The Real Reason Princess Anne Doesn't Want Anyone To Know About Her Private Life
Anne, Princess Royal has been thrust back into the spotlight following the sad death of her beloved mother, Queen Elizabeth II. But she's not exactly a staple when it comes to the spotlight. Of course, as the only daughter of the queen and Prince Phillip, sister to the now King Charles III, and aunt to William, Prince of Wales, and Harry, Duke of Sussex, we all know exactly who she is, with her closeness to her late mother also being a pretty well-known fact about this royal.
In fact, Princess Anne — who's touching curtsy to her late mom went viral — was so close to her mom that she followed the queen's coffin as her body was transported back to London from Scotland following her death at her Balmoral estate. "I was fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest mother's life. It has been an honor and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys. Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting," Princess Anne said in part in a touching statement, thanking the public for their outpouring of support. She then signed off her message, "To my mother, The Queen, thank you."
But while her brother King Charles III and nephews Prince William and Prince Harry have all become tabloid fodder, why do we know so little about Princess Anne's personal life?
Princess Anne is no fan of attention
It seems Anne, Princess Royal flying somewhat under the radar has always been the plan of Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliam shed a little light on why the royal largely shuns the spotlight, telling Fox News Digital in September, "One of the reasons that not much is known about Princess Anne, is because that is the way she likes it. She is the hardest working member of the royal family but doesn't like the publicity. It's her style, she has always stunned us."
Princess Anne herself has proven that, most notably opting not to give her two children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, royal titles when they were born. "I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles," she explained to Vanity Fair in 2020. "So I think that was probably the right thing to do."
Princess Anne was also one of the notable royals who made it clear she was no fan of the notorious 1969 "Royal Family" documentary that gave us a peek at what life is really like in their palaces. Even the queen gave the project the go ahead, though Anne reportedly hit back, per the 2015 book "Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family," "I thought it was a rotten idea. The attention which had been brought upon one ever since one was a child, you just didn't need any more."
Princess Anne reportedly found Meghan Markle too attention seeking
With Anne, Princess Royal opting to stay out of the spotlight a little more than her family members, rumors swirled that she was supposedly no fan of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, when Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, began dating the former "Suits" actor — or the attention she gathered. Author Lady Colin Campbell dished on Princess Anne's supposed first impression of Meghan when she started dating Prince Harry in a 2021 YouTube video, claiming, "Princess Anne was the champion in terms of 'Don't marry that girl, she is unsuitable. She is wrong for us, she is wrong for the country, she is wrong for the job.'" As for why she apparently wasn't sold? The "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" star purported that Princess Anne supposedly thought Meghan was an attention seeker. "It just absolutely turned Princess Anne off. Because she couldn't stand Meghan's constant 'uh, uh, me, me me, me,'" Campbell claimed (via Mirror).
That understated demeanor Princess Anne shows off was probably proven in no more uncertain terms when she uttered one of her most notable interview comebacks. The royal made it clear in no uncertain terms that she didn't choose the life she's living today, once hitting back at an interviewer, according to Scotland, "I didn't ask to be born a princess!"
Could we see more of Princess Anne?
Though Princess Anne has taken a little more of a backseat when it comes to publicity compared to her other famous family members, could that be about to chance following the death of Queen Elizabeth II? Princess Anne could potentially be about to come out of her shell a little more, as her brother, King Charles III takes on more duties. "In the same way that the queen had Princess Margaret to turn to for most of her life, the King has the Princess Royal. There is something quite steadying for him having her around, because they are close and they love to share a joke, but she also absolutely respects the role he inhabits," a source told The Telegraph. "They always seem very happy to be in each other's company."
But stepping up to the plate will be nothing new for Princess Anne. The royal has carried out thousands upon thousands of duties over the years, just in a slightly quieter manner than some of her siblings and nephews. The late queen's daughter has earned herself the moniker of being The Hardest Working Royal, with Daily Mail reporting she undertook a whopping 387 official engagements in 2021, two more than her brother and around 150 more than William, Prince of Wales, who is now second in line to the throne.
Princess Anne really is the embodiment of keep calm and carry on.