Princess Anne has emerged as the Royal Family's most important asset in the wake of former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest, with a royal expert warning she will be essential to the monarchy's survival of the scandal.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams has named the Princess Royal, 75, as the Firm's "trump card" — a figure whose reputation for reliability and duty stands in sharp contrast to the turmoil now engulfing the institution.
Mr Fitzwilliams said: "She relishes a high workload and usually undertakes the most royal engagements of any royal. However, she prefers to avoid the media circus that follows the most high profile royals. She is absolutely pivotal in keeping public support for the monarchy."
Fitzwilliams also suggested Anne could provide her brother King Charles with a vital sounding board as he comes under reported pressure from Prince William over his response to the crisis.
He said: "What Anne can offer King Charles, who reportedly has been under pressure from William over his handling of this crisis, is down to earth advice."
Though the siblings do "not always agree", Fitzwilliams argued the gravity of the situation demands that Charles hear dissenting voices, saying it is "pivotal that Charles listens to views which differ or are opposed to his own."
With pressure mounting on Andrew to remove himself from the line of succession, attention has turned to how a restructured Royal Family might look — and where Anne would sit within it.
She currently stands 18th in line, a position shaped by succession rules that Fitzwilliams noted "unfortunately were not applied retroactively" following changes made in 2013. "If they had been she would have been 5th behind William and his family and the public would undoubtedly welcome that," he said.
Wherever Anne appears, the public response tells its own story. At St James's Palace on February 24 — attending alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester — she drew the most attention of anyone in the room.
Daily Mail royal editor Rebecca English, who attended the event, reported that "there were lots of people fangirling" over the princess, with many guests "craning their necks trying to catch a glimpse of her."
Anne was there in her capacity as Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, arriving in her chancellor's robes before moving through the room to meet guests. Video posted to Instagram prompted an outpouring from royal followers, who described her as a "star", a "treasure" and their "favourite royal." Several acknowledged her composure in the face of the Family's difficulties.
"Business as usual," wrote one fan. "A real trooper, no fuss just gets on with the job."
The day Andrew was arrested on his 66th birthday — detained over an allegation of misconduct in public office — Anne was already working. When her helicopter was grounded and forced the cancellation of her first two West Yorkshire engagements, she simply boarded a train and carried on, visiting HMP Leeds that afternoon in her role as Patron of the Butler Trust, reports the Daily Mail.
Fitzwilliams pointed to this kind of behaviour as the foundation of her public standing, describing an approach to royal life that is deliberately low-key. She "reportedly does her own make up and sometimes drives herself to engagements," he noted, and is "famed for her unstuffy approach and often recycles outfits."
He added that despite the formality of her title, she is "almost invariably referred to as Princess Anne" — a reflection, perhaps, of her decision to raise her children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, without royal titles.
Stadium erupts in cheers for princess
Few moments captured Anne's standing with the public more vividly than a scene at Rome's Stadio Olimpico earlier this month. As Scotland faced Italy in the Six Nations on February 7, the crowd broke into loud cheers — directed squarely at the Princess Royal, who has served as patron of the Scottish Rugby Union for nearly 30 years.
Footage showed her looking briefly confused before registering the reception with a quiet smile. The clip spread rapidly online, with fans responding to what they saw as a thoroughly characteristic moment.
"She didn't realise the cheers were for her till someone told her. Love that smile," wrote one. Others placed her alongside her mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, as the benchmark for royal conduct.
"She looks so much like the Queen at times," one observer wrote. "Hardest working Royal."
