Princess Anne honours veterans on historic war anniversary as King Charles forced to scale back duties

Princess Anne and her husband are commemorating the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden, the Battle of Arnhem.

King Charles has been battling a form of cancer for much of this year, and has therefore had to limit his schedule.

The monarch is undertaking a foreign tour to Australia and Samoa with Queen Camilla in October.

However, the Palace confirmed the itinerary had been created with the King's health concerns in mind.

For example, he was also due to visit New Zealand, but this was removed from Charles's schedule following the cancer diagnosis.

During her trip to the Netherlands, Princess Anne read a speech written by her older brother, the King.

In the speech, the King said the “heroism and sacrifice made by so many in the pursuit of peace” will never be forgotten as the 80th anniversary of the famous World War Two operation is commemorated.

The Princess Royal is representing the King at events this weekend, marking the efforts of troops who in 1944 fought in Operation Market Garden, with the bold aim of ending the war that year.

The princess delivered her brother’s speech at a reception at the Airborne Museum Hartenstein in Oosterbeek.

It is a former hotel that served as the headquarters of the British 1st Airborne Division during the Battle of Arnhem, part of the operation that aimed to push through the Netherlands and into Germany just a few months after the D-Day landings.

The princess said on behalf of the King: “80 years ago, on this very weekend, Operation Market Garden was underway in this region of the Netherlands.

“An ambitious joint airborne and ground forces operation designed to seize crucial bridges to enable the advance into Germany, its ultimate aim was to end the war within a matter of months.

“The friendships made during those difficult days of September 1944 between the Dutch and their liberators continued after the war.

“I saw this for myself five years ago when, as Colonel in Chief of the Parachute Regiment, I attended the 75th anniversary commemorations.”

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Princess Anne continued: “Tragically, despite the endless courage of all those who served in an operation whose renown echoes through the generations, the Netherlands had one more terrible winter to suffer before liberation finally arrived.

“Today, on this 80th anniversary, it is with a deep sense of gratitude and humility that we remember all those in the British, Allied and Commonwealth forces who served and died fighting for our freedom.

“Let us also remember those magnificently courageous members of the Dutch resistance and gallant civilians who endured so much during the Second World War.

“We will never forget the heroism and sacrifice made by so many in the pursuit of peace and liberation. My wife joins me in sending the warmest possible good wishes to all those taking part in this weekend of commemoration.”