The Princess Royal said that the younger generation should not try to “reinvent the wheel” and change the Royal Family’s tried and tested approach when it comes to philanthropy. She described herself as the “boring old fuddy-duddy at the back saying, ‘Don’t forget the basics’”. One royal commentator has claimed this may be a pointed reference to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are the people who have made the biggest change from the status quo.
The couple stepped down as senior royals at the end of March and are in the process of setting up their own non-profit named Archwell.
Meanwhile, Anne is a very experienced working royal, having now been working in the role full time for over 50 years.
She is the patron of over 200 organisations and still regularly comes out on top as carrying out the most number of engagements each year, despite now standing at 70 years old.
She told Vanity Fair ahead of her birthday this year: “I don’t think the younger generation probably understands what I was doing in the past and it’s often true, isn’t it?
READ MORE: Prince Harry ‘fulfilling destiny left by Princess Diana’ with Meghan
Princess Anne made a (Image: John Swannell / Camera Press and GETTY)
Princess Anne has been a full-time royal for 52 years (Image: GETTY)
“You don’t necessarily look at the previous generation and say, ‘Oh you did that?’ or ‘You went there?’
“Nowadays, they’re much more looking for, ‘Oh let’s do it in a new way.’
“And I’m already at the stage, ‘Please do not reinvent that particular wheel. We’ve been there, done that. Some of these things don’t work. You may need to go back to basics.’”
Indeed, Anne has been working as a royal for so long she has seen other characters rise and fall and witnessed all the royal pitfalls, including Princess Diana, Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew and even her own divorce from Captain Mark Phillips.
Princess Anne reportedly disagreed with how Diana and Fergie conducted themselves (Image: GETTY)
In fact, Anne reportedly never approved of Diana and Sarah ‒ affectionately named Fergie ‒ choosing to do their own thing and moving away from the traditional way of behaving.
Daily Express royal photographer Steve Wood told the 2003 Channel 4 documentary ‘The Real Princess Anne’, that Anne thought Diana was “lessening the stature of the Royal Family” and that she and Fergie were “too tabloid for her”.
This is in some ways comparable to the star quality of Harry and Meghan, how they are often viewed as celebrities followed by the masses rather than royals quietly getting on with their duty.
That said, Anne has had her own difficulties as a royal, including a tense relationship with the press for a number of years, who viewed her as bad-tempered and sulky.
DON’T MISS
Joe Biden heartbreak: Son’s devastating link to Royal Family [REVEALED]
Prince Harry to speak to William as they mark ‘poignant Diana moment’ [INSIGHT]
Prince Andrew under pressure after protests outside Buckingham Palace [ANALYSIS]
Princess Anne addressed the younger generation of royals in her interview (Image: GETTY)
However, her hard-work and dedication won out and she is now one of the most highly respected royals.
She has not been free from scandal either, after being outed for having an affair in 1989, but she then separated from her estranged husband Mark and later married Commander Timothy Laurence, with whom her marriage is fast approaching the 30-year mark.
Pod Save the Queen is hosted by Ann Gripper and features Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers.
Mr Myers made the connection between Anne’s words and Harry and Meghan.
He said: “She said in that interview, ‘Don’t try and reinvent the wheel, don’t try and run before you can walk’ and maybe that was a pointed reference to Harry and Meghan and I think it was definitely a reference to the younger members.
“She had spoken about ‘listen, I’m the old fuddy duddy at the back, but we have been doing things before you were born, sonny.’
“And that is very interesting and I think that has come across that she’s very very experienced, she’s patron of so many charities and good causes.
Princess Anne is at her happiest in the countryside (Image: GETTY)
“She has seen the pitfalls of royal life whether that’s Fergie, Diana, Andrew, her own divorce – and these issues are very, very interesting.
“And I would lean on her for counsel as I’m sure several other members of the Royal Family have done.”
To subscribe to Pod Save The Queen go to your normal podcast provider.
