Anne out and about visiting equestrian centre amid coronavirus pandemic

A smiling Princess Royal carried on with her royal role as she visited an equestrian centre amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Queen’s daughter Anne, who turns 70 in August and who was pictured wearing navy gloves, chatted to coaches and the British Horse Society’s education team.

The BHS said additional measures were in place to protect more than 300 visitors who gathered at the Addington Equestrian Centre near Buckingham.

“We’re doing exactly what the Government has advised. We have additional hand sanitisers and we’re encouraging people to wash their hands,” a BHS spokeswoman said.

Just a couple of hours after Anne completed her royal engagement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned people in the UK to stop all non-essential contact and travel.

Buckingham Palace has yet to comment on what this means for the Queen and the rest of her family in terms of their working roles.

But the palace has previously said events will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, acting on the appropriate advice.

A planned trip to Cheshire by the Queen this week had already been postponed, as had the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall’s spring tour to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and Jordan.

But an investiture is scheduled to take place at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.

The Queen returned to Buckingham Palace on Monday after her usual weekend break at Windsor Castle.

Anne, who is vice patron of the BHS, watched world-class coaching demonstrations in the arena and gave a speech about the importance of having qualified coaches within the equestrian industry.

A number of royal engagements this week have been postponed.

The Earl of Wessex was due to hold a dinner at St James’s Palace in London for The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation on Monday, but it was called off.

An Anglo-Swedish Society reception at Buckingham Palace, also set to be hosted by Edward, on Tuesday has also been postponed.

Alexander Malmaeus, chairman of the society, said: “It was due to a duty of care. The Earl of Wessex and the Anglo-Swedish Society made the decision jointly.”

An Anglo-Netherlands Society centenary celebration on Tuesday, in the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at Kensington Palace, has been postponed.

The society said on its website: “We have taken this decision with a heavy heart, but it reflects our collective, precautionary judgement, taking full account of recent developments over the Covid-19 virus, including Government statements.”