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Throwback Princess Anne interview reveals surprisingly humble backup plan if she wasn’t a royal

Princess Anne's throwback interview reveals she was unfazed at the thought of not being royal

Princess Anne has become an unlikely favorite on TikTok, with her fashion and past comments being discovered by the younger generations over the past few months. The hashtag Princess Anne has amassed over 1.6B views, and one particularly popular video features clips from a rare interview when the Princess Royal was younger. She discusses what she’d be doing if she was no longer royal, plus has a delightfully flirty back-and-forth with the presenter.


As she continues to become an unlikely social media favorite, an old interview of Princess Anne’s has been delighting fans on TikTok.

The interview with British presenter Terry Wogan in 1982 shows a chic looking Anne, with a high-collared white blouse and a gold clasp, fending off his questions with ease.

Some of the questions were casual, like wondering if the Princess and her then husband, Captain Mark Phillips, managed to enjoy some privacy.

“We’ve actually got one or two decent restaurants to eat at… I’m not going to tell you what they are” she joked, anticipating the interviewer’s next question with a cheeky laugh.

@britishroyalty01 ♬ original sound - Louise

But Terry Wogan pushes the Princess Royal on some deeper topics, like what she would do if royalty was abolished.

Showcasing that signature no-nonsense cool, Anne replies quickly, simply stating she’d have to “work even harder on the farm.”

She then reveals that “out of necessity” she qualified as a “heavy goods vehicle driver” – always so full of surprises!

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

A life without royalty is something which members of the family have touched on in recent months.

Prince William has previously conceded that it’s “hard” for people to see the point of the monarchy in modern times.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, the Prince of Wales said, “We’re all very busy and I think it’s hard sometimes to see what the family brings and what we do.”

Yet he didn’t go as far as his aunt, who was imagining her career on the farm or driving heavy goods vehicles.

(Image credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Anne herself might have changed her tune over the years, based on newer interviews.

The Princess Royal was questioned about the “slimmed down monarchy” rumors that have been circulating for some time and was asked what she thought about this potential structure.

"I think the 'slimmed-down' was said in a day when there were a few more people around to make that seem like a justifiable comment," she laughed and then added, "I mean it doesn't sound like a good idea from where I'm standing, I have to say, I'm not quite sure what else, you know, we can do."

Elsewhere in the clip, Anne masterfully dodges awkward moments of Terry’s flirting, cracking jokes that delight the live audience.

Comments on TikTok were impressed with how “witty” and “natural” the Princess was – proving why she’s still so popular decades on.

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