Princess Anne’s absence from Sunday’s annual Service of Remembrance did not go unnoticed as the rest of the royal family gathered in London for the solemn event.

The Service of Remembrance, held each year at the Cenotaph on Whitehall, pays tribute to those who served and lost their lives in the two world wars and later conflicts.

On November 9, King Charles and Queen Camilla led the royal contingent, joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Duke of Kent. Around 10,000 armed forces veterans took part in the ceremony, along with 20 World War II veterans. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was also in attendance, alongside former prime ministers John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak.

Why Princess Anne Was Absent

While many noted the Princess Royal’s absence, her reason for missing the service was straightforward — she is currently in Australia with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

Anne is in the country to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals, for which she serves as Colonel-in-Chief. During her visit, she will take part in a series of military engagements in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane before continuing on to Singapore.

Anne’s Engagements in Australia and Singapore

On Saturday, Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn shared a photo on Instagram welcoming Anne and Sir Timothy to Admiralty House.

“The Governor-General and Mr Beckett were delighted to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence to Admiralty House today,” she wrote. “On arrival, Cammeraygal Elder Brendan Kerin gave a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony in honour of their visit.”

She added that as Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force, she would join Anne in laying a wreath at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park before attending a ceremonial parade at Victoria Barracks to celebrate the centenary of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals.

Following her engagements in Australia, Princess Anne will travel to Singapore on Wednesday, November 12, for a two-day visit marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Singapore. Her schedule there includes meetings with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.