Princess Anne 'the best Queen we never had' and 'carrying' Queen Elizabeth’s 'mantle', royal expert claims

Princess Anne has been dubbed the "best Queen we never had" by a former royal butler, who believes she's carrying Queen Elizabeth’s mantle.

She might not be high up in the royal line of succession any longer, but Princess Anne remains one of the most prominent and hard-working members of the Royal Family. Princess Anne was appointed an additional Counsellor of State to King Charles in 2022 and her schedule is regularly packed with engagements. The same was true of her late mother Queen Elizabeth, whose death left both her family and fans grieving and reflecting upon her extraordinary legacy. This month will mark two years since her passing and ahead of this poignant anniversary, former royal butler Paul Burrell has suggested that Princess Anne inherited many of her mother’s admirable personality traits. 

Speaking on behalf of Slingo, he expressed his belief that Queen Elizabeth’s death "affected Anne greatly, being the only daughter" and claimed that "she’s carrying her mother’s mantle in many ways".

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The former royal butler considers these to include being "very stoic, hard working" and "dedicated to the country". Paul went on to dub Princess Anne the "best Queen we never had", thanks to the skills she inherited from both of her parents. However, he reflected that her devotion to her role could be especially strong thanks to something else she and Queen Elizabeth had in common.

The former royal butler said, "Anne is the best Queen we never had, because she is very much like Prince Philip, obviously has his mannerisms and his ways, but has her mother's heart, and that's why she works so hard and doesn't ask for anything in return, because that's her job, and she understands it."

Princess Anne previously got candid about her parents' approach to their roles as Queen and Duke of Edinburgh during an enlightening interview with Vanity Fair.

The senior royal described them both as her "role models" and explained how, like them, she views her job as serving her country.

"It’s not just about, ‘Can I get a tick in the box for doing this?’ No, it’s about serving…. It comes from an example from both my parents’ way of working and where they saw their role being. I mean, my father served. It was a more direct form of service, I suppose you could argue," she said. "And the Queen’s has been a lifelong service in a slightly different way, but they both have that perspective of service which is about working with people." 

Since her mother’s death, the Princess Royal has stepped up to support King Charles and has been unwavering in her dedication. She was at Balmoral with Queen Elizabeth when she passed away on 8th September 2022 and mentioned what a "privilege" this was in a heart-wrenching statement released by the Palace in the days that followed.

"I was fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest Mother’s life. It has been an honour and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys. Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting," she declared.

Paul Burrell believes that the Royal Family will likely mark the second anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's passing privately by going to church.

"They'll go to church, and they'll all think about their mother, their grandmother, their aunt, or their queen. And it didn't just affect the royal family, it affected the country and all the people that worked on the estate who loved her. So it's a very sombre, poignant time and it will be for many years to come," he stated.