The Princess Royal has been hailed for her non-political royal soft power and “amazing” stamina during her decades of duty ahead of her 75th birthday.
Charity leaders who work closely with the King’s sister revealed she cares deeply about the state of Britain amid the current climate of challenges facing the world.
As the princess approaches her personal milestone on Friday, the woman often labelled the hardest-working royal is said to be, rather than slowing down, doing more than ever.
She has, those who know her recounted in celebration of her birthday, a “wicked wit”, a practical approach to problems, and a flair for “not always agreeing” with what they say.
Save the Children UK chief executive Moazzam Malik praised the “self-effacing” princess for her influential “soft support”, adding “you can see that she cares” about the state of the nation and the world, and in particular for children experiencing adversity.
Mr Malik told the PA news agency: “Obviously, as a royal, she’s not a political figure, but her soft support for us is very inspiring for us as an organisation and for our collaborators and partners.”
He added: “She’s very low key. She’s self-effacing. She doesn’t want to kind of take the limelight, but she’s very committed … You can see that she cares about the state of Britain and the state of the world.
“There’s a lot of challenges for us as a country, and indeed, a lot of challenges for children at a time of great geopolitical challenge. And she cares.”
Anne has been involved with Save the Children UK for 55 years, first becoming its president in 1970 in her first ever charity role in the year she turned 20, then as patron from 2017, taking over from her mother Queen Elizabeth II.
Mr Malik said the princess had met some 27,000 of the organisation’s supporters and helped raise tens of millions of pounds over the years.
She spends a large amount of time visiting Save the Children’s projects in the UK where one in three children are growing up in relative poverty, and overseas, having travelled to countries such as Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with one in 11 children globally in need of humanitarian assistance, he said.
Mr Malik added: “She’s one of our chief supporters, and it’s great to have somebody like that you know who will keep nudging you forward.”
Tanya Curry, chief executive of the Motor Neurone Disease Association of which Anne became patron in 2008, suggested the princess had increased her workload ahead of turning 75, rather than reducing it.
“I think she’s probably done a lot more for us actually, and the kind of stamina that she brings to that, mentally and physically, is amazing,” Ms Curry said.
She added: “She’s working incredibly hard, and she positions the royal family in such a great way that people really understand and really can see the work that she’s doing.”
Anne is a key member of her brother the King’s slimmed-down working monarchy and played an essential role when she stepped up in support of Charles following his cancer diagnosis.
In June 2024, she was rushed to intensive care after she was believed to have been struck by a horse on her Gatcombe Park estate.
But the princess, who was back at royal duties less than three weeks later, revealed she has no memory of the incident but now views every day as a “bonus”.
Michael Baker, chief executive of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), said Anne, who has been involved with the organisation since 1971, was determined to attend its national championships for her first return engagement after her admission to hospital.
“She wanted to be there and come what may she was going to be with us, and that was so powerful because it was clearly a determined effort to be there as the first visit back…,” he said.
“That was very deliberate on her part … and even on that day, she stayed well over her time period.”
Mr Baker told of the princess’s “great wicked wit”, adding: “She’s the first person to put everyone at ease with a quick one-liner or something that really gets to the heart of something.”
The princess supports more than 300 charities and organisations, and earlier this year brought many of them together at a special Buckingham Palace forum, insisting this was the only way she wished to mark her forthcoming 75th birthday.
Lord Kakkar, chairman of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 of which Anne is president, highlighted the princess’s practical approach and likened her to her father Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, for her ability to talk in depth about science, engineering and technology.
He said the princess was “very deeply committed” to the commission’s values in order to have a “profound impact on the lives of people in our country”, and around the world.
The commission, set up by Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert at the time of the Great Exhibition, awards around 35 postgraduate fellowships and scholarships a year for advanced research in science, engineering, the built environment and design.
Lord Kakkar said of Albert’s vision: “Her Royal Highness is very, very deeply committed and that is really, ultimately, doing all of this so it has a profound impact on the lives of people in our country, throughout the Commonwealth, indeed, throughout the world.”
The princess – known for her forthright manner – does not always agree with other people’s conclusions, he suggested.
“That is very much the approach that (the Duke of Edinburgh) took and that Her Royal Highness takes – to be interested,” Lord Kakkar added.
“What one sees in the conversations is a genuine fascination and interest in the issues, not always agreeing with the conclusions, but always being able to, with that demonstration of having prepared properly, having thought carefully, being able to engage in a meaningful conversation.”
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