Princess Anne was sadly forced to miss the Remembrance Sunday service led by her brother King Charles this weekend. While she is usually a regular fixture at the poignant event, serving to pay tribute to fallen service members in World War II and other global conflicts, the Princess Royal and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, experienced a scheduling conflict, making a 2025 appearance impossible.
The royal couple has embarked on a visit to Australia and Singapore on 8 November to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals, of which Anne is Colonel-in-Chief. The important diplomatic visit of the two nations spans six days, making it impossible for her to attend the Cenotaph to mark the Armistice of the First World War and all other conflicts involving British and Commonwealth forces.
© AAPIMAGEMeanwhile, on British soil, her brother King Charles was joined by his wife Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh to pay tribute to fallen servicemen. Around 10,000 members of the public lined Whitehall in London to witness the March Past and observe the annual two-minute silence and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph.
Princess Anne's royal tour of Australia and Singapore
While her fellow senior royals represented the monarchy back in the UK, the Princess Royal has been carrying out her own duties in the Commonwealth to mark the sombre anniversary. She will undertake a series of military engagements across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane during her four-day visit to commemorate the centenary. As President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Anne will lay a wreath at the Sydney War Cemetery. The Princess Royal will also lay a wreath at the Anzac Memorial to mark Remembrance.
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© Getty ImagesOn 12 and 13 November, Princess Anne will travel to Singapore to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Singapore, at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Her two-day visit’s jam-packed itinerary includes audiences with the president and with the prime minister of Singapore, as well as a visit to Kranji War Memorial. On the final day of the tour, Anne will visit the Airbus Asia Training Centre and Rolls-Royce’s Seletar campus.
On Saturday, the Princess Royal and Sir Tim were pictured meeting the Governor-General Sam Mostyn and her husband, Simon Beckett, as they arrived Down Under. Alongside a series of photographs of the moment, shared on the official Instagram account of the Governor General, were the words: "The Governor-General and Mr Beckett were delighted to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence to Admiralty House today. On arrival, Cammeraygal Elder Brendan Kerin gave a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony in honour of their visit.
© Getty Images"The Princess Royal is Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australia Corps of Signals. In her role, she is visiting Australia to join the Signals Corps across the country in celebrating their centenary. As Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force, the Governor-General will join Her Royal Highness tomorrow in laying a wreath at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park before attending a ceremonial parade in honour of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals at Victoria Barracks."
