Princess Anne has high ranks in all branches of the British Armed Forces. In 2012, she became an Admiral of the Royal Navy; while in 2020, to coincide with her 70th birthday, Queen Elizabeth II appointed her General of the British Army and Air Chief Marshal of the Royal Air Force.
At the time of her Army and Air Force appointments, the Ministry of Defence shared that Princess Anne had constantly made an “invaluable contribution and commitment to the military.”
The Princess Royal is something of a trailblazer, becoming the first royal princess to ride on horseback during Trooping the Colour, something she continues to this day as Colonel-in-Chief of the Blues and Royals, one of the Household Cavalry regiments. She has held this position since 1998.
With this position, Princess Anne serves as Gold Stick to the Sovereign, a personal attendant that acts as a bodyguard during ceremonial or state occasions. She famously quipped ahead of her older brother’s coronation in 2023 that as Gold Stick, her outfit was sorted: “I was asked if I’d like to do for this coronation. So, I said yes. Not least of all, it solves my dress problem.”
Princess Anne holds many other military ranks within the British Armed Forces, including colonelcies with the Royal Corps of Signals, The King’s Royal Hussars, the Royal Logistic Corps, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the 52nd Lowland, 6th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, the 1st Battalion Ranger Regiment, and the Intelligence Corps.
Recognising the importance of women in the military, Princess Anne also serves as the Chief Commandant for Women in the Royal Navy, a post she’s held since 1993. Prior to that, between 1974 and 1993, she was the Chief Commandant of the Women’s Royal Naval Service.
Within the Royal Air Force, she serves as Honorary Air Commodore of the University of London Air Squadron and RAF Brize Norton. In the Royal Navy, she serves as Commodore-in-Chief of HMNB Portsmouth and Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps. She is also the lady sponsor of the HMS Albion and the HMS Venturer.
Within the Commonwealth, Princess Anne counts on honorary military appointments from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
In Australia, Princess Anne has served as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals and the Royal Australian Corps of Transport, appointed in 1977 and 2011, respectively.
In Canada, Princess Anne holds eight high-ranking positions within their Armed Forces. She is Colonel-in-Chief of the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise’s), of the Grey and Simcoe Foresters, of the Communications and Electronics Branch, of The Royal Regina Rifles, of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, of the Royal Canadian Medical Service, and of the Royal Canadian Hussars, dating back to 1972 for her earliest appointment and 2014 for her most recent.
Princess Anne is also the Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Navy (Fleet Pacific), which oversees all naval activities on the west coast of the Commonwealth realm. She is also the Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
In New Zealand, both of her colonelcies date to 1977: the Royal New Zealand Army Nursing Corps and the Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals.
