Princess Anne and her nephew, Prince William, have made headlines recently, but as the Princess Royal approaches her birthday, how deep is their bond?
June 1982. Princess Anne, then 31, was in New Mexico on an engagement with Save The Children when a reporter asked her whether she had heard the big news of the day. Five thousand miles away, in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital, the Princess Royal’s sister-in-law, Princess Diana, had given birth to the future king, Prince William. What was Anne’s reaction to the Princess of Wales welcoming her new nephew? ‘I didn’t know she had one.’ As no-nonsense a response as one might expect from the Princess Royal. ‘Do you think everyone is making too much fuss of the baby?’ another reporter tried. ‘Yes.’
Perhaps, many surmised after the curt interaction, Princess Anne was feeling the pressure of her increased number of engagements. Princess Diana’s pregnancy had meant that she and Prince Charles were taking part in a joint total of 140 public royal duties, compared to Anne’s 200. Now, it seems that history is repeating itself, with the relationship between the Princess Royal and Prince William once again in the spotlight.
Ahead of Anne’s 75th birthday, royal insiders have told the Sunday Times that the King’s sister is growing irritated by Prince William’s lack of commitment to ‘“bread-and-butter” royal engagements’ like investitures. King Charles’s cancer treatment has once again meant that Princess Anne (already the hardest-working royal, carrying out 217 engagements last year) is taking up the lion’s share of this key royal duty, despite investitures taking place at Windsor Castle – just minutes from Prince William’s home at Adelaide Cottage. One source close to the Princess said: ‘She’s still doing most of the Investitures [at Windsor] even though William lives there. It annoys her.’
Could this be a matter of generational divide? Prince William has spoken openly about his plans to modernise the monarchy when he takes to the throne, including stripping back certain staples such as the Coronation. ‘He wants to make sure the whole thing has even more impact and remains relevant,” a friend told the Times with regard to William’s plan to update the royal family’s interactions with the public. Jason Knauf, CEO of William’s flagship Earthshot Prize, added: ‘It’s all an evolution, making it work for what people expect of him and leaders of his generation.’
Despite what appears to be a mild irritation, the ever pragmatic Princess Royal is all too aware of how these modern developments impact the Firm, no doubt noticing the Prince and Princess of Wales’s increased use of social media to interact with the public. That is not to say, however, that she is necessarily fond of the developments. ‘With online technology… being in touch is one thing, but it’s not quite the same. The ability to meet people, that’s what makes the difference,’ she explained during the 2020 documentary, Anne: The Princess Royal at 70. ‘I know what Twitter is, but I wouldn’t go anywhere near it if you paid me, frankly. But that’s a slightly different issue.’
Anne also understands that Prince William, the Princess of Wales, and the next generations of the monarchy experience royal life very differently from her, noting that ‘the pressure that is applied to the younger members of the family… It’s always worse. That’s what the media is interested in.’ Indeed, the Princess Royal is often positioned as a stalwart of good advice for younger family members – her support of her nephew never clearer than Trooping the Colour, where the pair often ride side-by-side on horseback.
When Princess Anne returned to public duties after she sustained a head injury at home in Gatcombe Park last June, the Prince and Princess of Wales were quick to issue a message of admiration, writing: ‘Super trooper! So great to see you back so soon! W & C x’ notably signing off with a kiss.
After all, the two are family. When the Princess Royal joined William and Catherine on The Good, the Bad, and the Rugby, a podcast hosted by her son-in-law, Mike Tindall, the Prince reminisced about childhood memories at Balmoral, where his aunt would chance him and Prince Harry around the Scottish estate. She was, he said, ‘quite quick’, and would play around with a ‘quite terrifying’ look on her face. The bond has continued on throughout the generations, with Prince William said to enjoy a close relationship with Anne’s children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips. Mike Tindall has also revealed that his children – Mia, Lena, and Lucas – are firm friends with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Naturally, the Princess Royal has no plans to retire any time soon. Sources have said that she plans to follow in the footsteps of her father, Prince Philip, and work into her ninth decade. As such, she will continue to keep a keen eye on how her nephew prepares himself to rule, no doubt offering wise counsel, familial support, and (perhaps) a stern word or two.
