She is known for being one of the hardest-working members of the royal family and has more than 400 patronages to her name.
But the Princess Royal prefers to keep the focus on her charities rather than herself. So when it came to marking her 75th birthday year, she had only one request - to host as many of them as possible for a special gathering at Buckingham Palace.
"This personifies what Her Royal Highness cares about," says a Palace source. "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."
Princess Anne, wearing a sand coloured skirt suit, arrived at today's event after Colonel John Boyd, her Private Secretary, welcomed guests to the Palace's ballroom, telling them, "There has been a significant amount of interest in HRH's 75th birthday celebrations. As you are aware the princess has given decades of time and support to more than 400 charities and patronages.
© Alamy Stock Photo"It probably won't come as a surprise, given HRH's commitment to you all, that the way the Princess wants to celebrate this milestone is to replicate what she's done on previous significant birthday and hold this charities forum again to once again understand how she can help you, at a time when the third sector is facing unprecedented challenges and transformations."
In her own speech to more than 216 guests from 111 different organisations, Anne was typically self-effacing, telling them: "I'm not here because this was my choice. You very kindly asked me to become patron of your organisations, so it's an honor for me to have all of you here."
© Alamy Stock PhotoShe also spoke about "the pleasure I get from visiting and finding out a bit more about what you do."
In her address, the Princess told guests: “I would just like to make the point that we're very fortunate that His Majesty has allowed us to use Buckingham Palace for this event,” giving them a wry smile, before adding, to laughter: "And I need to say that."
© Alamy Stock PhotoShe concluded by saying: “The responsibility and respect that you give to your own organisations, the people who work for you and your own beneficiaries, is perhaps the key to what makes you so important. “Respect and responsibility. Thank you very much for doing what you do."
The Princess took to the podium after hearing from three charity leaders: Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King's Fund spoke about public trust in charities; David Holdsworth, CEO of the Charity Commission spoke about the financial challenges faced by charities; Zoe Amar, founder and director of Zoe Amar Digital spoke about the opportunities and challenges raised by technology.
© Alamy Stock PhotoTheir presentations were followed by a Q&A session led by Professor Lynne Berry, Chair, Human Tissue Authority, who addressed the Princess by saying: "Your Royal Highness, you’ve had many great ideas over the years, but this, the Princess Royal's Charities Forum, is one of the best.
"Your leadership... and encouragement to a group of charities that range in size, in location, in purpose, is quite extraordinary."
© Alamy Stock PhotoAmong the charities invited were two of her most longstanding patronages, Save the Children, which she became patron of in 1970, and Riding for the Disabled, of which she became patron in 1971.
Some of her newest charities were also represented, including Friends of the Elderly and Royal Star and Garter Homes - both formerly patronages of Queen Elizabeth II - and the Naval Children’s Charity, formerly a patronage of the Duke of York.
© Alamy Stock PhotoThe Princess, who will turn 75 on August 15, is not expected to mark her milestone publicly in any other way.
After today’s event in the ballroom she spent around an hour chatting to guests at an afternoon tea reception in the Picture Gallery, where they were entertained by musicians from the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra, one of Anne’s patronages.
