When it came to her 75th birthday celebrations, Princess Anne had one firm request: Don’t make a fuss. The King’s sister told her family and aides not to make a big deal of her reaching her three quarters of a century milestone on August 15, noting that she was only interested in marking a birthday with a zero in it, “not the fives”.
Anne, who spent the week of her birthday sailing off the coast of Scotland with husband Sir Tim Laurence, 70, did approve the release of several official photos and a commemorative £5 silver coin, the first to honour her “remarkable lifetime of service”, in recognition of the occasion. And she agreed to one public event – although it was held back in June. That was a charity forum at Buckingham Palace for more than 100 of her patronages.
The greatest Queen we never had
Wanting to keep things low-key is typical of the Princess Royal, who is one of the hardest-working members of The Firm. Royal correspondent Robert Jobson describes her as “the greatest Queen we never had”, adding that if she ever overheard someone calling her that, she’d “roll her eyes”.
Explains Robert, “But it’s fair to say that she embodies the monarchy’s unsentimental core – show up, do the work, want no applause. She has undoubtedly made a simply outstanding contribution to public life.”
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A relentless work ethic
From a young age, Anne accepted her royal role and just got on with the job. Her work ethic is legendary – she regularly tops the list of most engagements carried out by a royal each year (some years, big brother the King is slightly ahead). Last year, she did 474 engagements, more than any other family member.
She once stated, “I’m here to work. I’m here to do good things. I’m here to meet as many people as possible.”
Those who’ve encountered the princess say she’s genuinely interested in the work being done by the organisations she visits – she’s associated with more than 400 charities and organisations.
Champion of good causes
One that’s particularly close to her heart is Save the Children. She became the president in 1970 and the patron in 2016, and in that time, the mum of two has travelled to more than 30 countries and met 27,000 people to see the work the charity does.
CEO Moazzam Malik says, “She’s low-key, she’s self-effacing, she doesn’t want to take the limelight, but she’s very committed. You can see that she cares about the state of Britain and the state of the world.”
A no-fuss royal birthday
Her stamina is impressive, adds Tanya Curry, chief executive of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, of which Anne is patron.
Tanya recalls one visit where the princess bounded up a flight of stairs “like a mountain goat” and easily carried on a conversation while Tanya struggled for breath.
“She took it in her stride.”
During official visits, her only request is for “a cup of coffee strong enough to stand a spoon up in”, says Paul Algar, the director of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, whose involvement with Anne
goes back decades.
“She’s not interested in someone holding an umbrella for her if it rains. She doesn’t mind getting wet – she’s very down to earth in that regard. She’s very much her own person.”
A princess who won’t be pushed around
Anne’s known for being no-nonsense and saying what she thinks. She doesn’t suffer fools or anyone who tries to make her do something against her will. Back in 1974, when an armed man tried to drag her from her car after shooting her police bodyguard and chauffeur, she told him, “Not bloody likely.”
What a lot of people don’t get to see is her sense of humour. Robert Jobson recalls an event at a private members’ club in London where she had everyone in stitches with her comments about a portrait of her. She once gave Charles a leather-padded toilet seat as a joke, in reference to the fact that he’d one day be sitting on the throne.
She’s very supportive of her brother, whom she affectionately calls “Old Bean”, and he knows she will always have his back. When the King was crowned in 2023, she was chosen to ride at the head of the coronation procession in a position known as Gold Stick in Waiting because he trusts her.
She’s now 10 years past retirement age but hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down. She reportedly wants to keep working until she’s 90, but will consider easing back a little from 80. That’s a significant concession for someone who has previously said, “I don’t think there’s a retirement programme in this particular life.”
Anne through the ages
From a headstrong girl to Olympic equestrian, the princess is used to taking the reins. She’s 75 years old and still going strong as a leading member of the royal family. Here’s a look back over the life of Princess Anne and some of her most memorable moments.
1950
Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise was born on August 15 – VJ Day – at Clarence House in London. She was the second child of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and third in line of succession to the throne. She grew into a determined youngster, known for being fearless.
1969
Anne carried out her first official engagement when she was 18, opening an educational and training centre. It was the first of more than 20,000 she has done as a royal.
1970
Anne visited New Zealand for the first time, joining her parents and brother Charles on an official visit. It was also the first time the royals embarked on walkabouts, giving them the chance to meet local people.
1971
Accomplished equestrian Anne won the European Eventing Championship and was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year. She also rode winners in horseracing, including in a steeplechase.
1974
Ian Ball tried to kidnap Anne from her car in the Mall, London. Four people were shot and wounded, including her police bodyguard. Anne later admitted she considered trying to hit
Ball but decided it might be “silly to be rude”.
1976
The first member of the royal family to compete in an Olympic Games, Anne fell and suffered a concussion during the three-day eventing at the Montreal Olympics but got back
on her horse and finished the course.
1977
Four years and one day after marrying army officer Captain Mark Phillips, Anne became a mum on November 15 with the birth of her son Peter Phillips. Daughter Zara arrived three- and-a-half years later on May 15, 1981. She chose not to give her children royal titles.
1983
Anne revealed in an interview with chat-show host Michael Parkinson that if she wasn’t a royal, she might have been a truck driver. The princess, who has her HGV licence, said at least in that job she would have escaped public attention.
1987
Another first for Anne – this time she was the first royal to appear as a contestant on a TV quiz show when she was one of the guests on the BBC programme A Question of Sport. This year, she also became the seventh person to be given the title Princess Royal. The title is traditionally carried by the monarch’s oldest daughter and held for life.
1990
Anne was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her work with charity Save the Children. She had been named as its president in 1970 and would go on to be the patron from 2016. She has visited many of the organisation’s projects around the world, including in Cambodia, Uganda, Madagascar and the Philippines.
1992
Three years after it was announced that Anne and Mark’s marriage was over. She wed naval officer Commander Sir Tim Laurence. Their romance started when Tim was working as an equerry for Anne’s mother, the Queen.
1994
The Queen appointed Anne to the Order of the Garter but in typical Anne fashion. She asked to be installed as a Royal Knight of the Order, not a Lady.
2010
The Princess Royal gained a new title – Granny Anne – following the birth of her first grandchild, Savannah Phillips, now 14. She now has four others – Isla Philips, 13, and Mia, 11, Lena, seven, and Lucas Tindall, four.
2022
Anne was by her mother’s side in the Queen’s final 24 hours. She later said it was an “honour and a privilege to accompany her on her final journey”. The princess then made history by becoming the first royal woman to join her brothers to stand guard over their mother’s coffin as part of a tradition known as the Vigil of the Princes.
2024
Anne had no memory of how she sustained a head injury that saw her admitted to ICU. One likely theory is that she was kicked by her horse while out and about on her property Gatcombe Park. Her injuries were initially downplayed at the time, but now it has emerged that she was more seriously hurt than previously thought.
