How Princess Anne quietly became the most influential member of the Royal Family
There are louder royals, there are more glamorous royals, and there are certainly royals who generate more headlines.
And then, there's Princess Anne.
Famously, for decades, the Princess Royal has gone about her business, seemingly uninterested in the spotlight that shrouds her famous family.
She keeps her cards close to her chest with regards to her personal life, doesn't care much for the cameras, and has never appeared particularly interested in turning royal life into a personal brand.
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"I find it very difficult to understand why anybody gets sucked into screens and devices," she once described to Vanity Fair her disdain for the modern obsession with being constantly connected. "Life's too short, frankly.
"There's more entertaining things to be done."
She doesn't need fame
Yet somehow, she has become one of the most respected - and, arguably, one of the most influential - members of the monarchy. So, how?
In fact, while Princess Anne may not always be the first name that springs to mind when you think about royal power, those who know the institution best suggest that her influence extends far beyond her now-infrequent public engagements.
Fans of The Crown received an impression of their dynamics through actors Erin Doherty and Olivia Colman, but according to insiders, Anne really was the one person her mother, Queen Elizabeth II, trusted.
Such is also said to be the case between she and her big brother, King Charles III, to this day.
Royal commentator Wesley Kerr OBE is amongst those convinced she is very much a force behind the scenes.
A trusted confidant
He previously told Tatler that The King trusts his sister implicitly, describing Anne as the person he has 'known longest'.
"She can be relied on for complete discretion and unconditional love," he said. "Anne is wise, intelligent, incredibly plugged into the modern United Kingdom.
"She understands completely who and what has shaped him and is eager for him to succeed: for the sake of their beloved mum and dad and for country and Commonwealth."
Royal butler Grant Harrold, who worked for King Charles at Highgrove several years prior, told Tyla on behalf of OLBG that Anne's particular brand of influence comes from an unusual combination of qualities inherited from both of her parents.
"Princess Anne very much has her father and her mother's attributes," he told us. "She has her mother's fun, comedic side but also has her father's disciplined side.
"That makes her unique in the Royal Family."
Could it be this uniqueness that has made her so indispensable? Or her dedication?
The 'hardest-working royal' for a reason
For years, Anne has topped the annual rankings for royal engagements, earning herself the enduring nickname of the 'hardest-working royal'.
In 2024, she was once again crowned the busiest working royal after carrying out 217 engagements, marking the fourth consecutive year she had taken the top spot in the annual tally.
And while the exact numbers can vary depending on how royal engagements are counted, it's hard to argue against the fact that the Princess Royal certainly puts the time and effort into her job.
She has spent decades maintaining a relentless schedule of visits, receptions, charity work and official duties.
Perhaps even more impressive is how much she manages to pack into a single day. According to The Crown Chronicles, while most royals might undertake one or two engagements a day, Anne has been known to take on between five and six.
While that work ethic has undoubtedly become part of her reputation, the fact that Charles came out on top of the 2025 rankings as the 'most liked' member of the monarchy seems to hint that her duties don't make up her whole appeal.
On the other hand, however, Anne's popularity is slightly unusual further still, because it isn't built around spectacle.
According to Harrold, she doesn't have the fairy-tale quality of Princess Diana, but is known for having a similar sense of empathy, as well as the Windsor family's notoriously dry sense of humour.
She's nobody's fool
"Everyone respects, admires and slightly fears Anne because nobody wants to be on the wrong side of her and I remember that famously," he recalled. "You know where you stand; she is very direct, she doesn’t like wasting time.
"She doesn’t stand for fools, a trait that comes from Prince Phillip, but she has a lovely way about her. She is inquisitive and fun, and if she likes you, she likes you; if she doesn't, she doesn’t; it’s as simple as that with her."
Harrold continued: "Like her father, everyone is slightly nervous around her because you don’t want to get on the wrong side of her, but when you get to know her, she is wonderful, and she will always be one of the most poignant figures."
Anne herself even joked once about the strange expectations that come with being a member of the Royal Family.
"When I appear in public people expect me to neigh, grind my teeth, paw the ground and swish my tail – none of which is easy," she teased.
Harrold believes royal are reluctant to get on the 'wrong side' of Anne (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Anne understands her position
Much of her heartfelt personality and commitment to work reportedly stems from an understanding of both the privilege and the restrictions that come with being born into the Royal Family.
"She sees this as a role she is born to do, but she is also aware of the royal trappings and how titles can affect one's life, making a normal life almost impossible," Harrold went on.
He also claims that awareness is viable in the way she chose to raise her own children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, whom she chose not to give any official royal titles, unlike her little brother, Andrew.
This decision, many royal experts agree, allowed them to grow up with considerably more freedom than many of their cousins.
"I’m very lucky that both my parents decided to not use the title and we grew up and did all the things that gave us the opportunity to do," Zara herself told The Times in 2015.
"She wanted them to have as normal a life as possible," Harrold says. "A lot of people credit the late Princess Diana with changing the Royal Family forever, but I think stances like Anne's should also be given credit."
Maybe this independence is part of what makes Anne so useful to the family today.
It's not as if she's waiting for the throne, nor does she appear to crave the attention that comes with it.
A quiet power
Instead, she occupies a rather unique position, being close enough to the centre of the monarchy to understand it intimately, but removed enough from it to offer her opinion without appearing to have an agenda.
That, according to Harrold, has made her a particularly important figure behind the scenes.
"She has quite a lot of influence in the Royal Family; she was very close to the late Queen, and she is very close to King Charles," he continued. "I know the King values her advice and guidance."
"She is a key player behind closed doors when it comes to decision-making and a bit of a matriarch of the family."
So, as we said at the beginning, she may not be the loudest royal in the room, but she's definitely one of the most important.
Topics: Royal Family, UK News, News
Rhianna Benson