No one pulls off British countryside fashion like Princess Anne, and the Princess Royal showed off '70s-style trousers and a gorgeous paisley scarf as she enjoyed an adorable day out in the Cotswolds over the weekend.

Anne, who has served as patron of the International Sheep Dog Society since 2007, leaned into crisp, classic pieces as she attended the organization's annual competition, held at Daylesford Organic Farm from September 11 to 13. The Princess Royal paired a navy blazer and white button-up with a pair of tan windowpane-check trousers, adding a blue scarf with a paisley pattern to her autumnal outfit.

Paisley has been everywhere in 2026, whether it was summer's boho trend or the bandana-style scarves that went viral this spring. But Anne's take is a more traditional, pashmina-like style (raise your hand if you ever bought one on a NYC street corner in the early 2000s). The chance of the Princess Royal having snagged hers from Canal Street is essentially zero, but those of us who have some paisley pashminas tucked in the back of their closet can rejoice in knowing they're cool enough for royalty.

Queen Elizabeth's only daughter finished off her outfit with her signature sporty sunglasses, wearing an amber-tinted Adidas pair she's owned for years.

It's unclear if Anne's trousers were an actual vintage piece, but she's been known to dig deep into the archives for her no-nonsense working wardrobe. Whether it's a dress from the '70s or one of Queen Elizabeth's coats, Anne goes for quality pieces that will last forever—much like her father, Prince Philip, who was still wearing his 1947 wedding shoes in 2011.

Last week, Princess Anne stayed true to her fashion philosophy while attending King Harald of Norway's funeral with Prince William, wearing a 57-year-old gold ribbon brooch she's owned since she was a teenager.

As for her day out in the Cotswolds, the Royal Family shared a series of photos from the event, captioning the post, "A round of a-paws for this year’s winners of the International Sheep Dog Trials! 🐾"

"As Patron, The Princess Royal attended the event hosted by the International Sheep Dog Society, which works to support the training and welfare of sheep dogs," the post continued. "Her Royal Highness met team members from across the United Kingdom, watched qualifying runs and presented awards for the contribution to sheepdog trialling."

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Royal women from around the world wore traditional pearl jewelry to honor King Harald of Norway at his funeral on Wednesday, September 9, including Princess Anne, who joined Prince William for the services at Oslo Cathedral.

While the Prince of Wales attended as an official representative of his father, King Charles, the funeral had a more personal significance for the Princess Royal, who has served as a godmother to the new Norwegian monarch, King Haakon, since his 1973 christening. For the funeral, Princess Anne wore a classic pair of pearl drop earrings, a choice that Eddie Le Vian, CEO of Le Vian jewelers, told Marie Claire dates back to Anne’s great-great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria.

“Pearls have spoken the language of royal mourning for generations,” Le Vian says. “Since Queen Victoria mourned Prince Albert, pearls have come to evoke tears, remembrance and dignity. Unlike other royal guests, Anne appeared to skip a pearl necklace in favor of a silk scarf, and instead wore a diamond-studded gold brooch with decades of significance.

Jewelry expert Nilesh Rakholia, Founder of Abelini, tells Marie Claire that the Princess Royal’s gold ribbon brooch was “a very deliberate” decision for the occasion. “The princess has dozens of options in her collection, so reaching for a brooch she has worn consistently for over fifty years tells you this wasn't a casual choice,” Rakholia says.

The brooch itself dates back to the mid-20th century and takes the form of a loosely knotted bow, set with around a dozen diamonds. An 18-year-old Princess Anne first wore the piece in 1969 at a Buckingham Palace meeting with Apollo 8 commander Colonel Frank Borman—and the pin has been in regular rotation for close to 60 years.

“To still be reaching for the same piece nearly six decades later says an enormous amount about what it means to her personally, far more than any high-value piece could,” Rakholia says. The Princess Royal has worn the brooch for events such as her 70th birthday portrait and at Ascot, but also for numerous solemn engagements, like Anzac Day services honoring fallen soldiers and an event marking the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Crete.

"That's the pattern that stands out to me,” Rakholia shares. “This isn't a brooch she reaches for on lighter occasions. Time and again, it appears at moments of remembrance and loss specifically, whether that's a wreath-laying for fallen soldiers in the spring or, now, the funeral of a head of state she has a personal connection to.”

Nilesh notes that the brooch's diamond setting adds sparkle without being inappropriate at solemn occasions. "Diamonds against a dark coat, which is what she's worn it with here, create a soft contrast rather than anything flashy. It's the kind of piece that reads as respectful rather than decorative, which matters enormously at a funeral."

On Friday, August 28, the Norwegian royal court announced the death of King Harald V of Norway at the age of 89. Having been on the throne since 1991, the Norwegian king had become known as the oldest living European monarch following Queen Elizabeth II's death in 2022. Harald's son, Crown Prince Haakon, will take over and be known as King Haakon.

Harald's state funeral will take place on Wednesday, September 9, with important Royal Family members and dignitaries from across Europe expected to pay tribute at the event. It has now been confirmed that King Charles won't be in attendance at King Harald's funeral. Instead, two royal relatives will take his place and travel to Norway to pay their respects.

Prince William will represent his father at Harald's funeral, Hello! magazine has confirmed. The Prince of Wales will attend the event alongside his aunt, Princess Anne, who "is due to appear in a personal capacity as the godmother of King Haakon," the outlet reported.

The King's decision not to attend King Harald's funeral isn't unusual. For instance, his mother, Queen Elizabeth, regularly sent family members in her place to attend the funerals of world leaders, foreign royals, popes, and politicians.

King Charles counted King Harald as a second cousin once removed—Harald was Queen Elizabeth II's second cousin.

Paying tribute following Harald's death, The King wrote in an Instagram post, "It is with the most profound sadness that my wife and I have learned of the death of my dear cousin, King Harald V of Norway."

He continued, "For 35 years, King Harald served his people with unwavering dedication, guiding Norway through times of great change with warmth and humility."

King Harald of Norway died at the age of 89 on August 28, and royals from across Europe are scheduled to attend his funeral on Wednesday, September 9. While everyone from King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands to Denmark's King Frederik and Queen Mary are planning to travel to Norway next week, King Charles will likely not be amongst the guests.

Historically, British monarchs rarely attend funerals outside of close family members and friends, and Queen Elizabeth would send another member of her family as a representative when foreign royals, popes or other world leaders died. She broke tradition by attending the funerals of just two of the prime ministers who served during her lifetime: Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.

The Royal Family has not confirmed who will be attending next week's service, and although King Harald was a second cousin once removed of King Charles, the British monarch is likely to continue his mother's funeral-going tradition.

Prince William has stepped in for his father at occasions like Pope Francis's funeral in April 2025, but there's another British royal with a closer connection to King Harald's family.

Princess Anne is actually the godmother of Norway's new monarch, King Haakon, making her a likely representative for The King. Two of Haakon's other godparents, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Margrethe of Denmark are scheduled to attend King Harald's funeral next week.

Per Tatler, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan are also confirmed to be at the service at Oslo Cathedral, along with Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden, and Princess Madeleine of Sweden and her husband, Chris O’Neil.

Although he might not attend King Harald's funeral, King Charles posted a moving tribute to the Norwegian royal on social media.

“It is with the most profound sadness that my wife and I have learned of the death of my dear cousin, King Harald V of Norway,” The King wrote in an Instagram post. “For thirty-five years, King Harald served his people with unwavering dedication, guiding Norway through times of great change with warmth and humility.”

“As Norway mourns the loss of so towering a figure, my whole family join in remembering a much-loved kinsman and friend whose kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty echoed from across the sea and across the decades,” he added.

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior working royals in 2020, it sent shockwaves around the world, and there was one member of the Royal Family who gently suggested that shaking things up might not be the best approach. Now that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have moved back to the U.K., royal author Katie Nicholl says that Princess Anne saw it all coming.

At 76, Princess Anne has been there through a number of tumultuous times in the Royal Family, and Nicholl recently told Hello! magazine that the Princess Royal “predicted” the Sussex family’s move wouldn’t pan out the way they’d expected.

“Harry has always had a very good relationship with his aunt Princess Anne,” the author said. “This relationship has certainly been tested and when I sat down with her to interview her back in 2020, just after Megxit, she gave me a very sort of coded message, which was, it's all very well the new younger royals doing things differently, but they shouldn't try and reinvent the wheel.”

In the April 2020 Vanity Fair interview ahead of her 70th birthday, Princess Anne hinted at her feelings about the Sussexes, who had left Britain just a month before. “I don't think this younger generation probably understands what I was doing in the past and it's often true, isn't it?” Anne said. “You don't necessarily look at the previous generation and say: ‘Oh, you did that?’ Or: ‘You went there?’”

She continued, “Nowadays, they're much more looking for: ‘Oh, let's do it a new way’ and I'm already at the stage, ‘Please do not reinvent that particular wheel. We've been there, done that. Some of these things don't work. You may need to go back to basics.’”

Nicholl says she took the Princess Royal’s comments “very much to be a word of warning, a cautionary word to Meghan and Harry that yes, of course there needs to be changes, but, but not to do anything too drastically.”

“I think she will be one who has sort of sat back, predicted all of this, not been surprised that they're coming back somewhat with their tails between their legs because things haven't worked in America,” the royal biographer added.

When Princess Anne isn’t carrying out one of her 470-plus royal engagements each year, she’s living a quiet life on her Gatcombe Park estate. Situated in Gloucestershire not far from King Charles’s country retreat, Highgrove House, the historic home dates back to the late 1700s and gives the Princess Royal hundreds of acres of peace and privacy. Although she has access to travel like a VIP from her private estate, one Cotswolds neighbor recently told the Daily Express that Anne prefers a more low-key method of transportation.

British TV personality Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, who lives in the nearby village of Siddington, told the media outlet that he’s spotted Princess Anne at their local train station on numerous occasions.

"I've met her on the train quite often, yeah we're on kind of nodding terms,” Llewelyn-Bowen said. “She travels with a few burly but super smart military types, all very very unfussy. No one bats an eyelid, we're all used to her.”

It should come as no surprise that the no-nonsense Princess Royal prefers to take public transportation rather than make a fuss traveling by chauffeur, but Llewelyn-Bowen revealed that Anne wasn't the only royal he's seen taking the commuter train.

The interior designer and Changing Rooms star shared that King Charles also “used to do it lots as well, at our local station Kemble.”

Since there are frequent trains to London from Kemble, where Anne’s son, Peter Phillips, married Harriet Sperling in June, Llewelyn-Bowen shared that many celebrities end up on the rail line. “There are moments where the train to Paddington is more star-studded than the Expresso Bar at The Ivy,” he quipped.

