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British RoyalsPrincess Anne and Family

Keeping up with Anne: the Princess Royal’s week

It started in London and ended in Paris and in between, there were stops in Scotland and the Midlands. The Princess Royal’s week has seen her carry out engagements linked to a number of causes close to her heart including horse riding and rugby. Here’s a look back at what the past seven days have brought for Anne.

The Princess Royal began her week with a discussion about the impact that one of her great passions, horse riding, can have on mental health. Anne was at the Livery Equestrian Charities Forum on Monday in her role as perpetual master of the Worshipful Company of Saddlers. The princess met representatives of equestrian organisations and spoke about the importance of them all working together.

The following day saw Anne head to Pride Park in Derby for a conference run by UK Coaching, of which she is patron. The organisation aims to promote health and more active lifestyles through the support of strong coaching. During her visit, the princess took part in a session of cognitive gymnastics and there was, again, a focus on mental health as Anne gave a speech about the links between physical health and psychological wellbeing.

On Wednesday, February 20th the Princess Royal spent the day in Glasgow for a series of engagements and the first had a poignant family link. Anne marked the 50th anniversary of the city’s College of Nautical Studies, an institution opened in 1969 by her beloved great uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten. Photos of Lord Mountbatten at the inauguration were on show and the princess also met two of those who had chatted with him on that special day half a century ago.

Later that day, Anne visited Victim Support Scotland of which she is President to hear about its work with those who are grieving. At a reception for bereaved families, the princess met staff and volunteers as well as speaking to some of those they help.

On Thursday, Anne was in London where she presented the Institute of Meat’s Annual Awards in her role as Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Butchers. The ceremony took place at Painters’ Hall in the City of London.

The week ended in Paris where the princess, who is the patron of Scottish Rugby Union, watched the team play France in the Six Nations. The match at the Stade de France ended with victory for Scotland who ended up as 32-26 winners.

According to the Court Circular, the Princess Royal has carried out 61 engagements so far this year. Anne was the busiest royal in 2018, with a total of 518 events across the year.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.