Princess Anne to visit Cape Town in November

Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, is scheduled to visit Cape Town on November 3 and 4, 2026, in her role as president of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth. Her itinerary includes attending the 31st Commonwealth Agriculture Conference, which will address agricultural leadership, climate resilience, and global food security.

During the visit, she is expected to meet with township entrepreneurs supported by the UK-South Africa Tech Hub, inspect a Western Cape stud farm concerning a new bilateral equine trade protocol, and meet with William Sadiki, South Africa’s last surviving World War II veteran. This marks her sixth visit to South Africa.

In a recent ITV documentary, Princess Anne also discussed her approach to royal walkabouts. She noted her preference for traditional customs, specifically declining to shake hands with the public. She described the modern trend of widespread handshaking during appearances as having become a “shaking hands exercise” rather than a traditional walkabout, noting that the practice felt “patently absurd” under the original concept that one could not shake hands with everyone.