Princess Anne is back in action and ready to rock the royal rodeo!
The sprightly 73-year-old Princess Royal, who just so happens to be the younger sister of King Charles (yes, the one with the fancy hat), was seen grinning from ear to ear as she galloped—okay, maybe more of a regal saunter—into the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) National Championships at Hartpury University and Hartpury College on a fine Friday (July 12) in the quaint land of Gloucester, England.
This shindig wasn’t just any horsey hullabaloo; it was the 55th anniversary of the RDA, a noble cause that Princess Anne has been cheerleading for since way back in November 1971. She didn’t just stop at being a patron; she went full-on royal highness and became the President in March 1986. Talk about commitment!
“We are absolutely chuffed to bits to have The Princess Royal grace our marquee event, the RDA National Championships, especially as we’re popping the champagne for our 55th birthday bash,” exclaimed RDA Chief Executive Michael Bishop, who was practically doing cartwheels (metaphorically speaking, of course) as reported by People.
“The Princess, as our illustrious President, is the crown jewel of the RDA community. She’s been our guiding star, celebrating our milestones, and giving us the royal thumbs up for over five decades,” Bishop’s statement continued, probably with a flourish and a bow.
This event was also Princess Anne’s grand return to royal duties after a rather unexpected detour to the land of convalescence. Yes, she had a tumble off her high horse—literally. On June 24, Buckingham Palace announced with all the pomp and circumstance they could muster that Princess Anne had taken a spill, resulting in a concussion and some minor boo-boos at her country estate.
Yet here she is, back in the saddle (figuratively, this time) and proving that you can’t keep a good princess down. So let’s all give a hearty cheer for Princess Anne, the unstoppable royal dynamo!
