Princess Anne marks her 76th birthday today, but the Princess Royal will not be expecting balloons, cake or fanfare from the Royal Family — and it is believed that is entirely by her own choice. Following a self-imposed rule, her 76th is expected to be a low-key affair, with no-frills from the Firm, as she reserves grand celebrations solely for milestone birthdays.
A no-frills approach to birthdays
Anne will forgo a lavish party, spending quality time with her family instead. In past years, she has used her birthday to honour charities and organisations she has supported for decades. True to her understated nature, she has opted against a large family gathering, as royal expert Roya Nikkhah revealed her birthday rule on the Royals with Roya and Kate podcast.
Last year, ahead of Anne's 75th birthday, Roya claimed the Princess Royal adopts a 'no-frills' approach, meaning she only marks truly significant milestones. 'Anne's policy is: "I will do things for my birthdays that have a zero, but I won't do things for my birthdays that have a five,"' Roya said, explaining how Anne had reportedly cancelled meetings in the lead-up to the big day last year, keen to sidestep discussions about how she might celebrate her 75th.
Past celebrations and future plans
Anne was forced to abandon her last major birthday celebration in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic put paid to her 70th birthday plans. The Daily Mail reported that Anne had been due to mark her 70th with a celebration hosted by her mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, at Buckingham Palace. Instead, she commemorated the occasion with a sailing trip along the west coast of Scotland alongside her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.
The late Queen also arranged a private, socially-distanced lunch with her daughter at Frogmore House — a vacant private royal residence on her Berkshire estate. No other members of the Royal Family attended, with only a handful of staff, who formed part of the Queen's castle 'bubble' at the time, present.
Anne's next landmark birthday will be her 80th in 2030. According to Roya, Anne plans to begin 'winding down' her royal duties following that milestone. The royal insider said: 'I was told that she's told her team: "I'm going to start winding down a little bit at 80, in five years' time, and then I want to step back completely at 90."' The expert further suggested Anne will likely follow the example set by her late father, Prince Philip, who retired from official royal engagements at the age of 96.
