Princess Anne recently turned 76 and the King's sister shows absolutely no sign of scaling back her royal duties anytime soon. Her commitment to her work could reflect the sense of duty she inherited from Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, but is also perhaps testament to how important it is to have a place to relax in total privacy.
The Princess Royal lives at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire and the late Queen's former communications secretary, Ailsa Anderson, believes it's her "bolthole".
Speaking to Hello!, Ailsa described Gatcombe as a place where Anne can enjoy time with her children and grandchildren completely at ease, adding it’s "where she is not the Princess Royal - she is Anne. It’s a lot less formal."
She continued, "She has Zara and Mike still living on the estate, and Peter and Harriet nearby. I think, like every parent, she just wants to see her children happy. She adores them and it's touching to see her with her grandchildren at horse trials, showing them things and looking relaxed in her jeans."
Princess Anne's son Peter married NHS nurse Harriet in June this year and the royal gained not only a new daughter-in-law, but a step-granddaughter. Harriet has a daughter, Georgina Sperling, from a previous relationship and a source reportedly close to the family shared that Anne has welcomed her with "open arms".
The Princess Royal inherited a lot of traits from her mother Queen Elizabeth and making people feel welcome is apparently one of them.
"She is an amazing mother and grandmother and has a natural talent for putting people at ease, much like her mother," the source claimed.
Royal author Robert Hardman has offered even more insight into what life on Gatcombe is like for Princess Anne. He agrees that the 730-acre estate is "her happy place" as she’s "fundamentally a country person”.
With her family so close, she gets to enjoy "very normal" and "no-nonsense” relationship with them all. He alleges, "It's very normal; there isn't any standing on ceremony, and she's the only one with a title."
Princess Anne turned down titles for her children and her grandchildren Savannah and Isla Phillips and Mia, Lena and Lucas Tindall don't have them.
Robert suggests, "She's a very good grandmother. She's hands-on, but like all grandchildren, I think they can get away with things. She dotes on them."
While life away from public duty might be all about normality, Ailsa firmly believes that the Princess Royal won’t step back from work any time soon.
"I don't think the word 'retirement' is in her vocabulary", she shared. "She does not pause for breath. Think about how many other 76-year-olds are putting their feet up, watching TV, and she just carries on. It's all about duty. She inherited that sense of duty and service from both of her parents."