As for Phillips and his sister, Zara Tindall, Llewelyn-Bowen said he runs into them “quite a lot,” adding, “Peter is someone we know quite well and again, this is one of them things about our end of the Cotswolds, is that everyone sort of gets on well with each other in a very informal way.”

Princess Anne is celebrating her 76th birthday on August 15, 2026. The Princess Royal has been married to her second husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, since December 12, 1992. And according to one expert, Anne's husband is the "perfect mixture" of two other royal relatives.

Speaking to Betfair Casino, body language expert Darren Stanton shared, "With Anne's brother King Charles, his wife Camilla is very similar to his character and they are both confident and outspoken. But Anne is a strong character who is better suited with someone like Sir Tim—who is quiet and reserved."

Stanton continued, "She needs someone who can stand back and let her shine. She also needs someone who understands the dynamics of being a working royal, and Tim gets that completely."

The body language expert also suggested that Laurence is "the perfect mixture" of two other Royal Family members: Anne's late parents.

As Stanton further explained, "Like [Prince] Philip, he's able to stand to the side and let his wife take center stage. And just like [Queen Elizabeth II], he has a lot of respect for royal tradition and following a sense of duty."

Basically, it seems that Princess Anne's marriage to Laurence continues to stand the test of time as the two royals complement each other so well.

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Queen Elizabeth was raised in a much different world than the current members of the Royal Family, but her more traditional British upbringing is still reflected in her only daughter, Princess Anne. Ahead of the Princess Royal’s 76th birthday on August 15, body language expert Darren Stanton says that Anne inspires respect from everyone she meets, making her “unmistakably her mother’s daughter.”

Stanton shares that Princess Anne, who was taught by a private governess at Buckingham Palace until the age of 13, was “raised under traditional royal protocols” like Queen Elizabeth, carrying “forward both the discipline and the demeanor expected of her role.”

Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, the body language expert notes that the Princess Royal “is unmistakably her mother’s daughter, not just in background, but in the way her nonverbal cues mirror Queen Elizabeth’s.” He points to the way Anne “often walks with her hands clasped behind her back” like the late Queen, calling it “a gesture that communicates composure, control, and quiet authority.”

Princess Anne racked up an impressive 478 royal engagements in 2025, and her hard-working personality has consistently made her one of the most popular members of the Royal Family. “In public engagements, she mirrors the late monarch’s grounded presence,” Stanton says, adding that Anne “radiates a quiet confidence that draws people in.”

“She is never arrogant, but her stance signals someone entirely confident in her position,” he continues. “She commands respect naturally, and when necessary, she can also demand it.”

Although she’s known for having a “no-nonsense side,” Stanton points out that Anne inherited the same “sharp, dry sense of humor” as her mother and an ability to make the people she meets feel like the only one in the room.

The Princess Royal shares a close bond with her older brother, King Charles, often taking on overseas tour and attending major events on behalf of the monarch. Speaking of their warm relationship, Stanton says that The King “appears to look up to her, and their exchanges often reveal a shared wit.”

Having been a working royal since age 18, Princess Anne has more than five decades of experience under her belt, making her a role model for the younger generation. Stanton notes that because of her wisdom, the Princess Royal is “one of the more dominant figures within the Royal Family, not in an overbearing way, but through the respect she inspires.”

Members of the Royal Family don’t always get to show off their lighter sides, but former Highgrove House butler Grant Harrold said that there’s a surprising royal who is actually quite “laid back.”

Princess Anne might be perceived as all business, but Harrold, speaking on behalf of OLBG, says that the “workaholic” sister of King Charles is actually one of the most relaxed Windsors. Discussing her weekend appearance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, The King’s former butler says it’s “nice to see her more laid back.”

“We usually see her dressed to impress and in work mode, but she has really stripped it back,” Harrold says of her casual appearance. “I think she is starting to lean into the new era of the Royal Family and the modern way they are doing things.”

The Princess Royal continually ranks as one of the hardest working royals in the family, racking up hundreds of royal engagements each year. “But while she is often in work mode, she is also one of the most laid-back members of the Royal Family, but don’t let that catch you off guard,” Harrold notes. “She is very much like her father—she will catch you out.”

Like the late Prince Philip, Princess Anne is known to be extremely direct, but she's also fuss-free and unfailingly dedicated to her charities. “She is absolutely lovely, but you don’t want to get on the wrong side of her,” Harrold shares. As for her impressive number of royal commitments each year, Harrold says he doesn't “really see any sign of Princess Anne slowing down her royal duties.”

“She is a workaholic. If you look over the past couple of years, she hasn’t stopped.” As the Princess Royal continues to “step up” for The King, the former butler to King Charles says that Anne “has always been very detail-oriented, like her mother, Queen Elizabeth.”

“I truly think she will continue working like her mother up until a very old age,” he adds.

With a small, aging group of senior working royals, King Charles has fewer people than ever to carry out official duties. But there’s one member of the family he’s always counted on, and that’s his sister, Princess Anne. The Princess Royal, 75, kicked off a tour of South Korea with her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, on July 13, and body language expert Darren Stanton shares why Anne was the ideal person for the job.

“I think immense trust is placed in her by The King,” Stanton says. “The fact Anne and Tim Laurence have been chosen for this trip shows that.”

The Princess Royal carried out a wide range of engagements on Tuesday ranging from a solemn event at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery to a visit to one of the world’s largest shipbuilders. Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, Stanton says that it’s clear during her tour that the hard-working Princess Royal is admired in South Korea.

“You can also see that the people she is meeting in Korea have immense respect in her,” he shares. “They show a lot of submissive gestures, but also seem to be really warming to her. People can often be subservient out of fear or nerves, but the broad duchenne smiles on the faces of the people she is meeting shows that this subservience comes from a place of real respect.”

On Tuesday, July 14, the Princess Royal and Laurence traveled to Seoul, attending an event for UK-Korea Sustainable Fashion Futures, visiting Korea University and meeting with representatives from Save the Children, a charity she’s been involved with since 1970. She even met members of the K-Pop group NMIXX during a reception celebrating the UK–Republic of Korea partnership.

“What I have seen of the trip so far really demonstrates why the trust The King has in her is so well placed,” Stanton says of the “incredibly successful start” to the tour. “She is such a natural.”

He notes that the people she’s met “appear to be overjoyed to be in her company,” sharing that “confident and happy” Anne “also seems to be enjoying herself on the trip.”

“Anne is not the kind of person to fake these emotions if they aren’t genuine,” Stanton adds.

Like Queen Elizabeth before them, King Charles and Queen Camilla head to Edinburgh to take part in Royal Week each summer, and on Wednesday, July 1, they were joined by Prince William and Prince Edward for the Order of the Thistle service at St. Giles' Cathedral. But before the historic ceremony, King Charles hosted senior royals for a family dinner at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, as reported by the Daily Mail.

It was confirmed to the outlet that The King held a “dine and sleep” at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Tuesday night with the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal. The three royals spent the night at the palace ahead of the Order of the Thistle ceremony, which celebrates the greatest order of chivalry in Scotland.

The family gathering happened the night before what would have been Princess Diana’s 65th birthday, and just days before Prince Harry is due to visit the U.K. As the Daily Mail noted, “with the drama surrounding Prince Harry's potential arrival in the UK this weekend—with or without his family—dominating royal news, and the ongoing issue of disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, there would have been plenty for all to discuss.”

The Duke of Sussex is scheduled to travel to Britain with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, for events related to the Invictus Games, but security concerns have potentially stalled a meeting with the children and their grandfather The King.

Although Prince Harry was offered a place to stay at a royal residence, fears about paparazzi following the children have reportedly caused the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to reassess bringing Lilibet and Archie. A spokesperson for Prince Harry stated that the royal "continues to explore every available option to enable the visit to proceed safely and to give his children the opportunity to enjoy the U.K."

Meanwhile, the former Duke of York made his first public appearance since his February arrest over the weekend, quietly slipping in to watch Duchess Sophie compete in the Sandringham Horse Driving Trials.

Queen Camilla has been a longstanding champion of reading and a supporter of literacy-related charities, often meeting with authors and visiting schools to read to children. But on Tuesday, June 30, the Royal Family received a barrage of negative comments after sharing a photo of The Queen with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

Rowling has made repeated anti-trans comments over the years, and with their meeting taking place on the last day of Pride month, The Queen's meeting with the author was criticized by many social media users.

“With a shared passion for books and a deep commitment to children reading for pleasure, The Queen and author J.K. Rowling have met at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh,” the Instagram post read.

According to Buckingham Palace, "Her Majesty and Ms Rowling discussed the importance of ensuring that young people have access to books and the vital part reading plays in opening doors for future generations.”

Rowling has become a divisive figure for her social media posts about the transgender community, and the Royal Family's comment sections on both Instagram and X were filled with fans expressing their disappointment over Queen Camilla's meeting.

“As an admirer of the Queen and her Reading Room I’m deeply disappointed in her giving a platform to JKR, any month but especially during Pride Month,” one Instagram user wrote. “There are many other admirable individuals to spotlight who champion reading for children and young people.”

Another comment read, "there's a lot of other children's authors (who have published kids books more recently than 20 years ago) that you could have worked with on this," adding several emojis of the transgender pride flag.

The Queen's meeting with Rowling took place in Edinburgh, where the author wrote the majority of her Harry Potter books, and kicked off Royal Week in Scotland for King Charles and Queen Camilla.

No-fuss Princess Anne always manages to look effortlessly elegant, and she could teach the trend-obsessed out there a thing or two about reaching into your own closet. The Princess Royal beat the stifling U.K. heat in a butter yellow gown while attending a dinner for the centenary celebration of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners—and her floral dress still fit perfectly, despite being nearly as old as her middle-aged children.

Princess Anne originally wore the Edwardian-inspired yellow gown during a 1984 trip to Gambia, and the floaty, tiered design with a pink floral print appeared just as stunning as it did four decades ago. Like she did in the ‘80s, the Princess Royal paired her dress with white satin gloves.

In a video of her arrival, Anne’s knee-high stockings peek out from under the slit in the gown—and with temperatures soaring in the high nineties in London, it’s no wonder she didn’t want to wear tights.

For her 2026 appearance, Princess Anne accessorized with a pair of pearl stud earrings, ivory pumps and a coordinating clutch.

This is the second time in recent weeks the Princess Royal has stepped out in a trendy butter yellow ensemble, choosing the color when her son Peter Phillips married Harriet Sperling on June 6. She also pulled out a major re-wear for the event, choosing a floral print dress she wore in the eighties and the same yellow hat she wore to her daughter Zara Tindall's christening in 1981.

