# Princess Royal Challenge Cup

The Princess Royal Challenge Cup is a rowing event for women's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to all eligible female scullers.

## History

In 1982 an invitation exhibition event for women's singles was added to the race programme. The start for this event was moved to Fawley so that the course was closer to 1000 m. As the intermediate start installations were required for the shorter distance, the races had to take place during intervals in the normal racing programme (the lunch or tea breaks) which meant that only the dedicated stayed to watch.
In the end, the final of the Women's Invitation Single was a highlight of the regatta, with Beryl Mitchell of Thames Tradesmen's Rowing Club (World Silver medallist in 1981) beating Stephanie Foster of Waiariki Rowing Club, New Zealand (World Bronze medallist in 1982) by one length.
Women's singles disappeared off the race programme until 1993 when an open Women's Single Sculls event, over the full course, was introduced. From 1993 to 1996 this counted as a round of the FISA World Cup.
The first winner was Maria Brandin of Sweden and she subsequently won a further four times. In 1996, the Stewards purchased a silver cup as a challenge trophy and named it the Princess Royal Challenge Cup; it was presented for the first time in 1997.

## Winners
### As Invitation Single Sculls

Invitation Single Sculls (Women's 1x) :
| Year | Winner | Club | Runner-up | Club | ref |
| 1982 | Beryl Mitchell | Thames Tradesmen's Rowing Club | Stephanie Foster | Waiariki RC, NZL | |

### As Princess Royal Challenge Cup

Princess Royal Challenge Cup (Women's Open 1x) :
| Year | Winner | Club | Runner-up | Club |
| 1993 | Maria Brandin | Kungalv Roddklubb, SWE | Annelies Bredael | Trim-en RC, BEL |
| 1994 | Marnie McBean | Western Middlesex RC, CAN | Kathrin Boron | Potsdam, GER |
| 1995 | Maria Brandin | Kungalv Roddklubb, SWE | Silken Laumann | Victoria City, CAN |
| 1996 | Maria Brandin | Kungalv Roddklubb, SWE | Carolina Lüthi | Reuss, Lucerne, SWI |
| 1997 | Maria Brandin | Kungalv Roddklubb, SWE | Guin Batten | Thames Rowing Club |
| 1998 | Maria Brandin | Kungalv Roddklubb, SWE | Georgina Douglas | Mercantile Rowing Club, AUS |
| 1999 | Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski | RC Wannsee Berlin, GER | Maria Brandin | Kungalv Roddklubb, SWE |
| 2000 | Debbie Flood | Tideway Scullers School | Maria Brandin | Leander Club |
| 2001 | Ekaterina Karsten | Minsk City Club, BLR | Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski | RaW Berlin e.V |
| 2002 | Rumyana Neykova | Club Academic, BUL | Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski | RaW Berlin e.V |
| 2003 | Catriona Oliver | Australian Institute of Sport, AUS | Donna Martin | Black Mountain RC, AUS |
| 2004 | Cindy Bishop | Riverside Boat Club, USA | Rika Geyser | Trident RC, RSA |
| 2005 | Rumyana Neykova | Cherno More Club, BUL | Fiona Milne | Melbourne University, AUS |
| 2006 | Sophie Balmary | Club France, FRA | Marit van Eupen | Hollandia Roeiclub, NED |
| 2007 | Michelle Guerette | Radcliffe Crew, Harvard University, USA | Jen Goldsack | Wallingford Rowing Club |
| 2008 | Caroline Ryan | Garda Siochana Boat Club, IRL | Matilda Pauls | Imperial College Boat Club |
| 2009 | Emma Twigg | Hawkes Bay Rowing Club, NZL | Genevra Stone | Cambridge Boat Club, USA |
| 2010 | Miroslava Knapková | V.K. Slavia Praha, CZE | Genevra Stone | Cambridge Boat Club, USA |
| 2011 | Miroslava Knapková | V.K. Slavia Praha, CZE | Genevra Stone | Cambridge Boat Club, USA |
| 2012 | Isolda Penney | Kingston Rowing Club, CAN | Kaisa Pajusalu | RC Kalev, EST |
| 2013 | Miroslava Knapková | V.K. Slavia Praha, CZE | Emma Twigg | Waiariki Rowing Club, NZL |
| 2014 | Miroslava Knapková | V.K. Slavia Praha, CZE | Krisztina Gyimes | Danubius Nemzeti Hajos Egylet, HUN |
| 2015 | Miroslava Knapková | V.K. Slavia Praha, CZE | Lisa Scheenaard | Hollandia Roeiclub, NED |
| 2016 | Lisa Scheenaard | Hollandia Roeiclub, NED | Anne Beenken | Ruderverein Saarbrücken e.V, GER |
| 2017 | Annekatrin Thiele | SC DHfK Leipzig e.V., GER | Victoria Thornley | Leander Club |
| 2018 | Jeannine Gmelin | RC Uster, SUI | Madeleine Edmunds | Georgina Hope Reinhart NTC, AUS |
| 2019 | Emma Twigg | Hawkes Bay, NZL | Lisa Scheenaard | Hollandia Roeiclub, NED |
| 2020 | No competition due to COVID-19 pandemic | No competition due to COVID-19 pandemic | No competition due to COVID-19 pandemic | No competition due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | Lola Anderson | Leander Club | Lauren Henry | Leicester Rowing Club |
| 2022 | Kara Kohler | Texas Rowing Center, USA | Imogen Grant | Cambridge University Boat Club |
| 2023 | Diana Dymchenko | Rowing Club Baku, Azerbaijan | Marta Wieliczko | Wisla, Poland |
| 2024 | Liu Ruiqi | Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ, China | Cicely Madden | Cambridge Boat Club, U.S.A. |