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Palace intrigue and scandals seem to come with the territory when you’re a member of the British royal family tree; they’ve certainly had their fair share over the past few decades. But that’s not all that goes into being a royal. A major part of the job is the responsibility to engage in charitable endeavors. This isn’t just a nice gesture by generous royal family members, it’s considered their duty to visit with the organizations they support. 

Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Princess Ann, some of the most generous royal family members, laughing
(L-R) Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Anne | Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

A recent overview of the royal family’s charity work yielded some rather surprising results. Let’s take a closer look at how the different members of the royal family stacked up against each other, and who ranked as the most charitable family member. It may not be who you think it is. 

Charity is a major responsibility for royal family members

For as long as there has been a crown, visiting with United Kingdom citizens has been an expected part of the role. That goes for not just the ruling monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth II), but also others on the royal family tree. Princes, princesses, dukes, and duchesses alike are all expected to give their time and money to charity on a regular basis. 

Express recently reviewed the charitable activity of the royal family, comparing and contrasting the number of royal patron visits each one had. Royal patron visits are when members of the royal family meet with members of a charity they support. According to The Sun, this is known as “royal patronage.” 

They found that Prince Charles had 48 royal patron visits. In the last year before he died, Prince Philip made only one royal patron visit – understandable, since he was both retired and not in the best health. The queen made only six royal patron visits. She supports charities such as the Royal Philatelic Society and the Royal College of Nursing.

The most charitable member of the royal family and which charities do the royal family support

While royal family members like the Queen, Prince Charles, and Prince Harry get most of the publicity, none of them can compare to the most charitable royal. That title goes to Princess Anne. 

Anne is the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth. Over the course of 2019-2020, she made 73 royal patron visits. These were to charities she has prioritized as being particularly important and worthy of the family’s time and resources. Princess Anne also hosted video meetings during the pandemic with organizations such as the Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, and Opportunity International UK. 

Anne may not get headlines like Harry and Megan or attract attention like William and Kate, but there’s no doubt she’s had quite an impact on the people of her nation. While all of the family participate in charitable endeavors, she stands above the rest. 

Who is the second most charitable member of the royal family?

While he isn’t quite at Anne’s level, next up on the list is none other than the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William. In the same time frame as Princess Anne, he managed to go to 58 events as a representative of the crown and a royal patron. While that isn’t nearly as many as Anne, it’s still better than the other members of the family. One cause that’s near and dear to his heart? United for Wildlife, an environmentally-friendly organization dedicated to helping animals. 

It’s clear that while his heart is in the right place, William has a ways to go to catch up to his aunt. 

RELATED: Princess Diana Would Be ‘Proud’ of ‘Her Boys’ Despite Their Feud Claims Her Former Chef

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