Palace Makes Key Princess Anne Statement After Spencer’s Shock Remark Sparks Fresh Royal Tension
Buckingham Palace has shared a new update on Princess Anne as the Princess Royal celebrated a major milestone with a charity she has long supported.
On September 24, King Charles’ office released a series of photographs showing Anne in good spirits as she attended the 50th anniversary celebrations of Farms for City Children.
The charity was founded by Sir Michael Morpurgo and Lady Clare Morpurgo and has welcomed more than 108,000 children and young people to its farms over the years.
According to the Palace, the organisation offers immersive residential experiences designed to give children from cities — particularly those experiencing inequality — the chance to spend a week living and learning on working farms.
Princess Anne Meets Children at Nethercott House
As part of the anniversary visit, Anne travelled to Nethercott House, where she met children and teachers from John Donne Primary School.
The Palace said the group were taking part in practical farm activities, including grooming animals and tending to produce.
The official statement read: “Founded by Sir Michael Morpurgo and Lady Clare Morpurgo, the charity has welcomed more than 108,000 children and young people to its farms for immersive residential experiences that enable children from cities, particularly those experiencing inequality, to spend a week living and learning on working farms.”
It continued: “At Nethercott House, Her Royal Highness met visiting children and teachers from John Donne Primary School as they groomed farm animals and tended to produce.”
Palace Update Comes Amid Fresh Royal Headlines
The engagement came as Princess Anne was once again being mentioned in the headlines following the release of Earl Spencer’s memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.
In the book, Spencer recalled an awkward conversation he said he had with Anne before the wedding of Diana and Charles.
According to his account, the exchange happened during a formal meal at Buckingham Palace.
Spencer wrote that he found himself seated next to Anne and attempted to make conversation by asking about the christening of her daughter Zara.
“It transpired, to my alarm, that I was actually placed next to Anne,” he recalled.
He said he then asked: “And how did your daughter’s christening go today, Ma’am?”
Spencer claimed he expected Anne to respond warmly about the baptism.
Instead, according to his version of events, she looked at him and replied: “Tell me, how’s a christening supposed to go?”
Earl Spencer Says Exchange Made Him ‘Feel Small’
Spencer said the response left him feeling uncomfortable.
He later described the conversation as making him “feel small”.
That account represents Spencer’s personal recollection of the exchange and does not establish how Anne herself remembers the moment.
The Palace update made no reference to the memoir or Spencer’s comments.
Instead, the focus remained firmly on Anne’s public duties and the anniversary of Farms for City Children.
Anne Marks Another Long-Standing Charitable Commitment
The 50-year milestone highlighted the Princess Royal’s continued involvement in charitable work.
Her visit to Nethercott House centred on the experiences offered to children who may otherwise have little opportunity to spend time on a working farm.
The Palace’s photographs showed Anne engaging with the visit as the charity marked five decades of bringing young people closer to rural life.
While Spencer’s memoir has generated renewed attention around past royal relationships, Anne’s latest appearance kept attention on her official work.
For Buckingham Palace, the message was straightforward: the Princess Royal was marking a major anniversary for an organisation that has now supported more than 108,000 children and young people.