Anne has dipped into her extensive wardrobe on many occasions over the years, like when she wore a bedazzled ivory coat from 1969 to the Nigerian state banquet in March 2026 or the cream and orange skirt suit she wore to Royal Ascot 2025...and Trooping the Colour 1987. Drop the closet storage system, please.

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Princess Anne has long been considered one of the hardest working members of the Royal Family, and even though she gives off a tough exterior at royal events, she does have a softer side. The Princess Royal has five grandkids between her children Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, and now that Peter has married Harriet Sperling, Anne has added Sperling's 13-year-old daughter, Georgina, to the crew. Although it's sometimes hard to find time in her busy royal schedule, her children say that Princess Anne is just like any other grandma.

Peter and Zara opened up about their mother in an ITV documentary released for the Princess Royal’s 70th birthday, sharing some rare comments about her life as a grandmother.

“She loves seeing them ride; she loves having them round for Sunday lunches and taking them for walks, doing all the things that we would do as kids,” the siblings said (via Hello!). “We quite like leaving them on Sundays. We'll say: ‘We'll pick them up later – bye!’”

Prince Philip is said to have treated his only daughter like another son, and Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, told Hello! that the Princess Royal “has a very masculine energy but definitely has a soft side, like Prince Philip did, and she is very proud of Peter and Zara.”

She's showed off this softer side at events like the Gatcombe Horse Trials, which used to be held on her private estate every year before its 2024 cancellation. Olympic equestrian Anne has passed her love of riding down to fellow Olympian Zara, and the family has bonded while attending various competitions.

“She’s always refused to be photographed kissing babies in public, but she’s different with her own grandchildren and she obviously adores them,” Seward said.

Harriet Sperling became the newest member of the Royal Family when she married Peter Phillips on June 6, and the NHS nurse has become a fast favorite among royal watchers. Harriet’s new mother-in-law, Princess Anne, has long been one of the hardest working royals, and with a pediatric nurse joining the family, she might just give the Princess Royal a run for her money.

Phillips and Sperling started dating in early 2024 when they met through their daughters’ hockey team. Harriet is the mother of a 13-year-old daughter, Georgina Sperling, from her first marriage, and her relatable life has endeared Sperling to royal fans, as royal historian Tessa Dunlop told the Sun.

“Here is a woman who, as a ­divorcee and single parent, speaks to modern, blended Britain, and likewise as a middle-aged nurse puts the public-sector worker into the royals’ famed life of service,” she said. “Harriet is the real deal—with her quiet Christian faith and NHS work ethic, she ­provides the blueprint for a ­modern, unshowy monarchy.”

Unlike his mother, Phillips doesn't hold a royal title—a decision that Queen Elizabeth was said to disagree with when Princess Anne insisted that her children would not be princes or princesses. Although Harriet will never take on full-time royal duties, her experience as a pediatric nurse follows in the footsteps of the Princess Royal.

“Harriet’s mother-in-law, Princess Anne, is known as the hardest-working royal, although now there is an intensive-care children’s nurse in the family, Anne might find she has competition for that title,” Dunlop said.

Queen Elizabeth's great-granddaughters Isla and Savannah Phillips have a new stepmom, and the historian pointed to the “warm friendship” between the three teenagers as “further evidence of a new contemporary model for ­Britain’s most famous family.”

On Saturday, June 6, NHS nurse Harriet Sperling officially became a member of the Royal Family when she married Princess Anne's son, Peter Phillips. Notably, Sperling didn't wear one of the Royal Family's tiaras, despite many commentators believing she might opt for a headpiece belonging to her new mother-in-law, Princess Anne.

For her royal nuptials, the bride wore a custom Emilia Wickstead column wedding gown, featuring long lace sleeves and a high-neck. Instead of borrowing a tiara from the Royal Family's extensive collection for her wedding, Sperling loaned a headpiece from the jeweler responsible for creating her engagement ring, Pragnell.

As noted by the jeweler's website, the Pragnell Tiara's "diamonds highlight a festoon of glittering laurel leaves and articulated floral motifs." Sperling paired the decadent headpiece with matching earrings from the jeweler and a long, sumptuous veil featuring an embroidered hem.

"Favored as a bridal headpiece and owned by the Pragnell family, this delicate tiara has been worn by generations of Pragnell family members and was present at the coronation of both King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II," the jeweler's website explained.

Per the jeweler, the Pragnell Tiara is "very rare" in its design as it references both the Edwardian and the Deco periods. Despite not belonging to Princess Anne, Sperling's new mother-in-law does have an unexpected connection to the headpiece.

As noted by the designer, the Pragnell Tiara bears a "great resemblance to the tiara owned by The Princess Royal, [shown] in the official photograph celebrating her fiftieth birthday in 2000," the jeweler noted.

Despite forgoing a Royal Family tiara on her wedding day, Sperling made a romantic choice by wearing a headpiece tied to her engagement ring from Phillips.

The end of May marks a holiday weekend in both the United States and the U.K., but according to former royal butler Grant Harrold, King Charles and the rest of the royals don’t get up to any exciting plans. Instead, they’re focused on business as usual, and when they do go away, Harrold says it’s “a bit boring.”

Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo Online, Harrold—who served King Charles as a butler at Highgrove House between 2004 and 2011—says members of the Royal Family are “normally working” over a long weekend. “The royals have very boring bank holiday weekends,” he shares. “Sometimes they will have friends come over for dinner, but overall it would still be a working day for them. They’re creatures of habit, they don't change.”

Workaholic King Charles, in particular, likes to keep the same schedule. “The King’s routine is the same every day. His mother was the same, so I think it’s just how he’s been brought up,” Harrold added. “Even if they’re away for a bank holiday weekend, they still do their same routines. They’re a bit boring really.”

Like the late Queen, The King and Queen Camilla like to spend their time on the Balmoral estate in Scotland, but before she married into the Royal Family, she preferred warmer spots. “Camilla likes the sun, I think she likes the Mediterranean,” Harrold says. “Before she went to Balmoral, she used to go on yacht holidays.”

He adds that Prince William and Princess Kate—who are big fans of the French Alps as well as beach vacations— also “seem to like their yachting holidays.” As for Princess Anne, she’s more like her mother and eldest brother.

“I'm not aware of Princess Anne going overseas like that,” Harrold shares. “I think she tends to do the traditional Scotland when she goes up there for her breaks.”

Although he’s a Balmoral enthusiast, King Charles does occasionally travel elsewhere, with Harrold noting that when The King goes on an overseas tour, he “sometimes ties in other trips.” The former butler continues that King Charles has “a house in Romania, which he will add onto a tour. But normally for holidays it’s Scotland. He’s more of a traditionalist.”

Princess Kate just completed her first solo international trip following her cancer diagnosis, visiting Italy to further her research into early years development. Now, two more members of the Royal Family have announced their intention to embark on their own royal tours overseas.

Majesty magazine shared news of Princess Anne's forthcoming royal tour of Greece in a Facebook post. "As President of the Mission to Seafarers, the Princess Royal will begin her visit by conducting engagements in Athens," the post explained, revealing that Anne will be accompanied by her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence. The pair are set to visit Greece from May 22 until May 24.

Following their stop in Athens, Anne and her husband will "visit Crete to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Crete," Majesty magazine shared. The trip is set to include a flypast by the Royal Air Force, with Princess Anne paying tribute to servicepeople who have lost their lives.

Meghan Markle also announced her own international trip, with a press release revealing that the Duchess of Sussex will travel to Geneva, Switzerland for the opening of The Lost Screen Memorial.

Taking place ahead of World Health Assembly Week, and hosted by Archewell Philanthropies alongside the World Health Organization, "the installation will feature 50 illuminated lightboxes, each displaying the lock screen image of a child who lost their life as a result of online violence and digital harm."

Importantly, the memorial "was created by Archewell Philanthropies...in partnership with The Parents's Network—a community of bereaved families advocating for safer online spaces for children and young people."

Per a press release, "The memorial seeks to highlight the measurable and preventable harms associated with online violence against children, including cyberbullying, grooming, sextortion, exposure to self-harm content, and unsafe emerging technologies without adequate safeguards."

King Charles kicked off garden party season at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, May 6, celebrating the third anniversary of his coronation with members of the Royal Family and hundreds of guests. Royal garden parties honor members of the British public who serve their communities, and during the first party of 2026, The King, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne received an extra-warm greeting from one special guest.

In footage shared on Instagram, The King takes time greeting attendees as he walks down a line of people, stopping to pay extra attention to a service dog named Vegas. The monarch bent over to pet the sweet brown cocker spaniel from the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People charity as he chatted with the dog’s owner, Kate Wilson. “They do hearing dogs too, now? Marvellous," he said, per GB News.

Vegas jumped up enthusiastically on The King’s legs, and he seemed so enamored with the dog that one impatient garden party guest exclaimed, “Your Majesty, we’re waiting over here!”

Vegas also met with Queen Camilla as well as Princess Anne, who serves as patron of the hearing dogs charity. The Princess Royal asked if Vegas took such a liking to “everyone or is it just me?” as she gave lots of attention to the dog.

Speaking of Princess Anne, Vegas's owner, Kate Wilson said, “She’s a wonderful lady with all the work she does. I'm a teacher and having Vegas has changed everything for me.”

Wilson said that Vegas “can alert me to things that are going on or alarms going off. And it means my son can leave me alone without worrying. It’s been life-changing.”

“She does jump up a little but everyone took it in their stride,” Wilson said, and it seems like dog lovers Anne, Charles and Camilla certainly did.

King Charles is celebrating the third anniversary of his coronation on Wednesday, May 6, and looking back at the historic event, lip reading expert Nicola Hickling has shared some behind-the-scenes moments from the ceremony.

Prince Harry attended his father’s coronation without wife Meghan Markle, with the service falling on their son, Prince Archie’s, fourth birthday. As he took his place inside Westminster Abbey next to cousin Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, the Duke of Sussex allegedly made a joke about breaking the seating chart.

Hickling, speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, claims that Brooksbank told Harry, “I think we need to swap.” Prince Harry replied, “Are you in my place?” and after the two laughed, Hickling says that the Duke of Sussex added, “Let’s stay like this and be placed wrong.”

The Duke of Sussex appeared in high spirits as he chatted with Jack and his cousins inside Westminster Abbey, but flew back to California to be with his family almost immediately after the ceremony, skipping the rest of the royal festivities that weekend.

Observing Princess Anne’s interactions with her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, Hickling says that Sir Timothy acknowledged the emotional background of the day.

