The Princess Royal has brought together her charities at a special Buckingham Palace forum, choosing to mark her forthcoming 75th birthday by focusing on the work of her patronages rather than holding major public celebrations.
Anne joked about thanking her brother, the King, for the use of the Palace ballroom and praised the organisations' efforts. She said: 'I’m not here because this was my choice. You very kindly asked me to become patron of your organisations, so it’s an honour for me to have all of you here.'
The princess convened the forum and a reception on Thursday for some 200 people from more than 100 of the 300-plus charities she supports. The event discussed key topics such as challenges facing the sector, public trust in charities, and the opportunities and risks of new technologies.
Among the charities were nine organisations of which Anne has become patron in the last year, including Friends of the Elderly and Naval Children’s Charity. A Palace source said: 'This personifies what Her Royal Highness cares about. She didn’t want to do anything for her birthday but bring her charities together to hear more about their work and how she can help them.'
Anne is a key member of the King’s slimmed-down working monarchy and played an important role supporting Charles amid his cancer diagnosis in 2024. She is known for her no-nonsense approach and commitment to royal duty, having carried out her first public engagement in 1969.
