UK’s Princess Royal Anne is paying an official visit to Greece over the upcoming weekend. Accompanied by her husband, Sir Tim Lawrence, Princess Anne will visit Athens and Chania from Friday to Sunday, May 22-24, 2026., .
In her institutional role, King Charles’ sister Princess Anne often represents him at official events and commemorations both in the United Kingdom and abroad.
Princess Anne will meet with the President of the Hellenique Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas and then travel to Chania on the island of Crete to participate in the commemorations for the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Crete.
The official programme in Athens and Chania
Friday 22 May – Athens
Meeting with the President of the Hellenic Republic, visit the Coordination Center for Operations and Crisis Management (ESKEDIK) of the Ministry of Climate Crisis & Civil Protection, lunch in her honor hosted by the President of the Greek Shipowners’ Association, Melina Travlou, and members of the Association’s Board of Directors.
Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May – Chania
On Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May, Princess Anne will be in Chania to participate in the commemorations for the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Crete. She will attend the memorial service at the Maleme monument for the fallen of the 30th and 33rd Squadrons of the British Royal Air Force.
Later, she will attend the established memorial service at the Allied Cemetery of Souda, which is organized every year by the British Embassy as a sign of honor to the soldiers of Britain and the Commonwealth who fought on the side of the Greeks in May 1941.
At the beginning of the event, an honorary flypast of aircraft of the 30th Squadron and the Red Arrows of the British Royal Air Force will take place.
Princess Anne will have the opportunity to meet descendants of Cretans who took part in the battles of 1941 as well as British veterans who have now chosen Crete as their second home.
On Sunday 24 May, Princess Anne will attend the Official Doxology at the Holy Metropolitan Church of Chania and the Parade of Standard Bearers of the Traditional Associations of Chania, during which another passage of the Red Arrows of the British Royal Air Force will take place. She will also have the opportunity to visit the Naval Museum of Crete and be guided through the halls hosting exhibits related to the Battle of Crete.
