Princess Anne, the 74-year-old sister of King Charles, reaffirmed her status as the hardest-working royal during her first engagement of the year at the Oxford Farming Conference. As the honorary president of the prestigious event, she engaged with key figures in agriculture and listened to a speech delivered by Labour's Steve Reed.
The Oxford Farming Conference is known for addressing critical issues in farming and agriculture, and Princess Anne has been a consistent presence over the years. Her commitment to understanding the complexities of farming reflects her belief that "farming as a family enterprise understands long-term value," as noted by Crediton Milling.
Following the conference, Princess Anne attended a dinner at Windsor Castle for Gordonstoun School, where she serves as warden. This institution holds personal significance; King Charles himself was educated at Gordonstoun, and Princess Anne chose to send her own children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, to the same school.
Her dedication is evident in her impressive record of 457 royal engagements carried out in 2023 alone. According to royal commentator Emily Nash, “Princess Anne is once again the hardest working royal in terms of the number of royal engagements carried out, closely followed by the King, who has also had to deal with his daily red boxes since becoming monarch.” Anne’s work ethic is particularly noteworthy considering she is well past the average retirement age, emphasizing her commitment to her royal duties.
Despite being significantly older than many of her royal counterparts, Princess Anne continues to maintain a busy schedule. Emily Nash remarked, “Either way, Anne's dedication to her duties and her work ethic are remarkable, especially given she is long past the average retirement age.” In contrast to younger royals like William and Kate, who focus on longer-term projects to create societal change, Anne's approach remains rooted in frequent engagements and hands-on involvement.
At the conference, Princess Anne was dressed in a navy skirt paired with tights and black boots, exuding elegance while reflecting her professional demeanor. Her history with the Oxford Farming Conference includes delivering a speech in 2023 and attending numerous times over the years. This year's attendance is likely the first of many engagements for 2024, which promises to keep her title as the busiest royal intact.
