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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Susie Beever

'Hardest working royals' revealed - including one name you wouldn't expect on list

The hardest-working royals from over the past ten years have been unveiled, as it's revealed which members have carried out the most public engagements.

From visiting various charities and community centres to travelling overseas and cutting the ribbon at public openings, life as a royal can be hands-on.

Pictures of the family over the years show the likes of Prince William pulling his own pints in visits to Britain's beloved boozers, Charles and Camilla greeting crowds and Princess Anne judging cattle at a country show.

But while Anne is often described as the family's "hardest working" with the sheer number of engagements she quietly undertakes each year, the Princess Royal did not make the cut as top of the list.

The title as hardest-working over the past decade goes to the King himself, according to data compiled by royal watcher Tim O'Donovan for The Times.

Prince Charles pictured at a woodwork department at a college in Charlottetown, Canada, on a state visit (Getty Images)
Princess Anne views cattle on the Cattle Judging Lawn during a recent visit to Sydney, Australia (Getty Images)

1. King Charles III

King Charles carried out no fewer than 4,854 official engagements in this time, the figures show, most of which were done in his time as Prince of Wales.

2. Princess Anne

His younger sister the Princess Royal was not far behind, attending 4,693.

3. Prince Edward

Recently re-titled as the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward was listed as third hardest-working with 3,155 visits and events attended.

Prince Edward on a visit to Wollongong, Australia (Getty Images)

4. Queen Elizabeth II

Despite her ailing health, the late-Queen attended an impressive 2,721 engagements over the last decade before her death in September, making her the fourth hardest-working.

5. Prince Andrew

Although no longer a working royal after being stripped of duties, Prince Andrew carried out 2,289 in the last 10 years while Duke of York.

Prince Andrew visits the Great Yorkshire Show in 2019 - one of his final engagements before he was later stripped of his working status (Getty Images)

6. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh

Formerly the Countess of Wessex, Sophie has carried out 2,253 engagements.

7. Camilla, Queen Consort

The Queen Consort - formerly the Duchess of Cornwall - has undertaken less than half the number of duties the King has over recent years, with 2,084 engagements.

8. Duke of Gloucester

Although not one of the major royals, the late-Queen's cousin Prince Richard is still a working member of the family and attended 2,056 engagements.

9. Prince William

Despite being followed to every event by a fleet of flashing cameras, Prince William and Kate did not make the top five.

Prince William placed ninth on the list with his 1,709 engagements in this time.

Most recently, the Prince of Wales was pictured visiting a pub in Soho with Kate ahead of the Coronation, after taking a trip on the Elizabeth Line.

Prince William and Kate visit a pub in Soho ahead of the Coronation (Getty Images)

10. Duke of Kent

First cousin of the late-Queen, the Duke of Kent has attended 1,538 engagements.

11. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh 1057

Before his death in 2021, Prince Phillip racked up 1,057 engagements despite being in his late eighties and nineties.

12. Duchess of Gloucester

Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester carried out 1,031 in this time.

13. Kate, Princess of Wales

Kate - now Princess of Wales - was named 13th hardest working at 1,024.

These numbers include the events undertaken both together with William, and separately.

While time off for parental duties to their three children may account for the couple's slimmer figure, many of Kate's engagements have involved huge projects.

Royal commentator Richard FitzWilliams said that the couple's more modest number of visits were more than made up for when looking at the scale of attention brought to various causes over the years.

Prince William, Kate Middleton and David Beckham recently caught up backstage after The Earthshot Prize 2022 (Getty)

"[They] have done a great deal for the causes they are attached to and gives their profiles a huge boost as the world's most glamorous royal couple," he told MailOnline.

"Examples of this are the Earthshot Prize, United for Wildlife and Catherine's work for the Centre for Early Childhood."

14. Prince Harry

Despite having parted ways with working royal life in early 2020, Harry and Meghan have still racked up hundreds of engagements between them.

Harry places 14th on the list with 1,009 engagements. His final ever event was in March 2020, when he and Meghan attended the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey.

15. Princess Alexandra

Another of the late-Queen's cousins, Princess Alexandra has attended 574 engagements over the past decade.

16. Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle's brief time as a working royal as Duchess of Sussex saw her attend 179 engagements.

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