I used to work with Princess Anne – this is my verdict on her retirement
The Princess Royal completed her first royal tour of 2025 just weeks ago.
Princess Anne is known across the globe for being the King’s sister, but she is also famous for being one of the hardest-working royals in The Royal Family. After completing the most royal engagements out of any other royal last year, Anne, 74, has already started 2025 on the right footing, having already completed various UK engagements and a royal tour of South Africa.
As The Princess Royal will be turning 75 this year, many are beginning to wonder whether the King’s sister will take a back seat and gradually step away from royal duty. However, one person who worked with Anne for over a decade has said that will not be the case. Ailsa Anderson, who was Anne’s press secretary for almost 13 years, as well as the former communications secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, believes that the princess will never retire.
Speaking on Hello!’s A Right Royal Podcast, Ms Anderson spoke fondly about Anne, who she says has always been passionate about her work. Ms Anderson said: “She’s (Anne) absolutely extraordinary. She likes to get on and do things. I can’t see her retiring at all.” This verdict comes after the Princess Royal herself addressed questions about retirement in an interview last month as part of her South African royal tour. When asked about retirement, the royal told PA News: “It really isn’t written in, no. It isn’t really an option, no, I don’t think so.
“You’re jolly lucky… if you can continue to be more or less compos mentis and last summer I was very close to not being. Take each day as it comes, they say.” Anne’s attitude to retirement is similar to that of the one held by her mum the late Queen Elizabeth II, who was carrying out duties right up until her death in 2022.
Two days before her passing, the late monarch met with outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson and appointed the then-new Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss. It is also believed the Queen, who was 96 at the time of her death, was still reading her red boxes on the day she passed away.
