Princess Anne honoured for unshakable royal role

King Charles III's only sister, Princess Anne, has achieved another milestone for her unshakeable royal duty.

The Prioncess of Royal has been honoured with her new stunning portrait for her role as Colonel-in-Chief of the British Army’s Intelligence Corps.

The painting, by acclaimed British portrait artist Louise Pragnell, was unvieled in London on Friday.

Commissioned by the Intelligence Corps in 2024, the portrait was created to mark the Princess Royal’s key appointment. 

The artwork will go on public display during the Craft Week at Painters’ Hall in the city.

In the picture, she is seen wearing the Intelligence Corps Mess Dress, whose colours reflect the regiment’s history and traditions.

Cypress green references the gorget patches and hat bands worn by intelligence staff during the First World War, while French grey derives from the armbands worn by Intelligence Corps soldiers in the Second World War.

Scarlet, meanwhile, symbolises secrecy and the covert nature of the Corps’ work. The medals shown in the portrait include the Royal Victorian Order and the Order of the Garter, alongside a series of Jubilee Medals marking major milestones during the reign of Elizabeth II.

It is the second ceremonial portrait of the Princess Royal completed by Pragnell, who has built a reputation for royal and military portraiture.

The artist said she hoped the work would remind viewers of the Princess Royal’s “great character and soft power as a woman in leadership”.

Pragnell added: “I am deeply grateful for the trust that both the Intelligence Corps and Her Royal Highness have placed in me to paint this significant portrait. I am very inspired by The Princess Royal, her humility, approach to work and her dedication are incredible qualities.”

The Intelligence Corps said the commission was intended both as a tribute and as a lasting symbol of female leadership within the military.

Niklas Fairweather, Corps Colonel of the Intelligence Corps, said: “As a Senior Royal who has excelled at the highest levels of public life, international sport, and military service, she is a powerful role model for all our personnel, particularly the women of the Corps.”