After Laurence told the Princess Royal to “push up,” she replied, “Oh, for goodness’ sake, I’m very uncomfortable.” Hickling says that Laurence added, “I can’t imagine how you’re feeling,” before putting on his glasses and reading the program.

“Look at the first verse,” Princess Anne said, with Laurence noting that his brother-in-law “considered it very well.”

Princess Anne joined her brother in marking the third anniversary of his coronation on May 6, watching a 41 Gun Royal Salute in Hyde Park before attending a garden party at Buckingham Palace with The King, Queen Camilla, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

Not every member of the Royal Family holds a title, and for Princess Anne’s children, this was by design. Despite Queen Elizabeth’s wishes, the Princess Royal opted not to give her kids prince/princess titles, and because of this, they’ve grown up in a much more “normal” way than their cousins William and Harry. Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, is so down-to-earth, in fact, that her fellow equestrians sometimes blank on her royal status.

In an interview in Hello! magazine’s latest print issue (via the Daily Express), competitive equestrian Laura Collett opened up about riding alongside Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter and the special honor she received from Princess Anne.

“She's so normal, we forget she's a royal...she's so lovely," Collett said of Zara.

In 2024, Collett received an Olympic gold medal from Princess Anne in Paris, and in 2022, the Olympian was given an MBE from the Princess Royal for her services to sports.

Like Zara, Princess Anne is a lifelong rider and she competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics. Of her investiture ceremony with the princess, Collett said, “It was one of those surreal moments because she started chatting [to me] like a friendly face.”

Collett added, “It was nice because we have something in common.”

Another thing the Princess Royal has in common with Collett is surviving a terrifying horse-related accident. In 2024, Anne was hospitalized after injuries consistent with being hit in the head by a horse, although she doesn't remember anything about the incident. Collett nearly died in 2013 when her horse fell on top of her, resulting in severe injuries and permanent blindness in one eye.

After another injury earlier this year, Collett had a very Princess Anne-like response. “Accidents happen and it’s important to realize it’s not all plain sailing,” she said, per Horse and Hound. “You just have to pick yourself up and come back stronger.”

Growing up as a member of the Royal Family must be an unusual experience. While much royal drama plays out in the public eye, royal experts often take fans behind-the-scenes of life in the palace. And according to one royal biographer, two royal siblings were known to argue often when they were younger.

In the book, My Mother and I, royal expert Ingrid Seward discussed King Charles and Princess Anne's unexpected experience growing up as siblings in Buckingham Palace.

"Princess Anne was technically a spare until the birth of [ex-]Prince Andrew, in February 1960, but while she was second in line for almost nine and a half years, she made sure she was first in everything else," Seward explained.

Unsurprisingly, Anne became "hugely competitive with Charles when they were young." According to Seward, The King "never stood a chance against his willful sister, even though she was two years younger."

Unfortunately for Charles, Princess Anne was quite the competitor.

"Everything he had, she wanted, and according to Anne they fought 'like cats and dogs,'" Seward shared.

The royal biographer continued, "When she was really worked up, she would throw things at Charles and lie on the floor kicking with sheer temper until she got what her heart desired."

Despite the competition between them, "Charles was surprisingly gentle with his boisterous sister, and for all their squabbles they got along reasonably well," Seward explained.

The royal biographer continued, "But if Anne was more than her brother's equal in the battlefield of the nursery, it was Charles who commanded the greatest attention. He was born to be King and that fact was subtly drummed into him and his sister from earliest memory."

Luckily, Charles and Anne appear to have left their competitive nature in the past since then.

Mocktails are all the rage right now, and Princess Kate recently admitted that she doesn't drink much these days. But decades ago, it wasn’t as common to abstain from alcohol, especially within Britain. Queen Elizabeth enjoyed a gin and Dubonnet as part of her daily routine at Buckingham Palace, but her alcohol consumption came nothing close to the Queen Mother’s. Princess Margaret also was fond of a drink, but according to royal biographer Robert Hardman, Queen Elizabeth and her children didn’t follow their family members’ influence.

Describing her “tastes in both food and drink” as “unexotic,” Hardman wrote in his new biography of Queen Elizabeth that her “consumption” of everything was “careful” as compared to her sister, Margaret, and the Queen Mother.

“Her mother and sister were both famously thirsty,” Hardman wrote in Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. Her Story. He describes a 1988 luncheon when diarist Victor Stock witnessed the Queen Mother working “her way through two glasses of gin and Dubonnet, followed by champagne, white wine and claret before being offered a closing glass of Chateau d’Yquem.”

In reply, the Queen Mother, who lived to the age of 101, exclaimed, “Oh no, I really couldn’t drink any more. I’ll just have a glass of champagne.” Hardman noted that Queen Elizabeth “would have stopped after the first or possibly second gin and Dubonnet” and she and Prince Philip passed their “steely self-restraint” on to their children.

Per Hardman, King Charles, Princess Anne, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Prince Edward “eat sparingly while the middle two are also teetotal.”

It’s not surprising that no-nonsense Princess Anne prefers to keep her wits about her, but it might come as a shock that Andrew doesn’t partake in alcohol. According to one of Hardman's sources, the former Duke of York said, “I tasted it once when I was a teenager, and I didn’t like it.”

Instead, he will only drink “room-temperature water,” with the source noting that Queen Elizabeth “would always worry about him” because Andrew “was a seven-year-old who never grew up.”

Princess Kate hasn’t attended Anzac Day commemorations since 2022, but on Wednesday, April 15, Kensington Palace announced she’ll be teaming up with Princess Anne to mark the occasion. Anzac Day, held on April 25 each year, honors Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, and both the Princess of Wales and the Princess Royal will be taking part in events in London.

According to Kensington Palace, Anzac Day has been observed in London since King George V attended the first service at Westminster Abbey in 1916 to mark the anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli during World War I.

Kate and Anne will divide and conquer for the day, with Princess Anne attending the dawn service at London’s Wellington Arch before the Princess of Wales takes part in two more Anzac Day events.

The Princess of Wales will then lay a wreath on behalf of King Charles during a parade service at the Cenotaph in London before heading to Westminster Abbey for a service of commemoration and thanksgiving.

In 2019, Kate attended the Anzac Day service with Prince Harry, and in 2022, she made a solo appearance at the church service, with this year marking her return to the event. Last year, Duchess Sophie represented the Royal Family on Anzac Day, borrowing her daughter, Lady Louise's hat, as she made an emotional appearance at the commemorations.

Princess Kate's attendance at Anzac Day is the first event on the royal's calendar since Sunday, April 5, when the princess attended Easter Sunday services with the Royal Family.

Prince Anne’s son, Peter Phillips, has found love again with fiancée Harriet Sperling after his divorce from Autumn Kelly, and this week, a representative for the couple announced their anticipated wedding date. Harriet and Peter will walk down the aisle on Saturday, June 6, and former royal butler Grant Harrold says even though it will be a “smaller scale occasion,” the wedding will give the Royal Family a boost amid a turbulent time.

According to their rep, the couple’s wedding will be held at All Saints Church in the village of Kemble, England. Along with Princess Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, fans can expect to see Peter’s sister, Zara Tindall, her husband, Mike, and their three children at the wedding. Other guests at the private ceremony will likely include Peter’s uncle, King Charles, and other senior members of the Royal Family such as Prince William and Princess Kate.

Speaking on behalf of CasinoHawks, Harrold—who served The King at Highgrove House between 2004 and 2011—says that Peter and Harriet’s countryside wedding won't be as grand “compared to other royal weddings, but there will still be excitement surrounding the event.”

“While still a much-loved member of the Royal Family, Peter isn’t a senior member and is low down the line of succession, so it won’t be anything like what we saw for Harry or Eugenie,” Harrold explains of Phillips, who does not hold a title at Princess Anne’s insistence.

“However it’s still a royal wedding, and we’ll still have the family out together—so there will be a lot of interest and media attention,” the former butler adds.

With a population of less than 1,000 people, the village of Kemble is a far cry from London or Windsor, but it’s just about a 20-minute drive from Princess Anne and Sir Tim Laurence’s sprawling estate, Gatcombe Park—an ideal choice for a wedding reception.

“Royal events in that area are normally quite lowkey, unlike the massive events we’ve seen at Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle,” Harrold says. “I imagine we’ll see photos of them arriving and leaving the event, and there will be official pictures released. I hope they share one big family photo, that would be lovely to see.”

After Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on February 19, there's been a heightened focus on the Royal Family and what they knew about his association with Jeffrey Epstein. Harrold points out that the wedding will be a happy moment during a stressful time for the family.

“The royals will be wanting some good news because there's been so much negativity recently, they need something positive,” the former butler says. “It is a reason to celebrate and they will want this to be picked up as a positive piece of news, despite it being a more private engagement.”

The Royal Family has been facing a barrage of negative attention amid Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s recent arrest and questions over what they knew about his scandals. But as the royals manage one of their worst public relations crises in decades, there’s a younger generation of family members who bring a fresh perspective and new hope for the monarchy, including Peter Phillips and ex-wife Autumn Kelly’s youngest daughter, Isla.

Isla Phillips, who is Queen Elizabeth’s great-granddaughter and Prince Anne’s granddaughter, turned 14 on Sunday, March 29. Speaking to the Daily Mail, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said that although Isla’s received “little attention” compared to other royals, “she is likely to make her mark on royal life.”

Like her father, Isla does not have a title, since Princess Anne “sensibly decided that her children, Peter and Zara, would be better off without them,” Fitzwilliams shared. But despite the fact Isla's not a princess, the royal expert noted that “what Peter did pass down may well prove to be far more valuable than rank: the family's love of equestrian activities.”

Queen Elizabeth was a lifelong rider and extremely involved in the horse racing industry, and both Princess Anne and Zara have competed in the Olympics, with Zara bringing home a silver medal at the 2012 summer games. According to Fitzwilliams, “Isla reportedly goes riding with Princess Anne on the Gatcombe Park estate most days.”

The 14-year-old is also a regular attendee at events like the Gatcombe Horse Trials and joined her big sister, Savannah, their dad, Peter, and his fiancée, Harriet Sperling, at Cheltenham Racecourse for the New Year’s Day races this year.

“It will be fascinating to see if she, too, specializes in equestrian activities,” Fitzwilliams said. Regardless of what path Isla pursues, the royal expert pointed out that there’s a great deal of promise in Isla and her royal cousins.

“Her generation should be free of the scandals that are currently causing problems for the thousand-year-old institution of monarchy,” he told the Daily Mail. “It should be a breath of fresh air as the Royal Family moves with the times and each generation has something new to give in an environment which is constantly changing but always pressurized.”

