How Princess Anne carries her own luggage, refuses special privileges and even says no to help when she falls over! Inside the life of Britain's hardest working - and most down to earth - royal

For decades, Princess Anne has been the nation's no-nonsense royal.

The petite 73-year-old often doesn't act as though she is a member of the Royal Family - she competed in the Olympics and still shamelessly wears her favourite Team GB mirrored sunglasses.

The Princess Royal also famously told her would-be kidnapper that it was 'not bloody likely' she would get out of the car, even though he had a pistol.

But Anne's dry wit - which she seemingly inherited from her father Prince Philip - is what makes her one of the nation's favourite royals, as an approval rating of 71 per cent proves. 

She is also the hardest working member of the Royal Family, with recent figures showing how she has carried out a third of all engagements this year.  

Here are the iconic moments that have made Anne the 'normal' princess we know and love. 

Carrying luggage

Anne lands in Sri Lanka and carries her three bags down the stairs to the runway, January 2024

Carrying her own bag, Anne is seen in Montreal ahead of her participation in the Olympic Games, 1976

Anne has been dubbed a 'boss lady' on social media for carrying her own luggage, despite having plenty of opportunities to dump her bags on someone else.

This un-royal preference can be dated back to her attendance at the Olympics Games in Montreal in 1976.

At the age of 25, Anne was the first royal to ever compete in the Olympics as a member of the British Equestrian Team, riding the Queen's horse Goodwill for the occasion.

Anne sits on the Queen's horse Goodwill. She was the first royal ever to compete in the Olympics

Prince Phillip talks to Princess Anne prior to her event at the Olympics, while the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew listen in

Princess Anne seen in January as she holds her own luggage while boarding a commercial flight to Sri Lanka

The Princess Royal was pictured carrying her own luggage as she arrived in Canada in front of her then husband Mark Phillips.

More recently, the King's sister carried her own bags whilst travelling to Sri Lanka in January.

Anne broke royal norms by insisting on travelling by commercial airline and boarding the plane in a relaxed camel-coloured wrap with no make-up on - a sensible choice for a 12-hour flight.

When she arrived in Sri Lanka, the Princess Royal had swapped her comfy outfit for a practical blue shirt and her trademark sporty sunglasses.

Despite the glamorous red carpet that welcomed her, Anne lugged her own three bags down the stairs to the runway.

The 73-year-old didn't even reach for the railing to steady herself going down the stairs. 

Driving

Although Princess Anne could be driven anywhere in a private car, she likes to driver herself around.

When attending the Cheltenham Races in 2008, Anne revealed that in her car door she keeps only the essentials - a bottle of water, a Barbara Dickson CD and her race card.

Princess Anne drives herself away from the Blue Cross's Animal Adoption Centre in Oxfordshire

Princess Anne drives at Sandringham with her father Prince Phillip in the passenger seat, January 2020

In Princess Anne's car door is a water bottle, a Barbara Dickson CD and a race card for the Cheltenham Races, 2008

Anne drives a utility vehicle with her dog in the passenger seat in the grounds of Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, 2004

But the Princess Royal can drive more than just a car. 

When asked by Terry Wogan what she would do if the Royal Family were abolished, the Princess nonchalantly replied that she'd simply have to 'work even harder on the farm.'

She then revealed that 'out of necessity' she qualified as a 'heavy goods vehicle driver.'

Anne's need for speed has seen her rack up numerous fines - she was even banned from driving for a month in 1990.

Sense of humour 

Anne is known to have a laid-back sense of humour. 

While appearing on I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, Anne's son-in-law Mike Tindall confirmed this fact. 

Explaining a rather embarrassing encounter with the Princess, he talked about dancing too vigorously during Zara Tindall's birthday.

Zara Tindall, Mike Tindall and Princess Anne attend a service of thanksgiving service for the life of King Constantine of Greece at St George's Chapel, Windsor, February 2024

Mike Tindall, Princess Anne's son-in-law, appears on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here in 2022

He said: 'Ripped my trousers, straight in front of her. It happened to be that my boxers that I had on at that time said 'nibble my nuts.''

The Princess calmly quipped back: 'I'd rather not.'

Anne also deploys her dry wit around the rest of her family.

The Channel 4 documentary called A Very Royal Christmas: Sandringham Secrets revealed that Anne once gave her brother Charles a white leather toilet seat as a gift.

