Whether you're a big fan of the royal family or not, there's no doubt that being a member of 'The Firm' involves more than sitting on thrones and wearing tiaras. The Queen and her relatives attend a conveyor belt of functions, openings and charity launches, meaning that many prominent members of the royal family fulfil hundreds of engagements a year. But who does the most?
Every year, civilian and royal fan Tim O’Donovan releases his calculations of public appearances from every member of the royal family. Aged 87, he has done so for 40 years, using the Court Circular - which logs all official royal engagements - to work out who has done what.
In first place, it's Prince Charles. The Prince of Wales has had a busy 2019, clocking in 521 engagements. His youngest sister, Princess Anne, is close behind in second place: she's on 506.
The Queen, with just under 300, is a respectable third. Not bad for a 93-year-old, and she is of course still beating the younger generation of the royal family. Her grandson William - the Duke of Cambridge - has achieved 220 engagements, with Prince Harry - the Duke of Sussex - on 201. Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, represented the monarchy 126 times, while Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, managed 83.
The Earl of Wessex - 308 - and the contributions of more minor royals brought a total of 3,567 engagements in 2019.
It is no surprise that Prince Philip does not feature. He retired from royal duties in 2017 at the age of 96. He is estimated to have fulfilled 22,219 solo engagements.
Looking ahead, though, it's hard to predict how shifts in the family will affect numbers. Prince Andrew, who fulfilled 274 appearances in 2019, has been forced to retire from public life due to Jeffrey Epstein scandal, so will not contribute in 2020. Harry and Meghan, meanwhile, are still on their six-week break, and it is unknown how active they will be in the coming year.
Either way, Tim will be there. ‘It’s not a competition', he says. 'I just think it’s important for people to know how much the Royal Family do.'
READ MORE: What would happen if Prince Harry left the royal family?
READ MORE: Inside the royals' 'Insta War'