They call her the busiest, most hardworking member of the Royal Family, and with good reason – she is patron of over 200 charities (for comparison’s sake, Kate has 10 and Meghan, only five). Today Princess Anne – the Princess Royal, Queen Elizabeth’s only daughter – turns 69. At one point, she was second in line to the throne – only behind her older brother, Charles – but is now fourteenth. She has been married twice, has two children and four granddaughters, and is an accomplished equestrienne, even competing in the Olympics. There was a kidnapping plot against her (which inspired the popular movie Patriot Games), and she undertakes more Royal duties than even her mother, the Queen, famously saying “Keep me busy. I’m here to work. I’m here to do good things. I’m here to meet as many people as possible.”
Happy birthday, Her Royal Highness Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise, The Princess Royal! Thank you for all you do to make the Royal Family relevant, meaningful, and pertinent to our world today.