Princess Anne performed two duties in just one day as the royal filled in for her brother, King Charles.
The Princess Royal, 75, awarded individuals with OBEs and MBEs at Windsor Castle during a lengthy day.
One of the recipients was Jackie Bird, who was awarded an MBE, having been the face of BBC Scotland News for over 30 years.
Upon hearing she would be recognised, she said: “I’m thrilled. Absolutely surprised and thrilled.”
Princess Anne stepped in for her brother on two occasions in one day
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PAOther people to be awarded included Sir Rufus Norris, Devon Malcolm, Martha Kearney and Jane Tranter.
Anne was knocked off the top spot as the hardest-working royal last year, with the King claiming the number one spot after being involved with 532 official engagements whilst continuing his weekly cancer treatment.
The 77-year-old monarch outpaced his sister by over 50 duties, with the Princess Royal completing 478 engagements despite working more individual days than her brother.
The King’s tally represents nearly a quarter of all 2,458 official royal duties recorded this year. His schedule included visits across Britain alongside overseas trips to Italy, Canada and Poland.
The Princess Royal knighted Sir Rufus Norris
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Charles increased his workload at the beginning of 2025 following encouraging developments in his cancer care.
At the back end of last year, he announced that his treatment would be scaled back in the New Year, attributing this progress to early detection, effective care and adherence to medical advice.
Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, secured third position in the rankings with 313 engagements, making him the only royal to reach the 300s bracket.
His wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, followed in fourth place, having completed 235 duties.
Anne hosted back-to-back investitures, with one in the morning and the other in the afternoon
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Queen Camilla, 78, ranked fifth with 228 engagements over the 12 months. The Duke of Gloucester came sixth, carrying out 212 duties throughout the year.
Prince William, heir to the throne, placed seventh with 202 engagements. The Duchess of Gloucester completed 113 duties, securing eighth position, whilst the 90-year-old Duke of Kent rounded out the top 10 with 77 engagements.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh led overseas work, with Edward undertaking 130 duties across 13 countries and Sophie completing 107 in the same number of nations.
The Royal Family’s collective output rose by 22 per cent compared to the previous year, climbing from 2,001 engagements in 2024 to 2,458 in 2025.
Charles claimed the top spot off her sister for the hardest-working royal
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The Princess of Wales demonstrated the most striking recovery in her public duties.
Kate, 43, increased her engagements from just 13 in 2024 to 68 this year, representing a 423 per cent rise as she gradually resumed work following her cancer diagnosis and treatment.
All four senior royals saw substantial increases in their workloads. The King’s duties jumped 49 per cent year-on-year, whilst Prince William’s rose by 45 per cent and Queen Camilla’s by 33 per cent.
The 2,446 engagements recorded represent the highest total since 2022, when 12 working royals, including the late Queen, completed 2,667 duties.