<p id=”par-1_53″>The royal who continues to hold the weight of the monarchy’s work on their shoulders is <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/princess-anne/”>Princess Anne</a>. She’s always been the hardest-working royal. However, since King Charles instituted a <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/royals-feeling-effects-slimmed-down-monarchy-princess-anne-running-on-empty.html/?swcfpc=1″>slimmed-down monarchy</a>, her workload has been even more punishing for the king’s 74-year-old sister. Is this schedule finally taking a toll on Anne?</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-princess-anne-admits-quitting-backbreaking-schedule-isn-t-an-option”>Princess Anne admits quitting backbreaking schedule ‘isn’t an option’</h2>
<p id=”par-2_30″>Speaking to the Press Association on a trip to South Africa, Princess Anne admitted that quitting her tough schedule isn’t something she can readily do. The <a href=”https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87d34rq541o” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>BBC</a> reported her statements.</p>
<p id=”par-3_31″>Anne said of retirement: “I don’t think there’s a retirement program on this particular life. It really isn’t written in, no. It isn’t really an option, no, I don’t think so.”</p>
<p id=”par-4_40″>Since becoming monarch in September 2022, King Charles has pushed for the idea of a slimmed-down monarchy. This idea revolves around reducing the number of working royals and streamlining the institution to focus on a core group of senior royals.</p>
<p id=”par-5_38″>Due to <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/king-charles-turns-away-camilla-parker-bowles-amidst-royal-family-turmoil-correspondent.html/?swcfpc=1″>Charles’ plan</a> the number of working royals has been cut drastically. Currently, the list of working royals includes King Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles, Princess Anne, Kate Middleton, Prince William, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and Prince Edward.</p>
<p id=”par-6_41″>However, Anne continues to maintain a backbreaking schedule of royal appearances. After a scary fall early in 2024, Anne lept right back into a punishing daily routine of work, understanding Charles’ desire for the monarchy to remain ever-present to the public.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-anne-reveals-slimmed-down-monarchy-doesn-t-sound-like-a-good-idea”>Anne reveals slimmed-down monarchy ‘doesn’t sound like a good idea’</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/the-royal-family-in-2023.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”The royal family during King Charles’ coronation in 2023″ class=”wp-image-3770038″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>The royal family during King Charles’ coronation in 2023 | Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-7_36″>In 2023, Princess Anne sat down with the <a href=”https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/watch-princess-anne-says-you-know-what-you-re-getting-with-her-brother-king-charles-1.6827416″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>CBC</a> to discuss her brother’s ascension into the monarchy’s highest role. It was during this discussion that she spoke up about Charles’ plan to slim down the institution.</p>
<p id=”par-8_48″>Anne didn’t appear supportive. “Well, I think the ‘slimmed down’ was said in a day when there were a few more people around,” she said. “It doesn’t sound like a good idea from where I’m standing, I would say. I’m not quite sure what else we can do.”</p>
<p id=”par-9_24″>Princess Anne made 474 engagements in 2024, making her the hardest-working member of the British royal family. This was 17 more engagements than she logged in 2023. </p>
<p id=”par-10_40″>This is an enormous amount of work. Particularly since <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/princess-annes-hospitalization-reportedly-shaken-daughter-zara-tindall-to-the-core.html/?swcfpc=1″>Anne was hospitalized</a> in early 2024 after being <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/princess-annes-neighbor-reveals-happened-scary-moments-kicked-horse.html/?swcfpc=1″>kicked by a horse</a>, which forced her to cancel several engagements. She also stepped in for her Charles, after his cancer diagnosis in February. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-a-royal-expert-says-princess-anne-has-no-plans-to-retire”>A royal expert says Princess Anne has no plans to retire</h2>
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<p id=”par-11_40″>Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal expert, told <a href=”https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/king-charles-slimmed-down-monarchy-forces-princess-anne-keep-working-scandal” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Fox News</a> “Princess Anne has made it clear she disagrees with the concept, associated with King Charles, of a slimmed-down monarchy. Her point was that it was already slimmed down without the Sussexes and Prince Andrew.”</p>
<p id=”par-12_34″>Fitzwilliams continued, “It is certainly no surprise that the member of the royal family who usually is the hardest-working royal has no plans to retire. Senior working members of the royal family rarely do.”</p>
<p id=”par-13_25″>Anne may not have a choice but to keep calm and carry on. The royal family has slimmed down without Charles’ interference since 2019. </p>
<p id=”par-14_41″>First, Prince Andrew was forced to step down by Queen Elizabeth because of his controversial friendship with late American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. One year later, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back as senior royals, moving to California.</p>
<p id=”par-15_26″>In 2024, <a href=”https://thecrownchronicles.co.uk/royal-news/princess-anne-is-hardest-working-royal-of-2024-engagement-breakdown/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Crown Chronicles</a> detailed just how hard the remaining senior royals have worked. Coming in behind Anne was King Charles, who performed 372 engagements.</p>
<p id=”par-16_30″>In third place was the Duke of Edinburgh at 293 visits, his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh at 257 engagements, and Richard, the Duke of Gloucester undertook 216 engagements.</p>
<p id=”par-17_33″>Coming in sixth place was Queen Camilla with 182 engagements and Prince William at 166. Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester carried out 98 appearances while Edward, Duke of Kent, carried out 97. </p>
<p id=”par-18_31″>Raking at the bottom was Kate Middleton who completed just 13 appearances throughout 2024. However, this was because she was undergoing chemotherapy for an undisclosed type of cancer throughout the year.</p>
<p id=”par-19_12″>Princess Anne will remain an ever-present royal family figure as 2025 continues.</p>