Princess Anne putting royal duties first following King's cancer diagnosis as she misses special occasion

Princess Anne is seemingly putting royal duties first following King Charles's cancer diagnosis as she missed a special family occasion in order to work. 

The Princess Royal has a well-earned reputation for being one of the most hard-working members of the Royal Family and she’s been showcasing her dedication more than ever recently. She is one of only eleven working royals and has continued to undertake a packed schedule of engagements following King Charles’s cancer diagnosis. 

If it wasn’t already clear that Princess Anne is putting her royal duties first at this challenging time, it certainly became so when she arrived in Dubai on 1st March. This was her second overseas royal tour of the year and the Princess Royal missed her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence’s birthday to be there.

Sir Timothy turned 69 on this day and he likely would’ve completely understood his wife’s commitments elsewhere. Princess Anne visited Dubai in her role as President of The Mission to Seafarers and undertook several engagements, including a tour of DP World’s Jebel Ali Port.

The senior royal also attended a conference on Women in Shipping and Seafarers’ welfare. She delivered a speech highlighting the valuable contribution that women can make in helping to tackle the global crew shortage and this day ended with a celebratory dinner at the One&Only Royal Mirage Hotel. 

Given all the engagements she had in her schedule for Sir Timothy’s birthday, even if he’d been there on this particular trip it’s likely that they wouldn’t have had much time to spare to spend as a couple.

Sir Timothy is understood to have not been with her on this occasion, though he did accompany Princess Anne on her first royal tour of the year when she visited Sri Lanka in January. Although not a working royal himself, Sir Timothy regularly attends engagements and royal occasions with the Princess Royal. 

They’ve been married since 1992 and so he perhaps has plenty of experience of how royal duties sometimes have to come ahead of personal occasions. Especially at this challenging time Princess Anne’s commitment to her duties is incredibly admirable and likely very much appreciated by King Charles.

She is highly trusted by the monarch and was appointed one of his Counsellors of State at his request in 2022. Princess Anne stood right beside King Charles in the group coronation portrait taken by Robert Hardman and royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams expressed his belief to MailOnline that this was very significant. 

"Anne's been at it a long long time, she knows the ropes. The King knows how popular she is, so it's no accident his sister is next door to him," he claimed. "It shows how much he appreciates her and how much he will be relying on her, she is extremely popular and has a high profile. People know who she is and respect her, that's very important."

It’s not known when King Charles might resume public-facing duties as he continues with his "schedule of regular treatments". In his absence, Princess Anne is more important than ever in helping keep the monarchy’s day-to-day work flowing smoothly and giving them a public presence.

After her visit to the United Arab Emirates, Princess Anne is set to undertake a series of engagements back in the UK on 5th, 7th, 8th and 10th of March. She’s also expected to attend the Commonwealth Day service on 11th March, as she’s often been there over the years. This year’s service will be led by Queen Camilla and King Charles’s Commonwealth Day message will reportedly be pre-recorded and televised.