Britain's Princess Anne pays tribute to Korean War heroes at Busan cemetery
Her visit to Korea, with her next stop being Seoul, aims to address a range of issues, from traditional diplomacy to industrial cooperation, to elevate ties between the two countries.
British Princess Anne, the younger sister of King Charles III, fourth from left, pays tribute to fallen British soldier M. Hogan at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan on July 14.JOINT PRESS CORPS
BUSAN — British Princess Anne, the younger sister of King Charles III, paid tribute on Tuesday to British and United Nations soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War.
Her visit to the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan reflects both Britain’s remembrance of its fallen soldiers and commitment to bolster maritime ties that have linked Korea and Britain for more than 200 years.
Princess Anne arrived in Korea on Monday. Her visit aims to address a range of issues, from traditional diplomacy to industrial cooperation, to elevate ties between the two countries. She last visited the country during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
Princess Anne, the younger sister of King Charles III, fourth from left, visits the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan on July 14.JOINT PRESS CORPS
Princess Anne’s first stop was the UN Memorial Cemetery, the world’s only official burial ground for UN forces, where 2,339 service members from 14 countries who fought in the Korean War are buried. Of them, 1,598 were from Commonwealth nations, with 892 from Britain.
Accompanied by her husband and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence,she laid a wreath adorned with crimson poppies.
She specially placed a chrysanthemum at the grave of British Army Private M. Hogan, who was killed in action exactly 74 years ago on July 14, 1952.
She then paid tribute to recipients of the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest military decoration. Four British soldiers received the honor for their service during the Korean War, three of whom are buried at the Busan cemetery.
British Princess Anne, the younger sister of King Charles III, center, pays tribute at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan on July 14.JOINT PRESS CORPS
Princess Anne reportedly also paid her respects to soldiers of other countries who fought for Korea.
British Princess Anne, the younger sister of King Charles III, places a chrysanthemum on the grave of fallen British soldier M. Hogan at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan on July 14.JOINT PRESS CORPS
After the memorial ceremony, she headed to Busan Port to attend an event commemorating maritime cooperation between Korea and Britain.
While it is unusual for a member of the British Royal Family to visit Busan for an official event that focuses on maritime affairs, the rare royal visit to Busan’s maritime sector was made possible by Trinity House’s decision in April 2025 to permanently loan one of its historic Fresnel lenses, an optical device used in lighthouses, to Korea. Princess Anne serves as Master of the Trinity House, which bears statutory duty as one of the United Kingdom’s general lighthouse authorities and helps mariners navigate safely in the Dover Strait.
The large Fresnel lens, which was used at Pendeen Lighthouse in Wales for 123 years, arrived at Busan Port last November. It is scheduled to go on public display at the National Lighthouse Museum in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to present Princess Anne with a traditional mother-of-pearl artwork depicting Pendeen Lighthouse, Korea’s National Lighthouse Museum and the Homigot Lighthouse in Pohang as a gesture of appreciation.
Britain is seeking closer ties with Korea, with cooperation in shipbuilding, shipping and port operations emerging as a key focus, as it expands its engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
British Princess Anne, the younger sister of King Charles III, center, visits the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan on July 14.JOINT PRESS CORPS
Busan, one of the world’s leading transshipment ports and a major logistics hub, is expected to help drive that partnership forward in areas such as maritime logistics, green ports, shipbuilding and maritime safety.
Born in 1950, Princess Anne is the only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
She was granted the title of Princess Royal in 1987, the highest honorary title bestowed on a woman in the British Royal Family. Widely regarded as one of the hardest-working royals, she is said to carry out between 400 and 500 official engagements each year and has completed tens of thousands of official duties throughout her public life.
Before devoting herself to royal duties, Princess Anne was an accomplished equestrian. She won an individual gold medal at the 1971 European Eventing Championships and became the first member of the British Royal Family to compete at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada.
In the realm of sports diplomacy, she served as president of the Fédération Équestre Internationale, the international governing body for equestrian sports, from 1987 to 1993.
After her schedule in Busan, Princess Anne will travel to meet President Lee Jae Myung in Seoul, where she is expected to attend events commemorating the Korean War and programs promoting industrial and cultural exchanges as part of broader royal diplomacy to strengthen ties between Seoul and London.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
