Breaking: Hardest-working royal Princess Anne’s blunt response to retirement plans….See More

Princess Anne has given royal watchers into her future plans, admitting retirement “isn’t really an option” for her.

The royal, regularly dubbed the hardest working royal, completed the royal family’s first foreign tour of the year – a visit to South Africa – when she described how stepping down from her role was not a consideration.

Her father, the late Duke of Edinburgh, did retire from royal duties in 2017, but he was 96 when he took the decision and had supported Queen Elizabeth II for more than 65 years at the time.

Retirement plans
After a whirlwind two-day tour of Cape Town that ended on Wednesday, the King’s sister was asked about her future and whether retirement was an option and replied: “It really isn’t written in, no. It isn’t really an option, no, I don’t think so.”

Anne is known for her busy work schedule and as she approaches her 75th birthday in August, the royal will likely lead the monarchy in the number of engagements carried out.

She told the PA news agency: “I don’t think there’s a retirement programme on this particular life.”

Royal duty
During her Cape Town visit Anne laid a wreath at a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) memorial, the first to recognise the sacrifices of black South Africans and other races who died working as First World War labourers helping Britain’s war effort in east and south-west Africa.