Princess Kate might love to upcycle her old gowns—a trick from Princess Diana's playbook—but no one does archival fashion like Princess Anne. The 75-year-old royal looked elegant in an ivory dress coat as she arrived at Windsor Castle for the Nigerian state banquet on Wednesday, March 18, and her outfit dates all the way back to the 1960s.

The Princess Royal has a penchant for wearing decades-old coats and dresses, and her appearance at Wednesday night's banquet was no different. As pointed out by my good friend and royal Instagrammer Lauren Parkinson, Anne was wearing a long coat with cutout detail on the sleeves that she wore in 1969. The coat originally had an embellished collar to match the sleeves, but the Princess Royal has since had it altered into a plain, pointed style.

She originally wore the cream-colored coat open, paired with a long gown featuring the same detail as the sleeves underneath—although it's unclear if the Princess Royal wore the dress under her buttoned-up coat this time.

While she wore her hair piled up in a curled style in the '60s, she topped her typical twisted style with the Meander Tiara on Wednesday night. The diadem features diamonds in a Greek key design and was given to Queen Elizabeth by her mother-in-law, Princess Alice.

The petite tiara holds an especially sentimental meaning for Princess Anne's family, as her only daughter, Zara Tindall, wore it for her 2011 wedding to Mike Tindall in Edinburgh.

Princess Anne finished off her look with Queen Mary's City of London choker, a thick pearl and diamond design that was gifted to Anne's great-grandmother, Queen Mary, by the City of London in 1893. It was inherited by Queen Elizabeth, who never wore the dazzling piece, and it remained out of public view until Princess Anne wore it in the early 2000s.

As for the rest of the Royal Family, Princess Kate debuted a green Andrew Gn gown in the color of Nigeria's flag, pairing it with Princess Diana's favorite tiara, Queen Mary's Lover's Knot. And Queen Camilla dazzled in the Belgian Sapphire Tiara and an embroidered ivory gown by one of her favorite designers, Fiona Clare.

Prince William and Princess Kate have been on a selfie spree lately, snapping pictures with fans and giving out hugs as they show the more relatable side of the monarchy. Even King Charles has gotten in on the hugging action lately, and while Princess Anne recently dodged a hug from Scottish rugby player Sione Tuipulotu, she finally went in for a cuddle after the team’s March 14 match against Ireland. Now, a body language expert says that Anne is helping to eliminate “some of those old, stuffy royal traditions” once held by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

In a video shared by Scottish Rugby on Instagram, the Princess Royal is seen swerving Tuipulotu’s hug on Valentine’s Day in favor of a pat on the arm. The two then shared a jokey moment on March 7 as Anne, who serves as patron of Scottish Rugby, held her arms up in a mock hug and laughed when she congratulated Sione on his win.

But the player finally got his wish after Scotland lost to Ireland on Saturday, March 14. Wearing her hair in her signature updo and dressed in a blue wool coat, Princess Royal leaned in for a warm hug with Sione after walking into the team’s locker room. “Thank you so much for the hug,” Tuipulotu said in the clip, adding, “away from the crowd!”

Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, body language expert Darren Stanton said it was “amazing to see” Princess Anne finally accept Sione’s hug.

“Even the older members of the family are breaking down some of those old stuffy royal traditions,” he said. Referring to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, he added, “You would never have seen Anne’s mother and father doing anything of the sort.”

While Stanton admitted that the Princess Royal “is normally very old school and, in many ways, quite similar to her parents,” he said that her less tactile nature makes their hug “all the more significant.”

As their royal patron, Princess Anne has built a warm relationship with Scotland’s national team, and Stanton noted that she’s “clearly built a genuine rapport” with Sione.

“Him finally getting a hug in the changing room really speaks to the rapport they’d built,” the body language expert continued. “He is clearly a very tactile person, as these meetings have shown, and she fully reciprocated in that hug. She was matching his energy completely.”

Saturday's match wasn't the first time Anne has shared a cozy moment in the past week. While attending the Cheltenham Festival with Queen Camilla on March 11, Princess Kate's mom, Carole Middleton, wrapped her arms around the Princess Royal as they cheered for the horses.

Will Anne's hugging streak continue? Watch this space.

Following the release of further information regarding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's association with Jeffrey Epstein, the former duke was demoted by King Charles. According to one royal expert, Andrew's sister, Princess Anne, reportedly found the change quite "difficult" to process.

Writing for the Daily Mail, royal expert Richard Kay mused that "many have been wondering how Anne views the crisis surrounding Andrew." According to Kay, "Until last Christmas at least, Anne was still holding a sympathetic and tolerant line towards Andrew—she apparently made a point of telephoning Royal Lodge, where he was still holed up, on Christmas Day when the rest of the family were at Sandringham."

However, new revelations about Andrew's friendship with convicted sex offender Epstein reportedly changed Anne's opinion about her brother.

"[S]he has also been angry with him for his links to Jeffrey Epstein and the shadow they have cast over the royals, and has questioned him about them," Kay wrote. "The former prince's love of money and unchecked libido were as well-known inside the family as they were outside it."

According to the outlet, Princess Anne allegedly suggested that Andrew could temporarily move on to the Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire where she lives. Per Kay, Anne thought that Andrew could use her home "as a bolthole when the calls for him to be evicted from Royal Lodge grew shrill."

Kay continued, "This was not just an act of Christian charity but a willingness to surround him with family love—and totally in character."

Unfortunately for Andrew, Anne's opinion has reportedly changed in recent months. As Kay noted, "[H]er attitude is said to have hardened with the release of the Epstein files."

Initially, Anne reportedly "found it difficult to fathom that the son, brother, and uncle of monarchs could no longer be an actual royal." But as Kay reported, "After the emergence of compromising photographs and damaging claims about him...she came to share the family view that unless Andrew was distanced, the risk of reputational damage to the institution would be considerable."

Per the outlet, Princess Anne was also "shaken" by her brother's arrest, but "has continued to be in contact with him" and "has been concerned about Andrew's mental welfare as his world has imploded."

Princess Kate hasn’t attended the Cheltenham Festival since 2013, when she was pregnant with Prince George, but Carole Middleton was happy to step in for her daughter as the royals attended the horse racing event on Wednesday, March 11. Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and Zara and Mike Tindall gathered at the Cheltenham Racecourse for the country-chic event, and Carole seamlessly fit in with the Royal Family, even wrapping her arms around hug-averse Princess Anne.

Bundled up in a gray coat and the same blue Hicks & Brown fedora owned by the Princess of Wales, Middleton casually toted a black ostrich skin Hermès Birkin bag as she hobnobbed with the royals. In a series of photos from the event, Carole embraces Princess Anne as they watch the races from the royal box—and unlike the time she swerved a hug at a rugby match last month, the Princess Royal was all smiles.

Middleton also shared some laughs with Anne’s daughter, Zara, and son-in-law, Mike Tindall, as they entered the racecourse for the day.

Fans couldn’t get enough of Carole’s interactions with the royals, like one who posted on X, “So fun! I think that’s the most chummy I’ve ever seen anyone with Princess Anne! Trust a warm Middleton to bring some joy.”

“Camilla's really into the race. Love how these three are so friendly and happy,” another X user posted, while a third added, “Its rare to see someone touching Anne and her not cringing.”

Carole and her husband, Michael Middleton, have proven to be a strong support for Kate and William over the years, and Prince William is said to have insisted that his in-laws be included on the guest list for The King's coronation in 2023. From quiet weekends with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to royal events like Princess Kate's annual Together at Christmas concert, it's clear that Carole fits right into both sides of her daughter's life.

Princess Anne might have gone viral when she ducked a hug from a Scottish rugby player last month, but her daughter, Zara Tindall, showed she wasn’t afraid to show some royal PDA while attending the 2026 Cheltenham Festival on March 11. Zara, who is married to former England rugby star Mike Tindall, shared a sweet kiss on the lips with her husband as they attended the horse racing event—and their loved-up display shows “an evolution with the monarchy.”

While members of the Royal Family are more likely to be seen kissing on the cheek, if at all, the famously low-key couple was pictured kissing in an image shared by Hello! as they stood next to Princess Kate’s mom, Carole Middleton. Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, body language expert Darren Stanton says that Mike and Zara are “not afraid to show PDA and are in good spirits no matter where they are.”

Noting that even gestures like “holding hands” were considered un-royal “in the past,” Stanton says that the Tindalls “signify an evolution with the monarchy and don’t have any issues showing public displays of affection.” He adds, “They are always laughing and beaming at each other, which isn’t put on for the paparazzi.”

Professional equestrian Zara, who won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics, is a frequent figure on the racing scene, and she attended the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday in a chic burgundy and gray outfit.

Zara wrapped up in a dark gray Katherine Hooker coat with a maroon windowpane check, adding a coordinating burgundy top by Hobbs, a skirt by The Fold London and a matching Juliette Botterill saucer hat. Like she did at Tuesday’s races, the royal wore pearl drop earrings from British label Hector Lion.

Princess Anne’s daughter, who serves as a brand ambassador for Fairfax & Favor, chose a pair of the British heritage label’s boots for the second day in a row, wearing a black suede heeled style. She also carried a burgundy bag by the brand, and although her velvet style is no longer available, it’s offered in shades ranging from classic black to a tri-colored navy iteration.

Several members of the Royal Family stepped out for the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 9. Upon arrival, Prince William kissed Princess Anne on both cheeks, but when Princess Kate went to do the same, she was rebuffed.

For the occasion, Princess Kate debuted a blazer-style Catherine Walker dress, which she paired with Queen Elizabeth's Bahrain Pearl drop earrings, Gianvito Rossi suede pumps, and a statement hat by Sean Barrett.

The Daily Mail's royal editor, Rebecca English, shared a video clip of the funny moment on Instagram, along with the caption, "There was no way Princess Anne was going to attempt a kiss under a hat like the Princess of Wales's."

Photos confirmed the hilarious, awkward moment, with Princess Kate leaning into to kiss Princess Anne, only for the royal to lean backwards. The Princess of Wales couldn't contain her laughter after being rejected by the Princess Royal.

It's undeniable that Princess Kate's wide-brimmed Sean Barrett hat would have made kissing Anne a little tricky. However, the Princess of Wales did gently kiss Anne's husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, without hitting him in the face with her hat. Still, it appears as though the Princess Royal abstained out of a sense of caution.

Royal editor and author Russell Myers spoke to Hello! magazine ahead of Commonwealth Day, saying, "[Princess Kate] is critical to the running of the monarchy, and she really does understand the vision of the future."

