Princess Anne visits the Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre on February 8 in London.Photo:James manning - WPA Pool/Getty Images
James manning - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Princess Annemay be famed as thehardest-working royal, but she still brings humor to duty.
On Thursday, the Princess Royal visited the Wormwood Scrubs Pony Center in London to celebrate the charity’s 35th anniversary and joked that the commemorative cake she was about to slice into simply had to be eaten.
“I hope you’ve all had a chance to see this cake because it really is stunning,” Princess Anne, 73, said before reporters.
As a lifelong equestrian and Vice Patron of the British Horse Society, the Princess Royal was in her element at the pony center, founded in 1989 to provide riding and equine therapy for children with special needs and physical disabilities. The inner-city community riding center has grown to home 22 horses and ponies as well as two donkeys and also provides adult riding instruction.
Princess Anne visits the Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre on February 8 in London.James manning - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Princess Anne also still rides and trotted into the spotlight onKing Charles’ coronation day to lead 6,000 armed services personnel through the streets of London after the crowning ceremony for her role as Gold-Stick-in-Waiting.
“It’s a busy time for them all, and her and her brother are very close, so it’s a nice thing to do,” her daughterZara Tindallexclusivelytold PEOPLEbefore the coronation.
According to the Royal Diary and Court Circular of the royal family’swebsite, the pony center visit marked Princess Anne’s 10th engagement of the week. Royal correspondent Palmer explained to a commenter on X why it was a “rare opportunity” for the press to cover her trip to the Wormwood Scrubs Pony Center.
“The palace rarely arranges rotas for her engagements. Many of us accompanied her for pieces for her 70th birthday but there have been few opportunities since. To be fair, it’s partly about resources: more staff are needed if there is a big media rota (or pool abroad) with her,” he wrote onsocial media.
By count of published, official engagements, Princess Anne has been the “hardest working member” of the royal family for several years, andThe Telegraphreported that she kept the crown in 2023. According to the newspaper’s tally using theCourt Circular, the royal family’s official record of previous engagements, the Princess Royal conducted a whopping 457 engagements, surpassing her brother the King, who clocked 425 duties.
“She just gets on with it, often carrying out multiple engagements in one day,” Queen Elizabeth’s former press spokesman Dickie Arbiter told the paper of Princess Anne’s tireless dedication.
“Of course, much of what the King does is behind the scenes, in meetings and going through his red boxes, which doesn’t warrant a mention in the Court Circular,” Arbiter added.
TheDaily Mailreported that the Princess Royal did not reference her brother’s health in a brief speech about the riding center’s anniversary and focused the tribute instead on the vision of its founder, Sister Mary Joy Langdon.The Mailreported that Anne “appeared grateful” when Sister Mary Joy told her, “We wish you and your family well at this time.”
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On Monday, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles, 75, was diagnosed with “a form of cancer” following treatment for abenign prostate enlargement. The 138-word statement specified that King Charles commenced treatment, would postpone public-facing duties and continue to work behind the scenes.
Elsewhere on Thursday,Queen Camillaattended herfirst official royal engagementsince the palace announcement about the King’s health and gave aquick updateat Salisbury Cathedral about how her husband was feeling.
ueen Camilla attends a Musical Evening at Salisbury Cathedral to celebrate the work of local charities on February 8.Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty
Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty
source: people.com
