The Princess Royal has met thousands of royal fans through her years of royal engagements, but there is one part of the job she doesn’t understand
Princess Anne has long been known as the hardest working member of the Royal Family, undertaking the most royal engagements each year. But there is one part of the job the Princess Royal does not understand.
In a documentary about the behind the scenes of day-to-day royal life, Anne reflected on all the work that goes into a royal engagement, including a walkabout custom that has changed in recent years that she never quite grasped.
In the ITV documentary, titled Queen of the World, Anne said shaking hands with well-wishers is a new tradition and that in years gone by, royals ‘never shook hands’.
While members of the Royal Family did not used to shake hands with members of the public during a walkabout, the new generation of royals – including the Prince and Princess of Wales – are often seen shaking hands with fans.
Anne said in the documentary: “The theory was that you couldn’t shake hands with everybody, so don’t start. So I kind of stick with that, but I noticed others don’t.”
The princess said she doesn’t think the practice is practical, adding: “I think the initial concept was that it was patently absurd to start shaking hands. And it seems to me that it’s become a shaking hands exercise rather than a walkabout, if you see what I mean—so that has changed.”
Shaking hands is not the only new custom Anne doesn’t understand, as she also does not prioritise taking selfies with those who turn up at royal engagements.
The King’s sister said: “I’m glad I’m not starting now, because at least you [previously] had people to talk to — now you don’t, really. Phones are bad enough, but the iPads—you can’t even see their heads! You don’t know who you’re talking to.” She added: “I either don’t bother, or I say, ‘Look, if you want to meet us, I suggest you put that down.’”
“It is weird, as people don’t believe that they’ve experienced the event unless they’ve taken photographs,” she explained. “And usually you’re standing immediately in front of them.”
In 2025 alone, Anne amassed 478 royal engagements. According to Hello! magazine’s royal editor Emily Nash, Anne is “unstuffy”, as she added: “It’s rare to cover one of the Princess Royal’s engagements in person. She famously abhors fuss of any kind and prefers to go about her business without a press pack following her every move.”
The Princess Royal turned 76 years old in August, and when about scaling back her work, she said: “I don’t think there’s a retirement program for this particular life. It really isn’t written in, no. It isn’t really an option, no, I don’t think so.”
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