Princess Anne made a surprise trip to New York City on Tuesday, marking the first time a senior royal has visited the United States since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle quit their duties.
The Princess Royal, 72, took on the Big Apple like a true New Yorker by riding the Staten Island Ferry.
The NYC Department of Transportation tweeted a photo of Anne standing in the pilothouse of the ferry, looking through the windows with Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez and another gentleman.
“We were pleased to welcome Her Royal Highness Princess Anne to the #StatenIslandFerry today,” the agency wrote.
The only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II flew in to John F. Kennedy International Airport from London’s Heathrow Airport on Monday.
She also visited the National Lighthouse Museum in St. George, Staten Island, where she was named an honorary chair for the Campaign for Illuminating Future Generations, according to the Staten Island Advance.
“I think lighthouses have been a particularly good way of educating people about the importance of maritime in all its formats,” she told the crowd upon receiving the title during a reception at the View at Battery Park.
“It’s not just about trade, but the impact of what we do to the sea, and how we can look after it better, and the way in which it affects our lives,” she added.
Prior to her visit to the borough, Anne spoke at the English-Speaking Union Gala at the Cosmopolitan Club in Manhattan on Monday.
Anne’s East Coast tour marks the first time a senior royal has visited America since Harry, 38, and Markle, 41, moved to California following their departure from the royal family in early 2020.
