Princess Anne, 74, Reportedly Tired and 'Annoyed’ as William Passes on ‘Bread and Butter’ Duties
Princess Anne is known to be the hardest-working member of the royal family. The Princess Royal proved her unwavering commitment to the Crown last year, undertaking 474 royal engagements, more than any other royal member. But as human as she is, a new report claims that Anne is growing increasingly tired of shouldering the bulk of investiture ceremonies at Windsor Castle. It further alleges that she is 'annoyed' at Prince William over his reluctance to take on more of these duties, despite his close proximity to Windsor from Adelaide Cottage.
A report from The Sunday Times mentioned that despite Anne's alleged annoyance, she remains fond of her nephew and hopes to support him in his future role as King. A source said, "She’s still doing most of the investitures [at Windsor] even though William lives there. It annoys her." At present, only the King, the Princess Royal, and the Prince of Wales carry out investiture ceremonies, though there are whispers that Prince Edward may take on the key royal duty in the future. Insiders have also indicated that Anne believes William should be stepping up and taking on more of the 'bread and butter' duties.
Commenting on William's supposed reluctance to carry out royal duties, royal expert Camilla Tominey also claimed that Palace staff are increasingly growing 'frustrated' with him and Kate Middleton over their 'aversion to work.' As reported by the Royal Insider, Tominey revealed that the Prince and Princess of Wales are "under growing pressure to up their workload." There are also murmurs amongst aides that the couple "may be spending too much time with their immediate family instead of supporting the Firm." Courtiers are also reportedly angry over William choosing to invest in his passions, traveling to Germany for the Euros and South Africa for his Earthshot Prize, instead of taking on more royal duties as future King.
Tominey’s claims also align with an April report by the Daily Mail, which revealed that William was reluctant to attend Pope Francis’ funeral. A source dished, "William was reluctant to obey the order to go to Rome on Saturday until his father pulled rank." Palace insiders also shared that back in January, the Prince of Wales had been expected to attend the state funeral of President Jimmy Carter in the U.S, but he 'wasn't keen on going,' and had Prince Edward sent instead. As per insiders, William only likes to travel when it’s for a cause he’s personally interested in.
As for the Princess Royal, Anne has cemented herself as the most diligent and committed member in the family. As reported by Hello! magazine, William is known to look up to his aunt for her dedication and relentless work ethic. When Anne returned to duties after a horse accident last year, William and Middleton shared a heartfelt message on their social media handles, which read, "Super trooper! So great to see you back so soon! W & C x." It was the Waleses' playful way of praising her resilience and dedication to royal responsibilities.