Myers continued, "She's aligned with William on the issue of Andrew [and the belief] that his continued association would have been very, very damaging to the monarchy."

And, notably, when Princess Kate gets rejected by a family member, she takes it like a champ.

Princess Anne might've been taken aback when Scottish rugby player Sione Tuipulotu attempted to hug her during a February trophy presentation, but she showed her sense of humor when they met again on Saturday, March 7. The Princess Royal—who is patron of the Scottish Rugby Union—attended the Guinness Six Nations 2026 match between Scotland and France, and when his team emerged victorious, Tuipulotu couldn't resist but joke around with Anne.

The Scottish player was so excited about the team's February win against England that he went in for a hug when Princess Anne congratulated him—and unlike Princess Kate, it seems Anne isn't a hugger. The moment went viral when Princess Anne was caught on video awkwardly stepping back and shaking Tuipulotu's hand instead. This time, the rugby star took the opportunity to share a joke with the royal after Scotland's big win, pretending to lean in for a hug as Anne laughed and held her hands up.

Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, body language expert Darren Stanton says that Anne's reaction "was a fantastic moment."

Stanton says that although she didn't go in for the hug this time, their funny moment showed that the Princess Royal can take a joke. "Princess Anne is in good spirits and she shakes his hand, and places her left hand on his arm, which in this situation is a term of endearment," he shares.

"It’s a friendship and it’s like they are sharing a private joke. It’s a way of creating deep rapport and a connection," Stanton adds. "This situation demonstrates that Princess Anne does have a fantastic sense of humor and she’s not afraid to have a laugh with people."

The famously no-nonsense Princess Royal is consistently named one of the hardest working members of the Royal Family, and Stanton adds that what you see is what you get. "If she’s not happy, you’d know about it," he says.

Earlier last week, Anne joined Prince William and Duchess Sophie to remember the Royal Family's late friend Dame Shân Legge-Bourke. Stanton says that "the dynamic between" the Princess Royal and the Prince of Wales is "fantastic."

"William and Anne are the future of the monarchy, as well as Kate, Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward," Stanton says. "They’re the stronghold."

When he becomes King, Prince William will have a much smaller number of royal relatives to support him than Queen Elizabeth did when she took the throne. Along with his aunts and uncles, his core group of working royals will likely be limited to Princess Kate and their three children. But on Thursday, March 4, the Prince of Wales joined Princess Anne and Duchess Sophie for a memorial service honoring a close family friend, showing his close bond with the Princess Royal.

The trio traveled to Wales to attend a memorial for the late Shân Legge-Bourke, who served as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Anne and was a longtime friend of the Royal Family. Shân’s daughter, Tiggy Legge-Bourke, was Prince William and Prince Harry’s longtime nanny, and the Prince of Wales made it a priority to attend the event alongside his family.

Speaking to Betfair Casino, body language expert Darren Stanton says that the Prince of Wales and Princess Anne have a natural rapport. “The dynamic between the pair is fantastic,” he shares. While Prince William—who stopped to chat to students while walking back to their helicopter—is “always asking questions and having banter with crowds,” Stanton shares that his aunt has a different communication style.

“Princess Anne is a very dominant person—not bossy—but likes to interact with people and has a no nonsense attitude like her mother, The [late] Queen,” he shares. For William, the Princess Royal is a steady sense of support as he approaches his Kingship.

Hard-working Anne regularly tops the list of royals with the most engagements each year, and at age 75, she shows no signs of slowing down. With her “no-nonsense” advice and decades of experience as a working royal, the Princess of Royal will no doubt be one member of the family her nephew can rely on.

“William and Anne are the future of the monarchy, as well as Kate, Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward,” Stanton says. “They’re the stronghold.” He adds, “Predominantly, Anne is a great solace to William.”

Prince William, Princess Anne, and Duchess Sophie came together to travel to Brecon, Wales, to attend a Service of Thanksgiving for a very close friend of the Royal Family. Shân Legge-Bourke, who died in December 2025, was celebrated with a service at Brecon Cathedral alongside the Legge-Bourke family and friends. Dame Shån was remembered in The Bidding of the Service for her “loyalty to her beliefs and friends,” and that loyalty and friendship was clearly appreciated by the Royal Family.

Dame Elizabeth Shân Legge-Bourke, known as Shân to her friends, served as a Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Anne, and her late husband, Captain William Legge-Bourke served as a Royal Equerry for the late Queen Elizabeth II. Dame Shân was a close friend of the Royal Family throughout her life, often guiding them on official visits to Wales in her capacity as Lord Lieutenant of Powys. Her daughter, Tiggy Pettifer (née Legge-Bourke), was a favored nanny of Prince William and Prince Harry, showing the close family ties.

Women were invited to wear colorful hats and dresses to Dame Shân’s Service of Thanksgiving, while men were invited to wear suits or uniforms. Prince William was seen in his usual nondescript suit, while Duchess Sophie wore a maroon-trimmed coat, red dress, and coordinating hatband, and Princess Anne wore a charcoal skirt suit. The royal trio arrived in three individual Range Rovers, and drove right onto the cathedral grounds to exit their vehicles away from the public eye.

Queen Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and Princess Alexandra all sent representatives on their behalf alongside Prince William, Princess Anne, and Duchess Sophie. Princess Haya bint Al Hussein of Jordan also attended the service, showing how far-reaching Dame Shån’s relationships stretched. Her family concluded the service with a lighthearted personal note, writing “The family hope you will join them in the Marquee for “Coca Cola and a [cigarette]”!”

The Royal Family has been keeping calm and carrying on after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on February 19, with King Charles, Queen Camilla and the rest of the family undertaking their usual duties. Princess Anne has long been called the hardest-working royal, and according to one royal expert, the Princess Royal has been an integral part of maintaining “public support for the monarchy.”

The princess, who often tops the list of royals with the most engagements per year, pulled off a whopping 478 public events in 2025—but was beat out by her brother The King, who clocked 535 engagements.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said that hard-working Anne “is absolutely pivotal in keeping public support for the monarchy.” The Princess Royal also shares a close relationship with her brother The King, even if she might “not always agree” with him.

However, “What Anne can offer King Charles, who reportedly has been under pressure from William over his handling of this crisis, is down to earth advice,” the royal expert said.

Fitzwilliams added that it’s “pivotal that Charles listens to views which differ or are opposed to his own,” especially now that the monarchy is receiving unprecedented attention after Andrew’s arrest.

Due to the rules of succession at the time of her birth, Princess Anne is 18th in line to the throne, but now that girls aren't pushed aside for brothers, she would be much higher. Fitzwilliam notes Anne "would have been 5th behind William and his family and the public would undoubtedly welcome that.”

Meanwhile, both Australia and New Zealand have backed potential plans for Andrew—who is eighth in line to the throne—to be removed from the line of succession. All 14 Commonwealth countries of which The King serves as head of state would have to agree for the former Duke of York to be removed, with Australia and New Zealand being the first to speak out.

Princess Anne is a fan favorite for a reason. For instance, even after suffering a head injury, the Princess Royal still managed to be crowned the hardest working royal in 2024 for carrying out 217 engagements in just one year. Now, royal fans are praising Anne for a surprising reason, after the princess attended a Six Nations rugby match between Scotland and Italy on February 7 at Rome's Stadio Olimpico.

As reported by the Daily Mail, Anne—who is patron of the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU)—"was seemingly unprepared for the attention of onlookers and looked somewhat perplexed as legions of sporting fans cheered in her support."

Commenters shared their positive opinions of Princess Anne on an Instagram post showing the royal appearing on the big screens during the match. "Equestrian Olympian and all round great gal," one person wrote.

"If anyone deserves a standing ovation, it's Her Royal Highness Princess Anne," another commenter shared. Concurring with everyone else, one fan wrote, "So deeply respected!!! What a woman!!" Basically, Princess Anne's appearance at the match was a roaring success.

Yet more social media comments highlighted just how popular Princess Anne remains with royal fans. "She didn't realize the cheers were for her till someone told her," one person noted, per the Daily Mail. "Love that smile."

According to the outlet, one fan commented on Anne's "dignity and grace," while someone else reportedly said, "She looks so much like the [late] Queen at times...Hardest working royal." Additional commenters labeled Anne as a "no frills princess," saying that she "just gets on with serving and representing" the Royal Family.

It seems as though Princess Anne's work ethic hasn't gone unnoticed amongst royal fans.

In October 2025, King Charles made the unprecedented decision to strip his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his honors and titles, making him no longer a prince. Since then, it's been reported that various members of the Royal Family, including Prince William, have expressed concern for Andrew's mental health. But a source now tells the Daily Mail that Princess Anne, in particular, has spoken out about her younger brother's welfare.

"Anne has been vocal with both The King and William about Andrew's treatment, with Edward backing her to some extent," the source said. "There are several arguments going on between Andrew and The King and between The King and the wider family—some of whom are convinced The King has treated his brother too harshly."

For his part, King Charles is said to feel a degree of regret for removing his brother's prince title, the insider claimed. "The King remains of the view that Andrew is innocent until proven guilty and has yet to see evidence that he is [guilty]," the source continued.

Adding that Queen Elizabeth "went to her grave believing in Andrew's innocence in the Epstein scandal," the source told the Daily Mail, "It doesn't fit well with The King to have to treat Andrew as harshly as he has to in the circumstances."

Andrew is currently packing up his longtime Windsor home, Royal Lodge, to move to Marsh Farm, a small property on The King's private Sandringham estate.

"It is easy to forget that Andrew has not been found guilty of anything and he denies all allegations," the insider added. However, that doesn't mean that everyone in the Royal Family agrees on how Andrew should be treated.

"William and Camilla take a harder line, which has caused a lot of family angst," the source claimed.

The comments contradict a recent report in the Times ahead of Princess Kate's 44th birthday in which journalist Kate Mansey wrote, "This image of ruthless William was, I'm told, wide of the mark."

Mansey continued that despite being supportive of The King's decision, the Prince of Wales "was deeply concerned for his uncle's mental health and how Andrew would cope after everything was taken away."

Queen Elizabeth might have exhibited a calming sense of composure throughout her reign, but there was one event when she gave the public a rare glimpse at her emotional side. On December 11, 1997, Her Majesty's beloved royal yacht, Britannia, was officially decommissioned, and both the Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne couldn't hide their tears.

The late Queen spent priceless private time aboard Britannia with her young family when it launched in 1953, adding grandkids to join in the fun along the way. The yacht served as a home away from home to the royals for 40 years, traveling more than a million nautical miles around the world during royal tours, family holidays and honeymoons.

