ComScore

Princess Anne Just Got Candid About Retirement in New Interview (& I Instantly Thought of Queen Elizabeth)

Like mother, like daughter

Princess Anne
Arthur Edwards - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Last year, Princess Anne was crowned the hardest-working royal for the fourth year in a row. Even despite her horse-related incident, which left her with a concussion in June 2024, the princess completed a whopping 217 royal engagements—a 2.4 percent increase from 2023. One would think the 74-year-old is planning to scale back and retire after such an impressive streak, but according to her recent statement, she doesn't intend to slow down anytime soon.

According to BBC, King Charles's sister recently confirmed that she has no plans to retire. During her visit to South Africa—her first international work trip of the year—she revealed, "I don't think there's a retirement program on this particular life."

When asked if she plans to cut back on her busy work schedule, she said, "It really isn't written in, no. It isn't really an option. No, I don't think so." Sounds like the princess is planning for a very productive year—and a fifth consecutive record for the highest number of royal engagements. But I couldn't help but think of the royal's late mother, Queen Elizabeth, who proudly served as leader of the Commonwealth for seven decades.

queen elizabeth ii and princess anne 2
Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

It seems like Princess Anne is following in the late queen's footsteps, since Her Majesty continued her royal duties until her final moments and never announced her retirement. In fact, for her last public engagement, she appointed Liz Truss as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. This took place at Balmoral Castle on September 6, 2002—just two days before she passed.

Additionally, like her mother, Princess Anne is devoted to her work and has an unwavering commitment to charity.

queen elizabeth ii and princess anne
Kirstin Sinclair/Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse

According to body language expert Darren Stanton, the similarities between Princess Anne and her mother don't just end with their solid work ethic. When he spoke to Daily Express in August 2023, he said "One of [Princess Anne's] key traits is her great sense of humor, which is what the Queen was rumored to have. In terms of her character traits, she is very similar to her mother. When she walks, she also has her same posture, so there are many similarities between her and the Queen."

Want all the latest royal news sent right to your inbox? Subscribe here.



nakeisha campbell bio

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

  • Writes celebrity news, TV/movie reviews and SEO-focused entertainment articles
  • Interviews celebrities and covers red carpet events
  • Has 8+ years of experience covering entertainment topics