KATE MIDDLETON AND PRINCESS ANNE STEP OUT FOR ANZAC DAY just days after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Australia trip and the timing has everyone paying closer attention. Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Anne marked one of the most solemn moments of the year, attending separate Anzac Day services in London—a day that honors the sacrifice of Australian and New Zealand soldiers. But what’s quietly drawing attention isn’t just when it happened.

Kate Middleton and Princess Anne Mark Australian Holiday After Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Trip There

The Princess of Wales and the Princess Royal stepped out at separate events for Anzac Day

NEED TO KNOW

  • Kate Middleton and Princess Anne attended separate Anzac Day services
  • The holiday commemorates the anniversary of the 1915 Gallipoli landings in World War I, serving as a moment to honor members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
  • The royal outing came shortly after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s trip to Australia

Kate Middleton and Princess Anne are commemorating an Australian holiday a week after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visited the continent.

On April 25, the Princess of Wales, 44, and the Princess Royal, 75, stepped out separately to attend Anzac Day services in London.

Catherine, Princess of Wales; Princess Anne
Kate Middleton at the ANZAC Day commemorations at Cenotaph; Princess Anne at the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Wellington Arch on April 25, 2026.Jeff Spicer/Getty; Jack Taylor/Getty

Anzac Day commemorates the anniversary of the 1915 Gallipoli landings in World War I, serving as a moment to honor members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who lost their lives in conflict and all those who have served.

Princess Anne, Princess Royal lays a wreath during the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Wellington Arch
Princess Anne during the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Wellington Arch.Jack Taylor/Getty

Anzac Day is a public holiday in both Australia and New Zealand, two Commonwealth realms where King Charles is head of state. Members of the royal family regularly attend events commemorating the holiday each year.

Princess Anne stepped out to attend the first Anzac Day service on Saturday, appearing at the Dawn Service at Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner.

The event featured readings, a playing of the Last Post, silence, reveille and national anthems. Wreaths were also laid when the event came to a close.

ieutenant Francesca Hlavac, Royal New Zealand Navy, High Commissioner for New Zealand Hamish Cooper, Catherine, Princess of Wales and High Commissioner for Australia Jay Weatherill attend the wreath laying and parade service as part of the ANZAC Day commemorations
The Princess of Wales at the ANZAC Day commemorations at Cenotaph on April 25, 2026.Jeff Spicer/Getty

King Charles’ younger sister is known for her tireless drive for royal duty, often ranked among the royal family’s hardest-working members by count of official engagements recorded in The Court Circular.

Later that morning, Princess Kate attended the Wreath Laying and Parade Service at The Cenotaph in London, where she laid a wreath on behalf of her father-in-law. The Cenotaph is a national war memorial, meaning “empty tomb,” and where the British royal family commemorates Remembrance Day every November.

Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales lays a wreath during a service to commemorate ANZAC day
Princess of Wales laying a wreath at the Cenotaph war memorial in central London on April 25, 2026.JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty

From there, the Princess of Wales headed to the Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, the same church where she married Prince William in 2011.

The traditional church service included an address from the Dean of Westminster, readings from the New Zealand and Australian High Commissioners, prayers read by children of each country, and a Māori waiata, or song, performed by Ngāti Rānana, a Māori cultural club based in London.

Catherine, Princess of Wales attends the Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey as part of the ANZAC Day commemorations
Princess of Wales at the Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey.Jeff Moore-WPA Pool/Getty

Kensington Palace announced Princess Anne and Princess Kate’s plans to mark Anzac Day last week on April 15, when Prince Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, were on a trip to Australia. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent four days there on a trip that mixed private, philanthropic and business outings, bringing them back to the continent for the first time since their 2018 royal tour.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from their royal roles in 2020, making their latest Australia trip an independent visit.

Prince Harry paid respects to Australian lives lost in conflict on April 15 when he visited the Australian War Memorial and attended the Last Post Ceremony at the site. King Charles’ younger son wore his military medals earned during his decade of service in the British Army to the memorial, where he laid a wreath.

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