She was accused of being bad-tempered towards journalists and looking bored while viewing cherished American landmarks. The 1970 tour was one of Princess Anne’s first duties as a full time royal, after being invited to visit by Richard Nixon, who was US President at the time. In 2002 Channel 4 documentary ‘The Real Princess Anne’, Joe Billington, then a Washington reporter, described Anne’s demeanour.

The journalist said: “She was very bad-tempered, very sulky. 

“She really didn’t want to be there, that was the impression one had.

“Helen Thomas, very respected journalist, said ‘Princess Anne, what do you think of the Washington Monument?’ 

“And instead of saying ‘very tall’… she could have answered in two simple words, she said ‘I don’t do interviews’.”

The press reacted badly to her perceived bad attitude and were quick to criticise her.

The British press was slightly more forgiving, as revealed in a radio recording played back in the documentary. 

The radio journalist said: “Later, at Mount Vernon, once the home of George Washington, the princess’ attitude again aroused American comment.

“There were some, however, that were prepared to believe that after the strenuous 10-day tour of Canada, the princess may have been tired, rather than bored.”

Anne’s behaviour was in striking contrast to Charles, who was far more agreeable towards the press.

Royal biographer Kitty Kelley claimed Anne “made Charles look good” by comparison. 

In her book ‘The Royals’, she explained how Charles tolerated tedious questions from reporters, while Anne refused to talk to them at all.

Ms Kelley added: “He smiled for photographers, she swatted them like nasty flies.”

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That said, Ms Billington argued that it was simply because Anne does not hide her feelings, claiming “she was more honest than Charles”.

Their joint royal tour left a mixed impression on the American public and also on Anne herself.

According to the documentary, the Princess Royal disliked “playing second fiddle” to her older brother.

Charles, as the heir apparent, was the star of the show, and she “quickly tired” of tagging along to his royal engagements.

After Anne became President of Save the Children in 1970, she embarked on her first solo visit to Africa in 1971.

It was on this trip that the public would see Anne very differently, as Blue Peter accompanied her to film and captured the princess in her element.

The character that emerged from the footage was “unstuffy, energetic and game for a challenge”. 

Despite this, Anne continued getting herself into trouble over the years, racking up five speeding fines and being banned from driving for a month.

She was even the first royal to get a criminal record, after her dog bit two children in Windsor Great Park.

She was fined £500 under the Dangerous Dogs Act, and was ordered to pay £250 in compensation, plus £148 in costs to the Slough Magistrate’s Court.

The Princess Royal was also the first of the Queen’s children to get divorced.

She cut ties with the father of her children Captain Mark Phillips in 1992 and remarried Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence later that same year.

Anne has a reputation for being headstrong, but it also the hardest-working member of the Royal Family.

In 2018, the 68-year-old attended 447 official engagements in the UK and 71 overseas, according to The Times.

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