron.

"HRH is wonderful. What a trooper! Her dedication and work supporting HM and for her causes is incredible. God Bless the Princess Royal," one commenter wrote.

Princess Anne, King Charles

Princess Anne has been praised by royal fans on social media after losing the Hardest Working Royal title to King Charles

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Others described her as "really amazing" and a "wonderful person" who "works unbelievably hard and never shouts about it."

The Princess Royal completed 478 official engagements throughout 2025, falling short of the monarch's 532 appearances during the same period.

The Duke of Edinburgh ranked third among working royals with 313 engagements, while the Duchess of Edinburgh undertook 235.

Despite losing her crown as the busiest royal, Princess Anne actually boosted her schedule compared to the previous year.

Her 2025 figure represents a 10 per cent rise from the 457 engagements she carried out in 2024.

The increase demonstrates her continued commitment to royal duties, even as her 75th year saw her brother take the top spot for the first time since 2022.

Princess Anne

Princess Anne lost her unofficial title of the Hardest Working Royal in 2025

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This week will see the Princess Royal's first official engagement of the new year when she attends the Oxford Farming Conference on January 8.

She holds the positions of both honorary president and patron of the agricultural gathering.

The upcoming appearance follows her impressive track record of topping the royal work charts in recent years.

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Princess Anne secured the hardest-working royal title in both 2023 and 2024, recording 433 and 457 engagements respectively during those years.

Her consistent presence at the summit of royal duty statistics over multiple years had established her reputation as the family's most dedicated public servant before her brother's 2025 surge in appearances.

Princess Anne's dedication to public service stretches back more than five decades, beginning with her first official duty in 1969 when she met Welsh soldiers at just 18 years of age.

Princess Anne

Princess Anne is set to start her 2026 engagements on Thursday as she attends the Oxford Farming Conference

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Her children, Peter Phillips, 48, and Zara Tindall, 44, from her marriage to Mark Phillips, do not carry royal titles nor serve as working royals.

This was a deliberate choice made by their parents at birth, with Princess Anne telling Vanity Fair in 2020: "I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles, so I think that was probably the right thing to do."

Her daughter Zara spoke about the family's dedication on the Seven: Rob Burrow podcast in 2023, saying: "My family has a great work ethic as well, which I'm hoping they instilled in me."