Princess Anne has been showered with praise for her no-nonsense approach to royal engagements as the hardest working royal was hailed as a “grafter”.

The Princess Royal undertook a tour of three Dorset organisations on Monday, with officials and members of the public struck by her impressive attitude.

Anne paid a visit to the British Horse Society club in Bovington, the newly constructed Dorset Police Headquarters in Winfrith, and the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis.

James Hicks, chief executive of the British Horse Foundation, captured the sentiment of those the princess met when he declared she was: “A a great source of wisdom. She’s a grafter.”

“Her Royal Highness only asks a question that she wants to know the answer to,” he added.

Anne has long been famed for her quick wit and hard-working mindset, which sees her earning the title of busiest royal year on year.

Court Circular data reveals the Princess Royal undertook engagements on 189 days over the past 12 months.

The only royal who came close to matching her tally was her older brother, King Charles himself, who conducted official duties on 175 days over the same period.

Princess Anne has been celebrated as a ‘grafter’ during a trip royal engagement on Monday

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At the Bovington riding school, Princess Anne was accompanied by Doc Martin actor Martin Clunes, who serves as president of the British Horse Society.

The Princess Royal observed riding demonstrations and spoke with Royal Armoured Corps Saddle Club students, who expressed both excitement and nerves at meeting her.

“It was very special,” said student Olivia. “She came up and said hello, I was very excited and nervous.”

Fellow student Mia echoed these sentiments: “I felt a mixture of everything when meeting her, it was exciting, and I was also nervous.”

Anne remains the hardest working royal, followed closely by her brother King Charles

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Their instructor, Lisa Bonfield, who has taught at the BHS for two years, praised the Princess Royal’s approachable demeanour.

“Princess Anne was very down to earth,” Bonfield observed.

The Princess Royal’s third engagement took her to Winfrith, where she officially opened the new Dorset Police Headquarters and its memorial garden.

Chief Constable Amanda Pearson described the occasion as “an honour” and “an important historical moment for the force.”

The Princess Royal unveiled a plaque to mark her visit to the new Dorset Police Headquarters in Winfrith on Monday

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The sustainable three-storey building replaces a 60-year-old temporary structure, featuring solar panels and reduced water consumption.

Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick called the opening “a great privilege,” noting that estate improvements would help meet community expectations for increased police visibility.

Senior police cadet Amber Loring-Arnott, who received Police Cadet of the Year honours for her kindness to newcomers and reporting a knife incident at Christchurch railway station, presented Princess Anne with a posy.

“It was exciting and a little bit nerve-wracking,” Loring-Arnott said. “The moment that Princess Anne walked through the door it all became real.”