It played host to Princess Diana and Princess Charles on their ill-fated 1981 honeymoon, as well as Princess Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, in 1973, and the then-Duke and Duchess of York in 1986.

With so many memories tied up in Britannia, the decision to take the yacht out of service was an especially emotional one—and a decision that the late Queen is said to have "privately opposed."

Although the news that Britannia would be decommissioned due to rising maintenance costs was announced in 1994, it was Prime Minister Tony Blair who announced that the royal yacht would not replaced after he was elected in 1997. During the decommissioning ceremony, Queen Elizabeth famously wept, marking one of the only times she ever cried in public during her 70 years on the throne.

Princess Anne was also seen wiping away tears as she attended the ceremony alongside her parents and siblings.

In royal biographer Valentine Low's book Power and the Palace (via the Daily Mail), he details how Blair once told him that he regretted his decision to let go of the yacht. Low once had tea with Blair aboard Britannia after the decision had been made, but before the yacht was officially decommissioned, and the former prime minister said he realized his error in judgement.

"I didn't want to get rid of it," he told Low. "After we'd agreed to get rid of it, I actually went on it, and I remember, as I stepped on, thinking, 'That was such a mistake to have done that.'" Blair added, "I think if it had happened five years into my time, I would have just said 'no.''

Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's marriage was on the rocks by the early 1990s, with both the former Duke and Duchess of York carrying on extramarital affairs. But even though her relationship with the Royal Family was already tenuous, it was Fergie's infamous 1992 toe-sucking photo scandal that served as the nail in her coffin. As author Andrew Lownie writes in his book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, the embarrassing incident caused Princess Anne to speak her mind about the then-duchess.

Ferguson was carrying on a relationship with American businessman John Bryan before she separated from Andrew in March 1992, and that summer, the couple brought Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie on a vacation to the south of France. They rented a private villa, but unbeknownst to Sarah and John, "a large trench had been dug within a hundred yards of the villa and pool," per Lownie.

Photographers used the trench to hide out and take photos of the couple, including the famous photos of Bryan sucking on the then-Duchess of York's toes. Among the 55 photos published in the Mirror at the time were ones of "a topless Sarah rubbing sun cream on the head of her balding financial advisor" and pictures of two-year-old Princess Eugenie watching on as her mother and Bryan kissed.

Needless to say, when the Royal Family saw the papers, tempers flared—and Ferguson, who was staying at Balmoral at the time, had to face the music.

As Queen Elizabeth once famously wrote, "recollections may vary" when it comes to the morning Sarah's photos were published. According to Lownie, Ferguson "claimed she sat up all night drinking brandy" with royal nanny Alison Wardley, "breakfasted upstairs and let Andrew bring up the papers from breakfast."

Another account insists that Sarah "entered the breakfast room to find everyone reading the story and fled." But one Balmoral guest who was there that day told Sarah's biographer, Chris Hutchins, a much different version of the royal breakfast.

Per Lownie, the guest said "that the Princess Royal 'came close to throttling' Sarah" after seeing the toe-sucking photos, "and at dinner told her what she thought of her." It seems Queen Elizabeth didn't disagree with her daughter's opinion, as the source added, "There was not one voice raised against Anne."

As for the former Prince Andrew, the Balmoral guest claimed, "Prince Andrew's anger melted into sadness and he buried himself in the special reports compiled for The Queen, which she did not hesitate to let him read."

Yet another version of the story claims that Queen Elizabeth summoned the then-duchess at 9:30 a.m. that morning "to explain herself" after she was shown a press briefing about the scandal. In any case, one of the servants at the Balmoral estate is quoted by Lownie as having recalled that Sarah "acted in the strangest way."

The former palace employee added, "You would have thought she was the person wronged, as if she had every right to go on holiday with another man, kiss and cuddle him, and the only person who had behaved wrongly were the photographer and the editors who had published the pictures."

It's not often that Princess Anne makes a joint appearances with her daughter, Zara Tindall, but the mother/daughter duo attended the World Horse Welfare Annual Conference held at the Royal Geographical Society in London on Friday, November 21. Both the Princess Royal and Tindall are lifelong equestrians who have competed in the Olympics—Anne in 1976, and her daughter in 2012—and Tindall spoke about the decline in horse welfare over the years.

"If we're talking about legislation and how we have gone back in time, sort of post Brexit, our travel time for horses and their welfare has definitely gone downhill," Tindall, who serves as a patron for the World Horse Welfare charity, said while speaking on stage in a video on the organization's YouTube channel.

"You know, I took a horse abroad at the end of October and I know people are doing it less and less now because it's such hard work," Zara continued. "It's more stressful on the horses than it used to be. It's got worse, although our technology is so much better."

She added that something that "really needs to be looked at" is "the effects, the stress, and the welfare of the horses" while traveling as the situation should be "much better than it is." Zara admitted there were occasions when she thought, "I wish I'd done that differently," adding that she "learned a lot" while riding with Team GB.

As for the Princess Royal, who serves as president of World Horse Welfare, she gave the conference's closing address, stating that while horses historically had "become working partners," that type of human/horse relationship has largely changed. Princess Anne—who admitted she owns more ponies than she "should have"—said that horses still "have the choice" of what they want to do, asking the audience if they thought horses have "a sense of humor."

In a video shared on X, Princess Anne, wearing an equestrian-themed scarf with a brown blazer and skirt, is seen leaving the event ahead of her daughter. As for Zara, she wore a leopard-print dress with a camel coat, appearing to pop a piece of food in her mouth as she made her way to the car.

"Zara keeping it real with a muffin she snaffled from the buffet. Girl's gotta eat!" one fan commented on the video, while another added, "Zara with the biscuit to go 😂😂."

On Friday, October 17, Prince Andrew released a statement that he'd no longer be using his Duke of York title amid the ongoing scandals regarding himself, ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has been facing public pressure to let go of his royal titles for some time, and while The King and Prince William are said to have been the driving forces behind the decision, one royal author said that Princess Anne has also "had enough" of her younger brother.

"Anne has long sided with The King," Brothers and Wives author Christopher Andersen told Us Weekly. "She is as fed up with Andrew as Charles and William are."

Another source told Radar Online that the 75-year-old Princess Royal, who is 10 years older than Andrew, is "modest, witty, and devoted to service." The palace insider added, "Those are qualities Andrew doesn't have, and he's painfully aware of it. It stings and is, quite frankly, driving him up the wall."

A palace aide told the outlet, "Anne represents everything the monarchy is supposed to stand for—hard work and respect. For Andrew, who has lost all of that, it’s a bitter pill to swallow."

On October 17, Prince Andrew released a statement announcing that his friendship with Epstein and the "continued accusations" he's faced surrounding the late sex offender have overshadowed the Royal Family's work.

"I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first," his statement read. "I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life. With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me."

Andersen added that because more details about Andrew's involvement with Epstein could come out in the near future, the choice for him to stop using his titles is "all about damage control."

"William has been urging his father The King to do something about Andrew for years," the royal author told Us Weekly. "The Epstein sex abuse scandal just won’t go away—the royals are holding their breath, anxiously waiting for the other shoe to drop once all the files are released."

Prince Andrew was viewed as Queen Elizabeth's favorite child, and as Andersen noted, "could get away with pretty much anything when she was alive." But with his brother in charge, that treatment changed.

"Andrew has a definite arrogant streak, so instinctively he puts up a fight whenever he’s called on the carpet by his big brother," Andersen said. "But as the scandals keep piling up, he is increasingly resigned to the fact that he has dug a hole for himself he can’t climb out of."

Princess Anne is the latest member of the Royal Family to travel to Ukraine, after it was revealed that the 75-year-old paid a secret visit to the country on Tuesday, September 30. The British government requested that the Princess Royal meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, with the palace stating (via the Daily Mail) that her trip was planned to "demonstrate solidarity with the children and families living through the Russian invasion." This makes Princess Anne the second member of her family to head to the country in a month, following Prince Harry's trip in early September.

During one particular moving moment in Kyiv, Anne brought a stuffed bear that used to belong to her 44-year-old daughter, Zara Tindall, and laid it at a memorial to the more than 650 children who have died since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Per GB News, the Princess Royal told First Lady Olena Zelenska, "That was one that my daughter had," as they visited the memorial together, each bringing a stuffed toy.

As for her visit with Ukraine’s president, the outlet reported that Anne told Zelenskyy, "You’re very kind. I don’t know how you have time to spare, but there you go." She also presented him an envelope with a red royal seal, presumed to be correspondence from her brother, King Charles.

Prince Harry also traveled to Ukraine this month, visiting on behalf of the Invictus Games Foundation, which is working with war veterans in the country on rehabilitation programs through sport. Princess Anne paid a similar visit on Tuesday, stopping by a rehabilitation centre for Ukrainian military veterans in Kyiv and watching a canine therapy session.

Like Duchess Sophie, who has visited the country in her work preventing sexual violence in conflict, Princess Anne met with women in the armed forces and police to hear how they’re working to protect women and children in Kyiv.

A palace source told GB News, "Her Royal Highness was profoundly moved by the stories she heard of the ongoing impact of the war on Ukraine’s youngest citizens. Throughout the visit she was inspired by all the hard work of the many organisations on the ground helping those whose lives have been turned upside down by the conflict."

Princess Anne is celebrating her 75th birthday on Friday, August 15, but the royal's special day hasn't been completely free from scandal. In fact, royal fans have accused the Royal Family of using AI to create a tribute to the Princess Royal, which included some egregious errors.

"Falsehoods surrounding Princess Anne have mistakenly been issued by Buckingham Palace in celebration of the royal's 75th birthday," The Sun reported. Describing the obvious mistake as "embarrassing," the outlet shared that Buckingham Palace had posted an article containing "75 facts" about Anne in honor of her milestone birthday. Unfortunately, one of the entries claimed "Princess Anne had two stepchildren from her second marriage to Sir Timothy Laurence, called Tom and Amy Laurence."

While the Princess Royal shares two children—Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall—with her first husband, ex Mark Phillips, Laurence had no children prior to marrying Anne in 1992 and becoming a stepdad to her kids.

According to The Sun, the incorrect information about Princess Anne "was taken down from the website shortly after royal fans were quick to point it out."

After Buckingham Palace shared the false trivia about Princess Anne, royal fans reportedly began to suggest that the creator might have used AI to compile the list. "AI doesn't normally give you additional children," one X user joked. Another royal fan commented, "Bizarre. Commander Sir Tim Laurence was never married before marrying Princess Anne and has no children, legitimate or hidden. This must be an AI mistake."

