Princess Anne Criticizes Younger Royals For ‘Trying To Reinvent The Wheel’
Princess Anne, the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, granted a rare interview to Vanity Fair in which she shared her insights into her life as a royal. The discussion — which was conducted in honor of the princess’s upcoming 70th birthday — also touched on her thoughts regarding the younger British royals — and her assessment was not particularly flattering.
Admitting that she herself is a “boring old fuddy-duddy,” she claimed she believed the younger royals were too eager to “forget the basics” and instead look to new methods of philanthropy — potentially prioritizing the façade of modernity over effectiveness in the process.
“I don’t think this younger generation probably understands what I was doing in the past… You don’t necessarily look at the previous generation and say, ‘Oh, you did that?’ Or, ‘You went there?'” the princess explained, while referencing the progress seen during her decades-long involvement with Save the Children.
“Nowadays, they’re much more looking for, ‘Oh let’s do it 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,'” she added.
Though Anne’s statement addressed the younger royals as a whole, many royal watchers believe her comment was particularly pointed towards her nephew, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from the monarchy on March 31, moving to Meghan’s hometown of Los Angeles in the hopes of becoming financially independent and setting up their own foundation, recently revealed to be named Archewell after their son.
As was previously reported by The Inquisitr, Harry and Meghan reportedly decided to quit royal duties in part after butting heads with the traditional rules that governed royal behavior, such as steering clear of political issues and social matters. For example, the former Suits actress sparked a minor controversy during a state-sponsored visit to Ireland after stating she approved of the government’s decision to legalize abortion.
Anne also discussed the example set forward by her parents, specifically referencing their sense of duty and work ethic.
“It’s not just about, Can I get a tick in the box for doing this? No, it’s about serving,” she continued.
The Princess Royal has made a name for herself due to her consistently high number of engagements. In fact, there have been many years where she has worked the most out of the entire royal family, with a total of 506 events in 2019.
