Princess Anne, sister of King Charles, is perhaps the most respected member of the British court. The hard-nosed princess’s life has included constant work, Olympic-level riding—even an attempted kidnapping—and a criminal record. Today even some young people appreciate his personality.
The son Prince Philip never had. A person who represents the good aspects of the royal family. The girl who should have been a queen. The most frequent employee of the court. A royal rebel. Source of inspiration. Owner.
Among other things, Princess Anne has been particularly praised with these words in recent years.
The last time she was praised was at the coronation of her brother King Charles: Anne represented Charles as bodyguard on horseback and in full uniform, dazzling and charismatic.
While the rest of the British court juggles one crisis after another while dealing with both Prince Harry’s adventures and Prince Andrew’s sex scandal, Queen Elizabeth’s only daughter has completely escaped the heists.
His calmness and elegance have been chiefly admired. Some royals just have a lot of nice things to say.
On the other hand, he has had a reputation in recent years as a difficult person who doesn’t really get along with the media and whose interpersonal life has been and is painful. The princess also has a criminal record.
Today, however, the former Olympic rider is probably the most respected across the court. Why?
24-year-old Elisabeth and newborn Anne. Elizabeth was still a princess at that time. Photo: Keystone Press Agency/Zuma/MVPhotos
Born on 10 August 1950, Anne is the second child of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. A few years younger than King Charles, eight years older than Prince Andrew and a full 14 years older than the star of the family evening, Prince Edward.
Anne grew up as the only daughter of a male-dominated family, albeit one headed by a woman.
For example, in the British Channel 5 TV documentary Princess Anne: The Daughter Who Should Be Queen, which appeared around the princess’s 70th birthday, many reflect on how important it was to grow up as an only daughter by having her by your side. and on the other hand, promoted independence.
Anne, on the other hand, closely watched her mother’s rise to power in her country. She was only two years old when Elizabeth was made emperor. This coincided with the upheaval of society, the emancipation of women and the equalization of the Western world.
The princess has had a headstrong character since childhood. Photo: Keystone Press Agency/Zuma/MVPhotos
The young Anne depicted in the analysis has been like the female protagonists of Hayao Miyazaki’s films: edgy and stubborn from an early age, but basically good-natured. He opposed homeschooling and wanted to “see the world”.
Many say a little like their father.
Charles was a sensitive child and is a sensitive man. Anne is not like that. He’s straight and nasty, but also funny. In the documentary, journalist and longtime royal biographer Penny Junor describes that father and daughter had a similar sense of humor.
Traditionally, it has been said that Prince Philip considered Anne to be his favorite child – as was Elizabeth’s favorite Prince Andrew.
Anne has been considered a style icon for years. Photo: Keystone Press Agency/Zuma/MVPhotos
Many have directly lamented that Anne did not become queen and would never be queen. This is despite the fact that for some time he was second in the line of succession to Charles.
As the years went by, he dropped to number 16. This is due to British law, which, less surprisingly, has favored men.
By law, every male born into the royal family precedes a female in the line of succession. As a result, Anne’s children and grandchildren also pushed her back.
The law was made uniform only in 2013. However, this only applies to royals born after October 28, 2011.
Anne, on the other hand, is given more freedom because of her position, says Daily Mail editor Richard Kay in the documentary.
– He is allowed to dress as he pleases and see what he pleases. This was also encouraged by his parents.
– My situation was a little different from my older brother’s, Anne expressed herself in an interview with Vanity Fair three years ago.
Anne is also an accomplished equestrian and was the first British royal to compete in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. However, at the Games, he fell from his horse and was hurt, but crossed the obstacle course to the finish line. Photo: Keystone Press Agency/Zuma/MVPhotos
The princess left her studies midway and accompanied her parents on royal missions abroad when she was less than 20 years old.
For more than 50 years, he has tirelessly performed his duties: meeting people, inaugurating events, consecrating places, bestowing honors and titles, making state visits.
Over the years, it is estimated that Anne has represented over 20,000 official events. Last year, a total of 214 was enough, and in 2021 even 387, that is more than one a day. more than Charles in both years.
For the time being, Anne is Charles’ true confidante. Last December, Anne and Prince Edward were inducted into the Council of Counselors of State. They can deputize for the monarch and perform their constitutional duties when the monarch is ill or traveling.
