Why Princess Anne was absent from Trump's arrival in UK

Royal watchers were left puzzled on Wednesday when Princess Anne was notably absent from the official welcome and lunch for US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania at Windsor Castle. 

But the Princess Royal wasn’t skipping duties, she was busy with a very different kind of engagement hundreds of miles away.

Anne, 74, often hailed as the “hardest-working royal,” was in Aberdeen to mark a historic milestone in occupational therapy. 

In her role as Patron of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, the Princess visited Robert Gordon University as it celebrated 100 years since Margaret Barr Fulton became the UK’s first qualified occupational therapist.

During her visit, Anne toured the university’s clinical skills centre, where she spoke to staff and students, unveiled a commemorative plaque, and even planted a tree to honour the centenary.

Professor Steve Olivier, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Robert Gordon University, said: “We are delighted that The Princess Royal, as Patron of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, has visited Robert Gordon University as we mark 100 years since Margaret Barr Fulton became the United Kingdom’s first qualified occupational therapist here in Aberdeen.”

Anne later returned to London in time for the glittering state banquet at Windsor Castle, where she joined King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and other senior royals.

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