Princess Anne to make first Thailand visit since 1987

The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, and her husband Sir Tim Laurence, are scheduled to make an official visit to Thailand on July 16 and 17, 2026, the British Embassy in Bangkok has confirmed. It will be her fourth visit to the country, and the first in nearly four decades.

During the two-day programme, the Princess Royal will attend an audience with His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida, and pay her respects to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother. She is also scheduled to meet Thailand’s prime minister.

Beyond the formal diplomatic engagements, the Princess Royal will visit a Bangkok school supported by Save the Children Thailand, meet Thai women working in science, observe regional health security initiatives, and take part in cultural exchange activities between the two countries.

British Ambassador Mark Gooding said the visit reflects the close and enduring relationship between the United Kingdom and Thailand, and the important role both royal families have played in deepening ties between the two nations.

Princess Anne, 75, is the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the sister of King Charles III. She was born on August 15, 1950 and was created Princess Royal by Queen Elizabeth II in 1987, a title reserved exclusively for the eldest daughter of the monarch.

Long before her royal duties defined her public image, she was an accomplished sportswoman. In 1971, at just 21, she won the European Eventing Championship and was named Sportswoman of the Year.

She has since become widely regarded as one of the most dedicated working members of the British royal family, completing 506 official engagements in 2019 alone. As King Charles III has scaled back the working royal family, the Princess Royal has taken on an increasingly central role, with British media describing her as the King’s closest and most reliable support.

Princess Anne’s connection with Thailand dates back more than half a century. Her first visit came in February 1972 as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s historic first state visit to the country, accompanied by Prince Philip. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, and Queen Sirikit received the British royal party in Bangkok.

During the visit, Queen Elizabeth II and King Bhumibol rode together in a yellow Daimler state car through streets lined with well-wishers offering flowers and gifts.

The programme included a royal banquet at the Grand Palace, attended by the Princess Royal alongside the young Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, a visit to Bang Pa-In Royal Palace in Ayutthaya, and a trip to Chiang Mai. A return banquet was hosted by the British side aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia.

The Princess Royal returned to Thailand in July 1979, this time accompanied by her then-husband Captain Mark Phillips, and made a third visit in 1987.

The bonds between the two royal houses extend well beyond these visits. King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit made two state visits to the United Kingdom, in 1960 and 1966.

During the first, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip received them personally at London’s Victoria Station before a procession by royal carriage to Buckingham Palace drew hundreds of thousands of spectators.

Further back still, Queen Victoria and King Mongkut, Rama IV, exchanged letters in the nineteenth century.

Thailand and the United Kingdom formally established diplomatic relations in 1855, a friendship now marking 171 years. Princess Anne’s July visit adds another chapter to that history.