Princess Anne reportedly wants Prince William to ditch an annoying habit.
Several royal experts claimed to Fox News Digital that the late queen’s only daughter, who has been crowned “the hardest-working royal,” is hopeful that her nephew will pick up the slack as he prepares to be king one day.
“Prince William, in the past, had allegations that he was work-shy,” royal expert Ian Pelham Turner claimed to Fox News Digital. “… The ‘perfect prince’ image may be slightly tarnished, and Princess Anne takes no prisoners.”
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“My natural reaction is that Princess Anne will win this battle,” Turner added.
Turner’s comments came shortly after The Sunday Times reported that William “annoys” his aunt when it comes to their shared royal duty. The U.K. published a profile of Anne leading up to her 75th birthday next month.
Several unnamed sources close to the princess claimed that she would like to see the father of three do more “bread-and-butter” royal engagements. The outlet pointed out that only King Charles, as well as Anne and William, do investitures, and many of them take place at Windsor Castle, near William’s home, Adelaide Cottage.
“She’s still doing most of the investitures [at Windsor] even though William lives there,” a source close to Anne claimed to the outlet. “It annoys her.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace for comment.
Investitures are described as ceremonies in which a senior royal presents medals to people recognized for their significant contributions. The special services are traditionally held at either Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle. According to the royal family’s website, there are about 30 investitures each year.
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“Princess Anne’s well-deserved reputation stems from her ability to carry out everyday royal engagements without fanfare or praise,” royal commentator Amanda Matta explained to Fox News Digital. “So seeing William, who lives just down the road from Windsor, skip out on investitures, she’s still doing herself in her mid-70s? I imagine that would absolutely get under her skin.”
“With fewer working royals in the fold, and even fewer who can carry out significant engagements like investitures, Anne likely wants to see William take on more of the foundational royal work… not just the high-profile tours and splashier events,” Matta shared.
“The steady, day-in, day-out work is what keeps the monarchy visible and justifies their existence. It also feels like we’re watching two very different generations define ‘royal duty’ in very different ways. Anne’s motto is ‘just get on with it,’ while William always seems concerned with what an event says about the future of the crown.”
Despite Anne’s reported personal feelings, she’s adamant about supporting the heir to the throne. The outlet reported that Anne is “fond of her nephew” and will be by his side if she’s still working when he accedes to the throne.
And the feeling is mutual. Three weeks after suffering a horse-related accident, Anne returned to work, black eye and all. William and his wife, Kate Middleton, acknowledged her dedication on X: “Super trooper! So great to see you back so soon. W&C x.”
According to the outlet, William “is known to admire his aunt’s devotion to duty.”
“Even if there is any annoyance, there’s mutual respect as well as affection between Princess Anne and Prince William as all who know them can confirm,” British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital.
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“Princess Anne remains most supportive of Prince William’s future as king,” she shared. “She admires his sense of duty and commitment to the crown as well as his being a good family man rather than so many of his Prince of Wales predecessors who have, throughout history, been notorious for their womanizing while awaiting ascending to the throne.”
“As Prince William grows into his role, we are likely to see more collaboration for future royal events, particularly at Windsor,” Fordwich continued. “There is a balance to bear in mind between Prince William’s current greater focus on his family versus the more traditional ceremonial approach Princess Anne has upheld. He is well aware of this.”
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Fordwich pointed out that William has prioritized being a hands-on parent to his children, including his eldest Prince George, who is second in line to the throne.
“By all accounts, Prince George is well-adjusted and a fine king in waiting,” said Fordwich. “This is one of the most important roles Prince William has – to raise a great king. He’s taking that role most seriously.”
According to People magazine, Anne will hold the most investiture ceremonies in 2025.
In 2023, Anne attended the most engagements of any member of the royal family, reports revealed. She conducted 457 engagements, making her the most industrious for the third year running.
William has been accused of being “work-shy” by critics for limiting his royal engagements. Prince Harry wrote about the label in his memoir “Spare.” The Duke of Sussex pointed out that when the accusations first came to light, his brother was raising his firstborn, Prince George, and expecting his daughter Charlotte.
“The papers were awash with stories about Willy being lazy, and the press had taken to calling him ‘Work Shy Wills,’ which was obscene, grossly unfair because he was busy having children and raising a family,” wrote the 39-year-old.
“He did as much as Pa wanted him to do, and sometimes that wasn’t much because Pa and Camilla didn’t want Willy and Kate getting loads of publicity. Pa and Camilla didn’t like Willy and Kate drawing attention away from them on their causes. They’d openly scolded Willy about it many times.”
In May of this year, Ed Owens, a historian who writes about the British monarchy, told The New York Times that William has been revamping his reputation. The outlet reported that the 43-year-old met with President Donald Trump at the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, rode on a tank during a visit to British troops in Estonia, and represented his father at the funeral of Pope Frances.
“William has sometimes been seen as work-shy, but we see him gravitating toward bigger, more media-friendly events,” Owens told the outlet. “He’s burnishing his reputation as a statesman.”
Shannon Felton Spence, a former British public affairs official, previously told Fox News Digital that William had prioritized raising his family over the years. But with the king’s slimmed-down monarchy, he will be expected to juggle multiple roles.
“[William and Catherine] have long been accused of being ‘work-shy,’ and frankly, it comes from a deep desire to provide a normal life for their family,” she explained. “It was easier to accomplish that work-life balance in years past when the kids were young.”
“There were more working members of the family, and [William and Catherine] were less senior,” she said. “But that’s no longer the case. And they are going to need to get with the program. They are very duty-driven, and they have a heart for service, but sometimes the country, and indeed the world, expect to see them at a time when it may be inconvenient for them. And that’s always been the essential conflict of that job – the crown comes first.”
As for Anne, she plans to continue working.
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“She has said her plan is to push on [with work] until she is 80, then start winding down a bit, and then copy the [late] Duke of Edinburgh and wind down completely at 90,” a source told the Sunday Times.
