Princess Anne has called for “a coherent national programme” when it comes to building affordable rural housing in the UK during a landmark speech this week for one of the charities she is patron of. The Princess Royal said the country needs a “long-term vision” to address the issue as she spoke at a conference on Wednesday in London for the non-profit organisation English Rural titled “Affordable Rural Housing: Opportunity in Changing Times”.
Anne stressed the importance of affordable housing, a cause close to the hearts of her brother, King Charles, and nephew, Prince William. She said, “We aren’t just talking about houses—we’re talking about the people and communities that make our countryside live and breathe.”
She added, according to The Times: “These things are not going to happen quickly. They need patience that’s often hard to come by and loads of partnerships to achieve those lasting results that will continue.”
The princess stressed that lessons should be learned from older ifrastructures in order for the new ones to be succesful.
She said: “We need to supply them better. Logistics are absolutely key to making rural communities work well, and we need to do that better.
“Those houses allow you to plan for the future. They are the bedrock of sustainable, thriving rural communities — and there is potential for more businesses and to employ more people.
“Affordable housing is not just a nice idea that gives people a start. It’s a fundamental requirement which has a huge benefit over a much wider group of people.”
Elsewhere, she joked about her home in Gloucestershire, Gatcombe Park, which was originally built in the 1770s, saying that the builders got it right in installing “underfloor heating” by putting fireplaces in the cellar.
The non-profit praised the princess on their social media, saying in a post: “We were delighted to welcome @EnglishRural Patron HRH The Princess Royal to address the ‘Affordable Rural Housing: Opportunity in Changing Times’ conference in London today. @RoyalFamily @ACRE_national #RuralHousing2025”.