According to Daily Mail, a source from the palace denied the use of AI. "The facts were checked, and that one was a late addition, sourced from a reputable publication online, which unfortunately wasn't put back through the checking process," the source said. "There was no AI sourcing on our part."

As Princess Anne marks her milestone 75th birthday on August 15, royal watchers are reflecting on the substantial role she's played not just as a working royal, but within her own family—especially the bond she shared with her parents. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's only daughter has long been regarded as one of the most hard-working and no-nonsense members of the Royal Family. But behind her often steely (and superbly witty) exterior is a daughter who shared a particularly close relationship with her father, the late Duke of Edinburgh.

Unlike her older brother King Charles, who was a sensitive and bookish child, the Princess Royal shared Prince Philip's brisk, outdoorsy spirit. As Majesty magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward wrote in a 2017 piece for the Daily Mail, "Single-minded, sporty and brave, Princess Anne is unafraid of controversy and cares little for the opinion of others. In other words, she is very much her father's daughter—in a way that Prince Charles can never be his father's son."

Eileen Parker, whose husband, Mike Parker, was a friend of Prince Philip's, told Seward that the late duke "always had more fun with Anne," adding "Charles is more like The Queen, while Anne is very like Prince Philip."

While Prince Philip spent time outdoors with all of his children, he's said to have shared more interests with the Princess Royal than he did with his eldest son, Charles. From an early age, Anne enjoyed pursuits like riding, camping and sailing with her father, and the two bonded over their dry sense of humor and a mutual disdain for fuss.

While royal fans might assume that it was lifelong equestrian Queen Elizabeth who encouraged her daughter to ride, it was actually Prince Philip who was instrumental in jump-starting Anne's athletic career (no pun intended). Seward wrote that "Philip had no reservations about letting his daughter expose herself to the dangers inherent in equestrian sport," adding that one observer said, "It was almost as if he treated her as a son."

"Charles was still at the end of a leading rein when Anne was already jumping," Seward wrote of the siblings. "She was also galloping before she'd properly learned how to trot." Seeing how naturally talented she was at riding, Prince Philip saw that Anne received the best training, culminating in her becoming the first member of the Royal Family to compete in the Olympic Games.

Years later, Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, would go on to win silver for eventing in the 2012 Olympics—and her medal was presented by none other than her mom.

Noting that The King "was a poor athlete" as a child, Seward wrote that Prince Philip taught the Princess Royal how to sail "with considerably more success than he'd had with Charles—who was seasick and didn't respond well either to the hearty disciplines of life on board or being shouted at by his father."

Princess Anne is celebrating her 75th birthday on Friday, August 15, and life in the Royal Family looked much different when she came into the world in 1950. Queen Elizabeth—who married Prince Philip in 1947—was still a princess while her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, sat on the throne. Prince Charles was just shy of two years old when his little sister was born, and like the future King, Princess Anne was born in a way that would be deemed extremely controversial in 2025.

Over the years, multiple royal sources have stated that the late Queen experienced a pain-free birth method using drugs that put her into a "twilight sleep." Most recently, Milli Hill, author of The Positive Birth Book, told the Daily Mail that Princess Elizabeth joined women around the world in choosing to be sedated during her birth, a method viewed by some as progressive.

"News travelled fast of a clinic in Germany that was offering these 'pain-free' births," Hill told the outlet. "Women began to demand twilight sleep as part of the new discourse about their autonomy, and the method spread across the USA, UK and Europe, with even Queen Elizabeth II using a version in the birth of her first three children."

According to the Associated Press, expecting mothers "were knocked out during childbirth by a combination of different drugs such as morphine or scopolamine that thrust them into a semi-conscious state and often took away their memory of birth."

The practice was later eliminated due to side effects such as "horrifying flashbacks, increased birth complications and even death," per Hill. However, even in the fifties, "Queen Elizabeth's decision to use this extreme form of pain relief would have been viewed as 'radical' at the time," the outlet noted.

Fortunately, mother and baby were healthy when the Princess Royal came into the world, with Prince Philip telling people after her birth, "It's the sweetest girl." And while Prince Andrew was also born while his mother was in twilight sleep, Queen Elizabeth chose to deliver normally with her fourth and youngest child, Prince Edward.

Princess Anne, also known as the Princess Royal, will celebrate her 75th birthday on August 15, 2025. Ahead of the special day, Buckingham Palace has released a new portrait of Anne with her husband Sir Timothy Laurence. Meanwhile, a royal source has revealed why Princess Anne doesn't "want to do anything" for her 75th birthday.

On August 8, the Royal Family released a brand new portrait of Princess Anne in honor of her forthcoming 75th birthday. The photograph was taken before the state banquet, held at Windsor Castle in honor of French president Emmanuel Macron's visit in July.

On Instagram, royal photographer Chris Jackson celebrated the release of his photo, captioning his post, "Special to have taken this official portrait for Princess Anne's Birthday of HRH and Sir Tim at Windsor Castle—Happy 75th Birthday!"

People magazine reported that Princess Anne's portrait debuted the royal's "first hair makeover in half a century." The publication noted that Anne was "trading her signature bouffant of 5 decades for an elegant chignon," while wearing her prized Festoon Tiara.

Rather than having a birthday party, Anne decided to invite a plethora of charities and organizations to "a special gathering at Buckingham Palace," the Express reported. As the royal patron of more than 400 organizations, Princess Anne has dedicated her life to charity, so it's perhaps unsurprising she chose to focus on her work at the event.

"This personifies what Her Royal Highness cares about," a royal source told the Express. "She didn't want to do anything for her birthday but bring her charities together to hear more about their work and how she can help them."

Royals and horses go hand in hand, but no one epitomizes the horse girl aesthetic more than Princess Anne. Queen Elizabeth's only daughter inherited her mom's love of all things equestrian—and was an Olympic competitor to boot—and on Thursday, August 7, she traveled to Ireland for a very on-brand outing. The Princess Royal, 74, also took a cue from the late Queen's fashion playbook for her Irish adventure, wearing shades of green while visiting the 150th Dublin Horse Show.

Diplomatic dressing is a key part of royal visits, and Princess Anne represented Ireland's flag by wearing a dark green skirt with a mint-hued blazer while meeting with Ireland's president, Michael Higgins, and first lady Sabina Higgins. She accessorized with a blue and green scarf and a very appropriate brooch—a diamond-studded gold horse pin she's been wearing since the '80s.

Noting that the brooch "aligns with her deep passion for horses and her successful equestrian career," Steven Stone Jewelers estimates that the Princess Royal's favorite horse brooch is valued at £15,000 or roughly $20,000.

After her presidential meeting, the princess headed to the Dublin Horse Show, meeting with competitors, horses and an organization that's been close to her heart for decades.

The Princess Royal has been involved with Riding for the Disabled since 1971, having served its patron before becoming president in 1985. During the horse show, she spoke with members of the organization, which gives young people and adults with disabilities opportunities in riding and carriage driving along with equine therapy and other services.

Per the Royal Family, she also met with a local charity called Festina Lenté, which provides equine-assisted learning and therapy services, and toured an exhibition on the history of the horse show as it celebrates its 150th anniversary.

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The Queen Mother would have turned 125 years old on Monday, August 4, and throughout her life, the late royal was known for her wit, steely nerves and love of a good gin and Dubonnet. She represented an era of stoicism and discretion, but as the 1990s unfolded, the marriages of three of her grandchildren unraveled in full (and messy) public view. Whether it was Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's tabloid troubles or Princess Diana's shocking BBC interview, the Queen Mother is said to have been dismayed by the way her grandkids and their spouses ignored her "never complain, never explain" philosophy.

In his official biography of the Queen Mother (via the Daily Mail), William Shawcross explored her feelings on the divorces of Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Charles—and how the Queen Mother helped her daughter, Queen Elizabeth, cope during a time that rocked the monarchy.

"She had been sympathetic to both the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of York over the enormous pressure they faced from the media," Shawcross wrote of the Queen Mother. "But the washing of dirty linen in public was utterly abhorrent to Elizabeth. Her entire life was based upon obligation, discretion and restraint."

After Princess Diana was interviewed by Martin Bashir on the BBC's Panorama program, the Queen Mother was reportedly disappointed, with Shawcross writing that Diana's "public rejection of her husband and his life was contrary to everything that Elizabeth believed and practiced."

The late royal also "regretted" King Charles—then the Prince of Wales—giving interviews to journalist Jonathan Dimbleby. "It's always a mistake to talk about your marriage," the Queen Mother said.

But it was her daughter, Queen Elizabeth, who most worried the Queen Mother. "She also talked almost daily to her daughter the Queen, who was distraught about what was happening to her children and the fact that it was taking place so publicly," Shawcross wrote. According to the biography, the Queen Mother "often asked members of the Household, 'Is the Queen alright?'"

While Queen Elizabeth was distressed over three of her four children divorcing, Shawcross wrote that it was her mother that helped see her through tough times. The biographer wrote that staff "recognized that the frequent conversations between mother and daughter helped the Queen to maintain her sangfroid and sense of perspective."

On March 20, 1974, a man attempted to abduct Princess Anne, injuring four people, including her chauffeur, Alex Callender, and a private detective named James Beaton. Now, Princess Anne's attempted kidnapper, Ian Ball, has spoken about the ordeal an interview, revealing he was "scared" during the incident.

As reported by the Daily Mail, a then-26-year-old Ball "was detained 'without limit of time' under the Mental Health Act after admitting attempted kidnap and two attempted murders." After being sent to a high-security psychiatric hospital, Ball was released in 2019, and has since claimed his innocence, per the outlet.

"I'm an innocent, sane man because I had good reason to believe the gunpowder had been taken out of the bullets and another girl had been substituted for Princess Anne," Ball told the Daily Mail in an interview.

Ball also shockingly discussed Princess Anne's supposed reaction during his attempted abduction, telling the publication, "She wasn't bothered on the night...I didn't scare her. I was more scared than she was."

Claiming that the entire incident was a "hoax," Ball told the Daily Mail in his new interview, "[Princess Anne] said, 'You just go away and nobody will think any more about it', which fueled the belief that I thought it was a hoax." He continued, "At the time I thought it wasn't Princess Anne in the car. She looked nothing like Princess Anne. The personality was nothing like Princess Anne."

The Guardian further reported, "In the attempt to drag Anne away, [Ball] shot her bodyguard, chauffeur, a police officer, and a journalist. The princess was said to have infamously retorted 'not bloody likely' [when Ball tried to kidnap her]."

According to the Daily Mail, "It was only by chance that no-one died" during the attack, when "a passing boxer helped police to subdue" Ball before he could allegedly cause any more injuries.