Princess Anne keeps a busy schedule, and earlier this week, she made time to delight a royal fan with a kind gesture. King Charles‘ sister, 75, headed to Gloucester, near her home on the Gatcombe Park estate, where a former Debenhams store was officially opened as the University of Gloucestershire’s new City Campus.
Edna Lee, who worked at Debenhams for 64 years, met the Princess Royal during the engagement. She handed Anne a bouquet before telling the BBC: “I did present the posy and after, you know, she was chatting for a short time, she said, ‘You have the posy, they’re lovely, but you have them.’ And honestly, I couldn’t believe it.”
Edna continued: “I’m absolutely thrilled to bits. She was chatting as if, you know, she was speaking to a friend, almost. Somebody said to her, ‘Oh this is Edna, she’s been here 64 years’, and she said, ‘Oh my goodness, you must’ve been a child when you started.’ And I said, ‘I was 15’. Very pleasant, very nice. She honestly just felt like a best friend.”
The Debenhams store in Gloucester permanently closed its doors in May 2021 as part of the nationwide store closures after the retailer went into administration and was bought by fast fashion brand Boohoo.
Princess Anne’s personal letter
It’s not the first time Princess Anne has made a personal connection with a member of the public recently. Earlier this week, the mother of Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall penned an emotional letter as she looked back on the work of the Carers Trust in 2025, speaking from the perspective of the president of the organisation, which supports unpaid carers.
“The last year has, once again, been challenging for carers. Many people around the country are struggling with the demands of their caring role, unable to access respite and feeling isolated and exhausted,” the royal wrote. “Carers are the backbone of our society, giving service to friends and family; a service given out of love despite the high price in terms of their own financial and emotional wellbeing.” Keep scrolling to read her full address.
Princess Anne’s busy January
Aside from her letter to carers and her outing to Gloucester, Princess Anne kicked off a jam-packed January by making an appearance at her first investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle in 2026.
© Alamy Live News.Appearing on 13 January in her naval uniform, the royal handed out awards to Greggs CEO Roisin Currie, Scottish broadcaster Jackie Bird, the former artistic director of the National Theatre Rufus Norris, and BBC journalist Martha Kearney.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesReflecting on the experience, Martha Kearney, who stepped down as a presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme in 2025 and was made CBE for services to journalism and broadcasting, said: “I suppose I was slightly overawed, but my family were with me, and they were very proud. In fact, one of my brothers burst into tears. I haven’t seen him like that since childhood.”
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