A royal biographer, who has encountered Queen Elizabeth II more than 40 times throughout the years, reckons there is one member of the Royal Family whose remarks should always be regarded seriously. Following close observation of the monarchy, Hugo Vickers maintains that Princess Anne distinguishes herself through her direct manner and pragmatic perspective.
Contemplating the late Queen’s children and their formative years, the historian indicated there were distinct differences in how the elder and younger siblings experienced life within the Royal Family. During an appearance on the Daily Mail’s Palace Authorised show, he was questioned whether King Charles III and Princess Anne had been raised differently compared with their younger brothers Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. “I think that yes,” he said.
“Charles and Anne were the first two, and we know that Prince Charles, as he then was, complained a lot about his upbringing, as he discussed with Jonathan Dimbleby. Although, interestingly, he also said how much he liked being at home as opposed to being at school, so he didn’t hate the whole experience.”
Despite certain criticism of his formative years, Mr Vickers maintains the future monarch still shared affectionate moments with his parents.
“But actually, I’ve seen a fantastic cine film which has never been shown, of him in a little boat at Loch Muick in Scotland, with Prince Philip stepping in in his waders, and Prince Charles hopping onto his back as they go to the shore. So it wasn’t all bad.”
Charles also forged particularly strong bonds with other individuals during his formative years. The royal expert detailed that because the Queen and Philip were regularly absent on royal engagements — including extended Commonwealth tours and time living in Malta — the young prince frequently spent time with other relatives.
He remarked: “He definitely bonded closely elsewhere, though. They were away a lot — on Commonwealth tours and in Malta — so he was left with his grandparents. He formed a very strong bond with the Queen Mother and absolutely adored her. That was a wonderful relationship that lasted right up until she died.”
The prince also sought counsel from his great-uncle. He stated: “Another person he received a lot of advice from — not always good — was Lord Louis Mountbatten. Sometimes it was sound, robust advice, but sometimes it was rather off-the-wall.”
He mentioned that Charles maintained affection for his former nanny, Mabel Anderson, observing: “He went to see her on her 100th birthday, and he remained very close to her.”
However, regarding royal guidance, Vickers considers the Princess Royal to be unparalleled. He informed host Jo Elvin: “Princess Anne, on the other hand — you should always listen to everything Princess Anne says. She speaks with complete common sense at all times.”
He referenced a comment Anne previously made about her mother: “She was my Queen and she was my mother.” “No problem,” Vickers remarked.