Princess Anne's secret revealed that keeps her on toes

Princess Anne is renowned as the hardest working royal, having conducted an impressive 457 official engagements last year. 

To fuel her busy days, she relies on a good breakfast and a balanced diet.

Recently, Princess Anne sustained minor injuries and a concussion at her Gloucestershire estate. Buckingham Palace confirmed that, on doctors’ advice, her engagements for the upcoming week will be postponed. 

They added that the Princess Royal sends her apologies to anyone who may be inconvenienced or disappointed. Although the Japanese State Visit will proceed as planned, Princess Anne will be unable to attend the State banquet tomorrow.

Additionally, she will no longer be undertaking her planned engagements in Canada this month.

But what's the secret to Princess Anne's health that keeps her so active? Let’s take a closer look at her daily diet, including her very unusual breakfast.

Breakfast:

According to palace staff, Anne likes to start her day with a bowl of fruit, though she has a unique preference. It’s widely claimed that Anne prefers her bananas to be overripe, even going mouldy. 

Former royal chef Darren McGrady told TODAY: "Princess Anne almost always preferred the bananas almost black - overripe - because they digested easier."

Lunch:

Anne is believed to skip lunch, but she carries snacks in her handbag when she's on the go. Her daughter, Zara Tindall, once revealed: "She always has a kiwi fruit." The Princess Royal is also likely fond of afternoon tea, just like her late mother.

Dinner:

Princess Anne does enjoy an occasional fancy dinner. Her favourite dish was revealed when she guest-edited an edition of Country Life magazine for her 70th birthday in 2020.

Anne's perfect meal is devilled pheasant, and the Ritz's Executive Chef, John Williams, shared the decadent yet simple recipe.

John explained: "Basically, a couple of whole pheasants are poached, then taken off the bone, shredded and kept warm in the poaching juices.

"You just add freshly whipped cream, left in the fridge for an hour to stiffen, mixed with a good amount of Green Label mango chutney."