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Princess Anne says retirement “isn’t really an option”

She has been the hardest working royal four years in a row.
princess anne

Princess Anne has opened up about her recent accident involving a horse and has also given an insight into her future working life within the royal family.

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The Princess, who is sister to King Charles and carries out regular official royal engagements, made the comments on a recent tour to South Africa.

princess anne
Princess Anne carries out hundreds of royal engagements a year. (Credit: Getty)

No retirement program

During the two-day tour of Cape Town, Princess Anne was asked about her future plans and whether retirement was a possibility.

“It really isn’t written in, no. It isn’t really an option, no, I don’t think so,” she said.

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“I don’t think there’s a retirement programme on this particular life.”

The Princess Royal has been named the hardest working royal four years in a row, and last year carried out 217 engagements as of November 2024 based on a Telegraph analysis.

Her mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, famously worked right up until her death in 2022.

According to author Robert Hardman in his book ‘The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy’, the late Queen was still signing papers on the day of her death.

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Princess Anne in south Africa
Princess Anne during her two-day to trip to South Africa. (Credit: Getty)

Every day is a bonus

The Princess Royal also commented on the recent injuries she sustained following a horse-related accident in June 2024.

Following the accident, Princess Anne required hospitalisation for a concussion. She also had to temporarily step down from royal duties while she recovered.

When asked if she remembered the accident, she replied “No, nothing.”

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She said she could not even remember walking into the field where the accident occurred.

“I don’t have any idea what I was doing in the field, because I never normally went that way,” she said.

princess anne at ascot races
Princess Anne at Ascot Racecourse in 2024. (Credit: Getty)

However, she said the incident shows that you never know when something might happen from which you cannot recover.

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Princess Anne denied any lingering health issues, quipping: “They haven’t been honest enough to tell me yet.”

And she is maintaining a positive outlook on life following the accident.

“Every day is a bonus,” she said.

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