Members of the Royal Family don’t always get to show off their lighter sides, but former Highgrove House butler Grant Harrold said that there’s a surprising royal who is actually quite “laid back.”
Princess Anne might be perceived as all business, but Harrold, speaking on behalf of OLBG, says that the “workaholic” sister of King Charles is actually one of the most relaxed Windsors. Discussing her weekend appearance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, The King’s former butler says it’s “nice to see her more laid back.”
“We usually see her dressed to impress and in work mode, but she has really stripped it back,” Harrold says of her casual appearance. “I think she is starting to lean into the new era of the Royal Family and the modern way they are doing things.”
Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
The Princess Royal continually ranks as one of the hardest working royals in the family, racking up hundreds of royal engagements each year. “But while she is often in work mode, she is also one of the most laid-back members of the Royal Family, but don’t let that catch you off guard,” Harrold notes. “She is very much like her father—she will catch you out.”
Princess Anne and her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, join Hugh Graham, Commonwealth Sport Vice President, at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Princess Anne attends King George Day at Ascot Racecourse on July 25.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Like the late Prince Philip, Princess Anne is known to be extremely direct, but she’s also fuss-free and unfailingly dedicated to her charities. “She is absolutely lovely, but you don’t want to get on the wrong side of her,” Harrold shares. As for her impressive number of royal commitments each year, Harrold says he doesn’t “really see any sign of Princess Anne slowing down her royal duties.”
You may like
“She is a workaholic. If you look over the past couple of years, she hasn’t stopped.” As the Princess Royal continues to “step up” for The King, the former butler to King Charles says that Anne “has always been very detail-oriented, like her mother, Queen Elizabeth.”
“I truly think she will continue working like her mother up until a very old age,” he adds.
