Just In: Princess Anne’s husband clashes with King Charles amid workload issue
Princess Anne’s husband has found himself at odds with King Charles over a green initiative as Buckingham Palace takes steps to address The Princess Royal’s workload issue.
As a trustee of the St James’s Conservation Trust, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence is part of the group formally objecting to the monarch’s plan to replace historic gas lamps at royal residences with LED replicas, as reported by The Telegraph on September 27.
The Royal Household has submitted planning applications for Buckingham, St James’s and Kensington Palaces as part of Charles’s ambitious drive toward net zero. The lamps, which have lit Buckingham Palace since 1901, would be swapped for electric versions designed to mimic the originals.
But heritage campaigners argue the change strips London of a unique piece of history. The trust said replacing gas mantles with LEDs “do not meet the historic authenticity expected by visitors and heritage professionals,” calling the lamps “more than just street furnishing.”
The London Gasketeers echoed that stance, arguing “the greenest thing to do would be to leave the old gas lamps alone.”
Buckingham Palace defended the plan, saying “significant research and testing has been undertaken to retain as much of the historic design and effect of the gas lanterns as possible.”
The update comes just two days after the Daily Mail reported that Buckingham Palace is “struggling to keep up” with the workload of Princess Anne, the “hardest-working royal.”
Anne, who recently turned 75, carried out 474 engagements in 2024 — significantly higher than her brother Charles, 76, owing to his cancer treatment.
As such, Anne is reportedly “seeking” a new programme manager.
