The Princess Royal is perceived as one of the more distant members of the Royal Family and was even dubbed the “grumpy” figure in the Firm a few decades ago. However, Netflix’s third and fourth seasons of The Crown have restored her reputation and given royal watchers fresh appreciation for the straight-forward princess. Actress Erin Doherty plays the aloof royal and has been praised for mastering her subtle smirk, scathing sarcasm and outspoken nature.
Among the pomp and ceremony of the monarchy, Ms Doherty’s portrayal of down-to-earth Anne won over legions of new royal fans.
Netflix also showed her sentimental side through her love of horse-riding — she was the first royal to ever take part in the Olympics — and depicted her sadness as her marriage gradually deteriorates, breaking through the tough outer shell Anne so often presents to the public.
Yet, royal commentator Howard Hodgson — an acquaintance of Prince Charles — claimed that Netflix’s depiction is not actually that accurate.
He told Express.co.uk: “Anne is completely miscast, she was not this great tomboy, although she was quite a tough girl.”
Anne is often seen in riding clothes and looking far less glamorous than her sister-in-law Princess Diana in the drama, but Mr Hodgson implied there was more to her than that.
Erin Doherty as Prince Anne in The Crown, and Princess Anne (R) (Image: Getty/Netflix)
Anne photographed for her 70th birthday this year — she is often characterised as a tomboy (Image: Getty)
Prince Philip also claims Anne is his favourite in The Crown’s latest season, but Mr Hodgson disputed this, too.
He suggested it was Prince Edward — the youngest of Philip’s children — who is closest to the royal stalwart.
He continued: “And the Queen’s favourite is Prince Andrew, so poor old Anne and Charles got left out.”
It is widely believed that the Queen and Philip were both so consumed with their royal duties when the monarch first ascended the throne in 1952 that they did not devote much time to their two eldest children.
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Erin Doherty as Anne in season 4 (L) and season 3 (Image: Netflix)
When Andrew and Edward were born a decade later, it is thought the couple felt they had a second chance at parenthood and so they both became much more hands-on.
However, this did mean Charles and Anne became very close as siblings — an element of seasons three and four that Mr Hodgson believes is correct.
Mr Hodgson added: “Charles does note in his diary that he is genuinely upset when she is getting married [in 1973], because he feels like he is losing a sister.”
Charles did not get along with his new brother-in-law at all, and famously dubbed Anne’s first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, “foggy” because he was supposedly “thick and wet”.
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Pregnant Anne with her first husband Mark Phillips, and with the Queen as a young girl (Image: Getty)
Anne is reportedly not Philip’s favourite child according to Hogdson (Image: Getty)
Season four also shows the Prince of Wales telling Anne about his failing marriage, demonstrating a further element of their closeness.
The Queen is seen acknowledging that, as his “sister and his confidante”, Anne was in a unique position to tell the “whole truth” about Charles and Diana’s relationship — a statement which is supported by Mr Hodgson’s conclusions.
Yet, Mr Hodgson ripped apart one of season three’s main narratives.
He dismantled the suggestion that Anne was dating Andrew Parker Bowles at the same time as Charles was first dating Camilla Parker Bowles — then known as Camilla Shand.
The royal commentator explained: “They did not have affairs with Mr and Mrs Parker Bowles simultaneously. That is a complete inaccuracy.”
This is an opinion shared by Sally Bedell-Smith, another royal biographer, who maintained that Anne and Andrew only briefly dated in 1970.
Anne and Charles with the Queen and Philip in the 1969 Royal Family documentary (Image: Getty)
Anne and Charles were thought to be very close when they were young (Image: Getty)
He was never considered as a potential husband, as he was Catholic and the Royal Family is devoted to the Church of England.
However, Ms Bedell Smith noted: “Even when their romance eventually wound down, they remained lifelong friends.”
When Anne’s divorce became public in 1992, there were reports that both had been unfaithful — and that the Princess Royal had returned to Andrew Parker Bowles.
Yet, it’s important to note that Camilla and Charles dated in 1972 when Andrew was in Ireland and Cyprus.
This is two years after Anne’s brief fling with Andrew, and when he returned, Camilla married him.