The hidden message behind the rather potty present? Anne was simply giving her brother, the longest-serving monarch-in-waiting in British history, a chance to ascend to the 'throne'.

In the documentary former royal butler Paul Burrell noted: 'Of course, the royals love lavatorial humour.'

Refusing help 

When Anne slipped and fell during a royal visit in Guernsey in 2007, she brushed off any offer of help, picked herself up and carried on her way.

Anne could even be heard telling off the island's bailiff Geoffrey Rowland for trying to assist. 

Shooing him away, she firmly said: 'Don't do that'.

The Princess slips and falls during a visit to Guernsey

Princess Anne lines up to buy a coffee as she attends the Whatley Manor International Horse Trials at Gatcombe Park in 2011

Princess Anne and her husband buys coffee at a pop-up shop in Gatcombe Park in 2019

While other members of the royal family have their every need catered to, it is clear that Princess Anne is happy to look after herself.

She has been pictured queuing up to buy her own coffee at several different events including the Whatley Manor International Horse Trials in 2011.

Spending time with grandchildren 

Princess Anne is considered one of the hardest working royals - regularly attending hundreds of engagements each year.

But with five grandchildren, Anne regularly takes time to relax with her family.

The Princess has been pictured playing with her grandchildren at various public-facing events, even stopping to kick a ball for Mia Tindall to play with at the Beaufort Polo Club in 2016.

Princess Anne with her granddaughter Mia Tindall at the Whatley Manor International Horse Trials at Gatcombe Park in 2015

Princess Anne kicks a polo ball for her granddaughter Mia Tindall at Beaufort Polo Club in 2016

Mia Tindall gives her grandmother Princess Anne a kiss at Beaufort Polo Club in Tetbury

The Princess Royal and Zara Phillips hold Mia Tindall's hands as she jumps around at Gatcombe Park in 2017

Anne seems to have found true happiness in spending time with the youngsters. 

Although the princess was once known for her furrowed brow and stern expression, Anne now cracks jokes and pulls silly faces in public to entertain the children.

A royal source said: 'Anne is hands-on as a grandmother, and the older they get, the more she will be. Riding lessons, sailing lessons; she'll instruct the girls in these things and more. She admires courage but is absolutely not afraid to discipline the girls with a sharp word.'

It's all very much in keeping with how Peter, 38, and Zara, 34, were raised. 

Anne declined to give them titles or anything resembling a royal life, and made them help with chores from cooking to mucking out horses.

Re-using clothes 

You could perhaps forgive a royal for being glib with their possessions and refusing to wear the same outfit twice.

But eagle-eyed fans have noted that Anne does not think twice about re-using her clothes. 

Anne wearing her blue fur-lined coat while attending the Christmas day church service at the Sandringham Estate in 2008

The Princess royal looked elegant in a turquoise number she first wore in 1978 as she attended Ascot's second day on Wednesday (left, 45 years ago, and right, this week) 

Anne sporting her favourite Team GB Adidas sunglasses during a visit to the Great Yorkshire Show in 2018

The Princess Royal's trademark mirrored glasses are Team GB branded. Above: Anne wearing the shades in 2021

She has owned one blue fur-lined coat for over five decades, wearing it out on Christmas Day in 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2012.

Anne was also spotted re-wearing an elegant turquoise dress to attend the second day of the Royal Ascot in 2023.

She first wore the piece  as she and the late Queen Elizabeth II welcomed Botswana's president Sir Seretse Kham and his wife Lady Khama at Buckingham Palace 45 years ago in 1978.

The Princess Royal wore her old dress to attend the second day of the Royal Ascot.

And Anne has a few pairs of mirrored sunglasses but her pair from Adidas - branded with the Team GB logo - is on regular rotation, showcasing her preference for practicality above all. 

Role in the Queen's funeral

The Princess Royal was hailed by royal insiders as the 'unsung hero' of the late Queen's funeral proceedings. 

Princess Anne was by her mother's side when she died at Balmoral and accompanied her coffin on a six-hour long car ride to Edinburgh.

Anne was the first woman ever to partake in the Vigil of the Princes, standing alongside her brothers as they guarded the Queen's coffin at Westminster Hall. 

The Princess Royal was also hailed by royal insiders as the 'unsung hero' of the late Queen's funeral proceedings. 

Standing alongside her brothers as they guarded the Queen's coffin at Westminster Hall, Anne was the first woman ever to partake in the Vigil of the Princes