King Charles tops list of hardest-working royals despite cancer treatment

King Charles will end the year with the highest distinction of being the “hardest working member” of the royal family, according to a new report.

On December 22nd, the Mirror reported that the 77-year-old king had the most royal events in 2025, based on the number of official outings recorded in court circulars up to December 18th.

The court circular is the official record of past royal engagements for working members of the British royal family, and the outlet reported that the British monarch recorded a whopping 535 engagements out of the 2,458 on the list.

The tally means the king has abdicated his younger sister Princess Anne, who has been considered the most hard-working member of the royal family over the past few years, from the throne, according to an unofficial tally of court circulars.

King Charles was crowned on the list despite continuing treatment for cancer. Buckingham Palace announced that the King had been diagnosed with cancer and would begin treatment in February 2024.

The prince is said to have been receiving treatment since the palace announced his undisclosed diagnosis, and on December 12, the monarch announced the “good news” that his treatment would be “reduced” in the new year.

According to analysis by the Mirror, the 75-year-old princess will perform 478 royal duties in 2025, placing her second on the list. His younger brother Prince Edward came in third with 313 outings, while his wife Duchess Sophie came in fourth with 235.

In fifth place was Queen Camilla with 228 engagements, and in sixth place was Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester with 212 engagements. The 81-year-old Duke of Gloucester is a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and, like his wife Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, is a working royal.

Prince William was next in seventh place with 202 royal engagements, followed by the Duchess of Gloucester, 79, in eighth place with 113 royal engagements. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, ranks ninth with 77 appearances, an impressive feat for a 90-year-old.

Rounding out the field was Kate Middleton, ranked 10th with 68 games played.

In January, the 43-year-old Princess of Wales, who announced in March 2024 that she was undergoing treatment for an undisclosed amount of cancer, announced with “relief” that she was in “remission”.

After breaking the news, Duchess Kate cut back on her royal duties in 2024 to focus on her health, before resuming more regular royal duties in 2025.

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