Princess Anne brought to knees for abandoning public engagement

Princess Anne has issued an apology after being forced to cancel two engagements in Northern Ireland on Wednesday when her aircraft suffered unexpected technical problems.

The King’s sister, had been scheduled to visit Holywood and south Belfast but was unable to make the journey. 

A spokesperson confirmed she was “sorry to any who were disappointed or inconvenienced” and added that the Princess hopes to “make arrangements to visit on another occasion.”

According to the BBC, some of the guests who had been set to meet Anne were instead invited to Hillsborough Castle, where a garden party was held later in the day. 

The missed trip came just 24 hours after a lighter royal moment: schoolchildren in Liverpool were treated to an impromptu tour of the Princess’s helicopter when she landed in their playing field en route to a Chamber of Commerce reception.

Anne, famed for her unwavering commitment to royal duty, has one of the busiest diaries in the family, and locals in Northern Ireland will no doubt be pleased to hear she intends to return soon.

She attended a garden party at Hillsborough Castle on Wednesday, following travel disruptions that had forced her to cancel earlier engagements in Northern Ireland.

Dressed in a dark coat paired with a chic taupe feathered hat, royal made history alongside one of the guests of honour 106 year old Norman Irwin. 

The military veteran, from Coleraine, Co Londonderry, became the oldest person ever to receive a British Empire Medal (BEM) for his decades of voluntary work.

Anne praised his lifelong service, telling him, “Thank you for telling your story and thank you for helping other people and being the founding member of REME (the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers).”