On Tuesday, Princess Anne, 75, had those around her in fits of laughter with a cheeky aside about breaking wind during a royal garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. The Princess Royal joined King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Prince Edward for the event, the only royal garden party held at the official royal residence in Scotland.
Anne's Humorous Exchange with a Guard
As Anne and Edward chatted to guests, Anne appeared to notice an unpleasant smell nearby, prompting her to hilariously ask one of the guards if it came from him. According to expert analyst and professional lipreader Nicola Hickling, the guard then shifted the blame to an unknowing King Charles, jokingly telling her: "I think it was Charles." Anne then added, "We need to move," before making a hilarious accusation: "Perhaps it was Charles," which provoked giggles from their group.
Anne's Down-to-Earth Nature Endears Her to the Public
This down-to-earth behaviour is why the nation is so endeared to her, argues Chris Riches. Britons love a celebrity who banters with the public and is happy to take the mickey out of themselves. Anne is an expert in putting nervous or star-struck people at ease with a cheeky aside. In contrast, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's pomposity and Prince Harry's preciousness grate on the public.
Anne is known to drive herself to royal engagements or take the Tube when in London. That's being down-to-earth. Can you imagine Harry on the Tube? I think most people, certainly Brits, in London would respectfully leave him be but he wouldn't do it in a million years.
Anne's Previous Humorous Moments
Last Christmas, when presented with flowers by a well-wisher, Anne joked that they surely cannot be for her: "Are you sure? I'm probably the last person standing!" The fan gushed: "You're the first to me every year" before explaining she had "picked" the yellow roses recalling Queen Elizabeth II was fond of them. Anne, with a wickedly cheeky smile, responded: "You didn't pick these yourself, did you? I was going to say, your garden is doing better than mine!" As the fan began fumbling awkwardly over her words, Anne put her at ease by laughing off her own joke and thanking her again. The clip garnered millions of views on social media.
Andrew and Harry Could Learn from Anne
Can you imagine Andrew putting the public at ease in an awkward moment, or after a breach of some royal protocol? No, of course you can't. According to some reports, he went out of his way to make others feel very small indeed, repeatedly stressing how important he is. He can be a shameless snob and a demanding boor. Just ask the civil servants who have had to deal with him on foreign trips to places like the Middle East.
As for Harry, he can be excellent with people sometimes but is he really a man of the people anymore? He certainly used to be. No, let me correct that—he certainly 'gave the impression' he was a man of the people before Megxit. Nowadays he's so obsessed with his own UK security he would never wander through crowds in Britain the way Anne does.
Anne is a national treasure—Harry and Andrew have a lot to learn.