Anne began working in a representative office in her twenties. Here he sits watching a football match in Nairobi, Kenya, surrounded by local orphans in 1971. Photo: Keystone Press Agency/Zuma/MVPhotos
So Anne is able to do her job in complete peace while the rest of the world buzzes around.
At the same time, his vibrant personality also created a variety of coincidences and colorful movements.
– He does not tolerate dust. Biographer Penny Junor has said that she could bring grown men to tears.
The already 19-year-old princess’s state visit to Germany in 1969 was stormy. He drove a tank weighing more than 50 tons and hit the tank on a direct target with a machine gun.
Anne and Charles’ visit to the United States in 1970 was also a program number of its own. The princess appeared next to President Richard Nixon in her twenties, expressionless, and declined to be interviewed. The princess was called “sour”.
This started a love-hate relationship between him and the media.
– Of course the press bothers me. If it wasn’t annoying, something must have been wrong, he remarked in a television interview from years past.
Anne married Olympic equestrian Mark Phillips in 1973. The union lasted for 19 years and ended in 1992. Photo: Keystone Press Agency
A particularly legendary coincidence occurred in March 1974. At the time, Anne was the target of an attempted kidnapping.
Anne was returning with her husband, Olympic equestrian Mark Phillips, from a charity film screening at Buckingham Palace.
The journey home was stopped by a white Ford Escort. Unemployed Ian Ball, who protested against the British court, came out of it handcuffed. He first shot the princess’s only bodyguard on the shoulder.
The scene turned bloody. The ball shot four people, and in the end the attacker was caught by seven people. No one died.
Especially the cold attitude of the princess is remembered regarding this incident.
– we shall see, replied the princess when Ball demanded to get out of the car.
When Anne confronts the robber, she continues:
– Let go. Now’s your chance.
Ball fled instead of shooting, but was caught. He was convicted of attempted murder and kidnapping. Ball has since been diagnosed with schizophrenia and is currently being treated in a psychiatric hospital.
The next day, Anne returned to work as usual.
Anne has said that meeting people is the most important thing in her work. Photo: Pool/Reuters
Horses are also known from Anne’s public image. As a rider, he has been at the top of his country. He won competitions and also competed in the steeplechase at the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics. However, the only takeaway from there was a concussion.
Anne’s first husband was also found in the horse world. She met Mark Phillips in 1968 and they married in 1973. The couple had two children, Peter (b. 1977) and Zara (b. 1981). He is Anne’s only child.
The union lasted until 1992, although the couple broke up already in 1989. The reason for this was Phillips’ straight horsemanship: it turned out that the Olympic rider had a child in 1985 as a result of side jumping.
Vice Admiral Timothy Lawrence is Princess Anne’s second husband. Photo: Christy Prosser/Zuma
Anne was not completely innocent either. In 1986, she met Officer Timothy Lawrence. The couple began an intimate correspondence while Anne was still married.
The affair was leaked to the public and the press was overjoyed. Despite this, the couple got married in 1992 and are still together. However, they had to marry in Scotland, as the Church of England did not agree to marry people whose previous spouse was still alive.
Anne also has a criminal record – as the only royal.
In 2002, her bull terrier attacked two young children. The children escaped with minor scratches, and the dog was not killed either. However, the princess received a compensation order of 740 euros.
In addition, the princess has been fined for speeding. Anne mistook the police car behind her for an escort and accelerated to about 150 kmh in a 112 km stretch to get behind slower traffic. However, this misunderstanding proved costly when he was stopped by the police and fined 570 euros. Legal costs of 43 Euros also had to be paid.
Anne attracted applause at the coronation of King Charles. He served as his brother’s bodyguard at the ceremony. Photo: John Super/Reuters
Despite her quirks, Anne is now widely admired even among young people.
The TikTok generation is infatuated with the rugged princess who doesn’t bow down to pictures. Updates are uploaded to the social media service, where we celebrate Anne’s sharpest quotes and prettiest styles to admire. He is considered a role model, breaking up the otherwise ostentatious public image of the British court.
Although Anne herself hates social media.
– I don’t understand why people love screens. Life’s too short, he tapped Vanity Fair.
Nor has the princess declared herself a feminist. He told Vanity Fair that he “wants to see every young person reach their full potential”.
Anne has given more importance to actions than just words. At least he made an impact.
