Princess Anne Treats Students to Rare Royal Tour — See Her Surprise

Princess Anne snuck a surprise into a recent engagement by allowing a group of young students to tour the royal helicopter she arrived in.

On Sept. 9, the Princess Royal, 75, used a helicopter to get to the reception commemorating the 175th anniversary of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce at Hill Dickinson Stadium and landed on the field of a nearby school, where her team allowed pupils to check out the chopper.

“A royal treat for Year 6!” Merchant Taylors’ Schools wrote on X on Sept. 10 with emojis of a crown and a helicopter. 

“After Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal arrived by helicopter on our Senior School field yesterday, our Year 6 pupils were given the rare chance to step up close to the impressive Leonardo AW139,” the message said.

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“The pilots kindly took the time to chat with them, answering their many questions and making it an experience they’ll never forget,” it continued, with a shooting star emoji.

The video showed students walking around the burgundy helicopter as it was parked on the field and chatting with Princess Anne’s team.

Another video shared by Merchant Taylors’ Schools showed Princess Anne landing in the chopper and giving a wave as she walked to a waiting car. 

“Yesterday, we were honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to Merchant Taylors’,” the school said on X.

“Princess Anne arrived by helicopter on our Senior School field as she travelled to Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, where she attended the Liverpool Chamber’s 175th Anniversary celebrations,” the post continued. “It was a privilege for our school community to host her arrival.”

An entry in The Court Circular revealed that the outing was the Princess Royal’s third of four engagements that day. King Charles‘ sister has been considered the “hardest-working” member of the royal family by count of official engagements for the last four years and is known for her no-nonsense approach to duty.

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In July 2024, The Mirror reported that the royal family had ordered two new AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters, which are also called Leonardo AW139s, to replace the existing, 15-year-old helicopters in its fleet.

The royal transport made headlines earlier this summer when the 2024-25 Sovereign Grant report revealed that King Charles was decommissioning the Royal Train, which had been a favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth.