"Why Princess Anne is the best king we never had": 2010 Daily Mail Article

[sarahedwards2]

This article is a couple of years old, but I'll post it anyway:

The best king we never had: Why Princess Anne is more man than her brothers and a lot more interesting too | Mail Online

"Sometimes a woman's deepest thoughts are best left unsaid, but the Princess Royal has never regretted once describing herself as 'not everyone's idea of a fairytale princess'.
It was a deliberate message and the moment she laid the ground rules for her life as a professional royal.
But everyone knew what she was getting at all those years ago."

Come to think of it, I'm more man than my brothers, too, and I talk to my dad about practically everything.

 

[sarahedwards2]

This article is a couple of years old, but I'll post it anyway:

The best king we never had: Why Princess Anne is more man than her brothers and a lot more interesting too | Mail Online

"Sometimes a woman's deepest thoughts are best left unsaid, but the Princess Royal has never regretted once describing herself as 'not everyone's idea of a fairytale princess'.
It was a deliberate message and the moment she laid the ground rules for her life as a professional royal.
But everyone knew what she was getting at all those years ago."

Come to think of it, I'm more man than my brothers, too, and I talk to my dad about practically everything.

And just LOOK at those eyes!

 

[Happiness is sweet]

she seems to have a tough look like Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth the virgin queen

 

[sarahedwards2]

she seems to have a tough look like Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth the virgin queen

She is tough! Like the time she screamed "Not bloody likely!" during the kidnapping attempt, and the time she told the press to naff off.

 

[Catherine J]

... Like the time she screamed "Not bloody likely!" during the kidnapping attempt ...

Oh my yes, I remember this. I *loved* Anne for that. She became my instant hero and remains so.

 

[Dman]

I don't know about her being the best King (lol) but I think if she was called to duty to serve as Queen, she would do an excellent job.

I think for Anne being the only girl in the family and her surroundings also helped her develope a tough exterior. She work so hard within the family and have taken on so much that I get tierd just watching her on official engagements.

 

[sarahedwards2]

I don't know about her being the best King (lol) but I think if she was called to duty to serve as Queen, she would do an excellent job.

I think for Anne being the only girl in the family and her surroundings also helped her develope a tough exterior. She work so hard within the family and have taken on so much that I get tierd just watching her on official engagements.

I'm going to try and style my hair the way Anne's is in the first photograph in the article, the one taken for her 21st birthday. I'll have to look for a "waving iron" (like a curling iron but gives you wavy hair instead). My hair is the same length as in that picture of the princess, but straight and more like the colour hers is now. Same eyes though!

 

[Iluvbertie]

My problem with all of this is we don't know how she would have reacted had she been raised to be The Queen. She was always given an upbringing to suit her position as a supporting cast member and not someone who would have to be front and centre. She may have turned out the same way but she may not have done so.

 

[Catherine J]

My problem with all of this is we don't know how she would have reacted had she been raised to be The Queen. She was always given an upbringing to suit her position as a supporting cast member and not someone who would have to be front and centre. She may have turned out the same way but she may not have done so.

True enough. That's a big question, nature versus nurture. All in all, she's pretty perfect for what her role is, really. Although they have different ways of showing their independence, Anne is the Harry of her day. Both a little iconoclastic. which I think is a very good thing. It's the human face of the Monarchy that lets us peek inside a little better.

 

[sarahedwards2]

True enough. That's a big question, nature versus nurture. All in all, she's pretty perfect for what her role is, really. Although they have different ways of showing their independence, Anne is the Harry of her day. Both a little iconoclastic. which I think is a very good thing. It's the human face of the Monarchy that lets us peek inside a little better.

But she's not a party girl like her aunt Margaret or Prince Harry. She doesn't smoke two packs of cigarettes a day, and she doesn't play strip billiards and the pictures later go viral.

 

[Mirabel]

I don't agree that Anne would be the best sovereign.
Yes, she is a real workhorse, but she has very little tact and she has no diplomacy.
She is too much like her father; while she is respected, she isn't always liked.

 

[AdmirerUS]

I don't agree that Anne would be the best sovereign.
Yes, she is a real workhorse, but she has very little tact and she has no diplomacy.
She is too much like her father; while she is respected, she isn't always liked.

I somehow feel Anne would not feel "best" if she were sovereign, either. Not that she would not rise to the challenge, but...

As to the British royalty with LIKING as a pre-qualifier, the LIKING tends to go up and down with events and years.

 

[sarahedwards2]

I somehow feel Anne would not feel "best" if she were sovereign, either. Not that she would not rise to the challenge, but...

As to the British royalty with LIKING as a pre-qualifier, the LIKING tends to go up and down with events and years.

Anne is like her father; she even has his looks. It's unfortunate she's only 10th in line. Male primogeniture should have been scrapped long ago. If it was, Anne would be fourth in line. She shouldn't be so far back just because she was born a girl. Anne's the tough one out of the royals; she learned that by being the only girl in the family sandwiched between three brothers. I'm in the same situation. I'm one of 8 grandchildren in my dad's family; and all of the others are male. The only grandchildren that are younger than me are my two brothers; all 5 of my (paternal) cousins are between 3 and 15 years older.

 

[Lumutqueen]

She is tough! Like the time she screamed "Not bloody likely!" during the kidnapping attempt, and the time she told the press to naff off.

I don't remember the time she told the press to 'naff off', but both situations are common sense. It took courage to stand up to a kidnapper but I hardly thing she's tough.
Her exterior seems impenetrable, I doubt she'd e a woman easy to get along with.

. It's unfortunate she's only 10th in line.

It's unfortunate, but it's not going to change. We don't know what the world would be like of Anne has been raised to be Queen. I imagine we'd see a very different person who'd have to wait 60+ years to see her time on the throne. Anne's done what any girl in an all boy family does, muscle through and find your own thing.

 

[Molly2101]

I agree that we do not know if Anne would still be the way she is if she were the next in line to the throne. She would have been raised very different, and she would never have been allowed to participate in the Olympic's; she would never have been allowed to pursue her dream of Equestrianism as she would have had too much responsibility. I agree that she is a stern woman, who would "take no prisoners", but that is not necessarily a good trait for a Monarch to have. I could never seen Anne leaning over and smiling at all the children she has to greet at Christmas as they line up to give her flowers, nor could I see her smiling at every engagement she does. Anne does of course smile and look enthused at her engagements, but she always comes across as a quite a serious woman, whereas her mother appears to be quite open and smiling, particularly to ward children. Anne never appears to me to be very maternal toward young children. If you look at images of the late Diana, or even Sophie; they bend down to the child's level, they smile with them and engage with them and make the child think they are the most important person in that person's life for those few seconds. That has never been Anne's style, though I suppose it was never the Queen's style in later years. It is hard to know how Anne would be if the Succession had changed and put her ahead of her brothers. Even then I think she would not be that bothered as she would probably know she would never likely be Queen, though the idea of a Princess Zara does sound lovely. Again, if she were closer in line to the throne I doubt she would have been allowed to give the name Zara to her daughter. It's not "Royal" enough.

One thing that does bother me is that the press always harp on about her not giving her children Royal titles and praising her for this choice, Edward did the exact same thing. In fact, Edward's children are seen less frequently than Peter and Zara were seen as children.

 

[Lumutqueen]

One thing that does bother me is that the press always harp on about her not giving her children Royal titles and praising her for this choice, Edward did the exact same thing. In fact, Edward's children are seen less frequently than Peter and Zara were seen as children.

I think the difference being, Mark Phillips had no title to give his children. I assume Anne and Mark made the decision together not to accept a title. Whereas Louise and James are titled as children of an Earl not a Prince, but they still have titles.

 

[sarahedwards2]

I think the difference being, Mark Phillips had no title to give his children. I assume Anne and Mark made the decision together not to accept a title. Whereas Louise and James are titled as children of an Earl not a Prince, but they still have titles.

I was watching an interview of Princess Anne with David Frost, and she said she doesn't remember when she realized life wasn't going to be ordinary for her. She said "How the hell was I supposed to know it wasn't ordinary?" For her, there was no way of telling it wasn't ordinary.

 

[Meraude]

I think there are similarities between Anne and her paternal grand-aunt queen Louise of Sweden, in their seriousness and duty when it comes to doing royal duties, and also her no-nonsense approach to being a royal. Louise Mountbatten - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Lumutqueen]

I was watching an interview of Princess Anne with David Frost, and she said she doesn't remember when she realized life wasn't going to be ordinary for her. She said "How the hell was I supposed to know it wasn't ordinary?" For her, there was no way of telling it wasn't ordinary.

I don't see what that has to do with titles?

 

[Molly2101]

I think there are similarities between Anne and her paternal grand-aunt queen Louise of Sweden, in their seriousness and duty when it comes to doing royal duties, and also her no-nonsense approach to being a royal. Louise Mountbatten - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I am guessing this is the Louise who Anne was given one of her middle names for? I like that Anne is serious and stern, but I just don't think they are traits of a good Monarch. Wasn't there an article about Anne upsetting a young girl who wanted to give her flowers? I am not 100% sure what the article stated, but it was something related to the girl being quite upset. Having said, in one of the video's filmed by a member of the public at Christmas 2011 you can see Anne taking a bunch of flowers from a person and giving them to Tim who in turn gives it to Lady Louise. That was a sweet gesture.

 

[sarahedwards2]

I think there are similarities between Anne and her paternal grand-aunt queen Louise of Sweden, in their seriousness and duty when it comes to doing royal duties, and also her no-nonsense approach to being a royal. Louise Mountbatten - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't think Anne is as stern and serious as people think she is. In the interviews I've seen of her, she's smiling (wonderful smile too!) and cracking jokes at several points, and she makes light of serious situations, like when she speaks of the kidnap attempt.

 

[Meraude]

I don't think Anne is as stern and serious as people think she is. In the interviews I've seen of her, she's smiling (wonderful smile too!) and cracking jokes at several points, and she makes light of serious situations, like when she speaks of the kidnap attempt.

I was talking about the seriousness Anne shows when doing her royal duties, not how she is as a private person. Queen Louise was known for her sense of humor and sense of self-irony, something I think Anne also has.

 

[Dman]

I think The Princess Royal is pretty happy with her role in the "Firm" but i get the feeling that if she was called to duty to be Queen, she would do a good job at it.

I agree, Princess Anne may be a little tough but she do have a soft side to her. Her children have mentioned how funny she is and what a loving and supportive mother she is to Peter & Zara. From the interviews and clips from the TV shows she has done in the past, Princess Anne is very delightful and loves to laugh. I think she's a good friend to others.

 

[padams2359]

Anne has stated in interviews that she is not fond of children. I know, I know, she does tons for children's charities. She said it, I didn't.

 

[sarahedwards2]

I think The Princess Royal is pretty happy with her role in the "Firm" but i get the feeling that if she was called to duty to be Queen, she would do a good job at it.

I agree, Princess Anne may be a little tough but she do have a soft side to her. Her children have mentioned how funny she is and what a loving and supportive mother she is to Peter & Zara. From the interviews and clips from the TV shows she has done in the past, Princess Anne is very delightful and loves to laugh. I think she's a good friend to others.

I know, she's absolutely amazing! If I could meet one celebrity, she would be it. Just think, we could spend hours talking!

 

[Lumutqueen]

I know, she's absolutely amazing! If I could meet one celebrity, she would be it. Just think, we could spend hours talking!

You think Anne is a celebrity?

 

[Queen Camilla]

I don't think Anne is as stern and serious as people think she is. In the interviews I've seen of her, she's smiling (wonderful smile too!) and cracking jokes at several points, and she makes light of serious situations, like when she speaks of the kidnap attempt.

I agree. I think Princess Anne is a big softie who protects her privacy with a stern exterior but once you get past the shell she's a very loveable person.

 

[Iluvbertie]

You think Anne is a celebrity?

Of course she is a celebrity - they all are. Royals are no different to any other celebrity except that the others become famous usually on merit while the royals get there through being born or marrying not through anything they have achieved that is noteworthy.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Of course she is a celebrity - they all are. Royals are no different to any other celebrity except that the others become famous usually on merit while the royals get there through being born or marrying not through anything they have achieved that is noteworthy.

I disagree. There's a difference between celebrity and royalty. Royals can be famous, but calling them a celebrity is tacky.

 

[Catherine J]

Royals are individuals who inherit a duty to public service. The institution(s) they are born into *are* absolutely noteworthy and they are the engendered representatives of those institutions.

Celebrity is what they generally gain as a result of that.

They are *not* celebrities.

Having celebrity and being a celebrity are different things, from a linguistic, perceptive and practical perspective. Common usage notwithstanding, words have real meanings and those meanings can easily get lost in the cultural vernacular. Problem with this is it changes what one is saying and what one is perceived to mean.

Royals are *absolutely* different from others who have celebrity. There are a few ways in which this is true but the primary one is the duty to serve, from which the celebrity arises. No other persons who have celebrity have this same lifetime restriction and obligation. No other persons who have celebrity are so restricted in its use and in the use of the trappings that come with it.

The sheer weight of obligation and duty makes any statement that groups them with "other celebrities", at best, a facile position.