Princess Anne's 'notorious' advantage over younger royals like Prince William


King Charles's sister has proved herself as the most hardworking royal yet again after pausing her summer break to undertake an engagement in Edinburgh


Princess Anne in a brown jacket and cream jacket against a yellow background© PA Images via Getty Images
Alice Wade
Alice WadeFreelance writer
1 hour ago
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Princess Anne may be one of the more understated members of the royal family, but she is also widely regarded as the "hardest working royal".Among her many qualities, one of the things that makes her such a revered figure of the Firm is, in part, due to her "frugal" mindset, a royal expert has claimed.

Her devotion is apparent by the fact that the King's sister even paused her summer break to attend an event in Edinburgh on Monday.The second eldest of Queen Elizabeth's children could be worth between £15 and £20 million, Norman Baker told the Daily Mail.

Anne's dedication to service includes her impressive frugality, which has seen her sensibly storing away money rather than splashing it on a luxury lifestyle.

"Notwithstanding her advanced years, she regularly tops the poll as the royal who carries out the most public engagements, putting younger royals like Prince William to shame," Norman, who is an expert on royal finances, said.

Anne and Edward at Royal Ascot© Getty Images
Princess Anne may be one of the more understated members of the royal family, but she is also widely regarded as the "hardest working royal"

Princess Anne's impressive wealth

Anne, who is due to turn 76 next Saturday, has accumulated an impressive wealth thanks to her prudent financial outlook.

"It helps that she is notoriously frugal. A satirical piece in Private Eye in 2021 has her giving gems of advice such as 'a piece of Ryvita makes a perfectly acceptable starter. If you prefer something more fancy, you’re welcome to a bit of marge'." 

Norman said the Princess's finances were made up of four components. "First and foremost is her house, Gatcombe Park, given to her and her then husband Mark Phillips by the late Queen in 1976."The property, which includes nine bedrooms, four reception rooms, and a conservatory, is worth £6 million.

Elsewhere, she has an "impressive and expensive" jewellery collection, including a pearl necklace worth £6 million, the expert explained.

Princess Anne wore her beloved gold and diamond horse brooch© Getty Images
The second eldest of Queen Elizabeth's children could be worth between £15 and £20 million

Princess Anne's annual allowance from King Charles

The Princess Royal has also inherited wealth, including from trusts established for her, one of which came from the Queen Mother.And lastly, Anne receives a generous allowance of cash from her brother, King Charles, for her service to the Firm. According to Norman, this already amounted to £250,000 by the turn of the century, meaning the figure is likely much higher now.

The Princess is renowned for being one of the royal family's hardest workers. Already this year, she has visited several far-away nations, including South Korea and Thailand, as well as more local trips to Northern Ireland and Jersey.

By the end of 2025, Anne had undertaken 478 engagements, giving her a lifetime total of 11,000. "She believes in duty, and quietly gets on with her work, showing no signs of stopping," Norman wrote.

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