Princess Anne jokes that it’s a ‘miracle she’s still alive’

The Princess Royal’s public image has been revived in recent years, following the release of the last two seasons of the Netflix drama, The Crown. While she was previously perceived as a grumpy member of the Firm, the fictionalised take on life behind Palace doors portrays Anne as a down to earth, hard working and no-nonsense figure with cutting one-liners. However, this is not the first time the 70-year-old royal stalwart has experienced a revival.

When she finished school, Anne decided not to go to university but to launch straight into a life of royal duties – but to do so, she knew she would have to overhaul her image.

Despite only just reaching adulthood, she was on the receiving end of brutal criticism in 1968, and perceived as just a schoolgirl who was just interested in horses.

Fashion journal, ‘Women’s Wear Daily’, described the royal in August that year in exceptionally harsh terms.

Critics wrote: “Poor Princess Anne.

“She’s 18 today and nobody thinks she’s a pretty girl.”

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They went on to pull apart her hair, and the “sloppy grooming” overseen by her mother the Queen.

They concluded: “It’s about time Anne was allowed to bloom on her own.”

The Princess Royal then conducted an astonishing change in her fortunes, and by the end of the year, she had legions of fans.

The Daily Mirror claimed: “Princess Anne, the girl who is growing up the wittiest, gayest, and most natural of Royal Princesses.”

Writing in his biography, ‘Princess Anne’, commentator Nicholas Courtney explained how she managed it so quickly.

He said: “For a start, the dumpy schoolgirl image had to go.

“Princess Anne lost weight simply by eating less, and with her riding and active life, she has remained slim today as then.

“Another area where she felt she was lacking was with her French.”

The Queen is fluent in French, while Prince Philip can speak German and French after being schooled in the European countries.

Prince Charles was also learning Welsh for his investiture as the Prince of Wales at the time, leaving Anne to feel her adequate French needed assistance.

She later described how she took on a total immersion course, and said: “It was a necessary evil and I wanted to get it over with.”

Anne also wrote her own speeches, which helped her to connect with the causes she championed.

These changes came together to elevate Anne into a respected member of the Firm.

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Mr Courtney explained: “Princess Anne had entered her public life, and the public could not see enough of her, or for that matter the rest of the Royal Family.”

The Princess Royal also appeared to modernise the royals, especially in contrast to her older brother Prince Charles.

He was already showing an appreciation for more classical arts and opera — typically associated with those far older than him — compared to Anne, who Mr Courtney described as “trendy” as any other girl her age.

Anne fell out of favour when Princess Diana arrived on the scene, as she was seen as the grumpy, more abrasive of the two.

But it was this straight-talking attitude which has again propelled her into public adoration recently.

The Crown’s recollection of Anne during her youth prompted investigations into her 1974 kidnapping attempt, where she reportedly told her attacker that she was not “bloody likely” to go with him voluntarily.

Her cool-headed nature won over many fans when reports of her bravery resurfaced.

She was also caught on camera during President Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK in 2019 in the surprisingly unregal gesture of shrugging at the Queen, delighting many fans.

At a time when Prince Andrew’s early retirement and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s voluntary departure from the Firm have raised many questions, Anne’s quiet hard work has been newly appreciated, too.

Buckingham Palace claimed Anne has “one of the busiest working schedules of any member of the Royal Family”, and her devotion to re-wearing outfits from decades ago reflects her thrifty nature.

Anne’s ability to stay modest is another winning factor.

In her Vanity Fair article from last year, Anne called herself, “the boring old fuddy-duddy at the back” who encourages other generations to not “forget the basics”.

She told journalist Katie Nicholl: “It’s not just about [saying] can I get a tick in the box for doing this? No, it’s about serving…”

She added: “I don’t think retirement is quite the same [for me]. Most people would say we’re very lucky not to be in that situation because you wouldn’t want to just stop.

“It is, to a large extent the choice of the organisations you’re involved with and whether they feel you’re still relevant.”

‘Princess Anne: A biography’ by Nicholas Courtney was published in 1986 by Weidenfeld and Nicolson and is available here.

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