Princess Anne Lives An Insanely Lavish Life
When we think of royalty, we think of opulence. Take Queen Elizabeth II, for example. The late monarch's net worth was estimated to fall somewhere around $500 million when she died. That doesn't account for The Firm's collective wealth, which reportedly lands around $30 billion. Needless to say, the royals have a lot of money and a lot of influence over the British Commonwealth, so it comes as no surprise that their personal lives come with all the bells and whistles you can imagine. How does this wealth and opulence, then, extend to members of the royal family who aren't directly in line to the throne? For Princess Anne, the queen's only daughter, her life definitely airs on the cushier side.
Anne might be 17th in line for the British throne, but that doesn't mean she's not on the royal scene. Anne is arguably one of the most dedicated royals, as she is an incredibly hard worker who makes her charitable work the centerpiece of her public life — but she still benefits massively from the opulent nature of the royal way of doing things. These are the ways in which Princess Anne's life has been incredibly lavish.
Princess Anne is known for her two lavish engagement rings
While Princess Diana Spencer's sapphire engagement ring might be one of the most well-known pieces of royal jewelry, Princess Anne's own collection of dedicated rings goes to show just how lavish her life has been. Anne not only has one gorgeous engagement ring, but two. And both feature center stones that are to die for. As noted by Hello!, Anne's first engagement ring — given to her by her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips — consists of a stunning center gemstone in a blue-ish hue and flagged with a diamond on either side. The ring alone is worth over $13,500, according to Max Stone, an engagement ring specialist who spoke to Hello! about the jewels.
If one engagement ring wasn't enough, Anne's second ring — given to her by her second and current husband, Sir Timothy Laurence — is also stunning and oddly similar to her first. The ring is composed of a sapphire and a "trio of sparkling gems," pointing to the lavishness of her life (and her access to gorgeous jewelry). Stone estimated that Anne's second engagement ring is worth almost $34,000, so, if that doesn't scream lavish, we don't know what does.
The Princess Royal has been criticized for flying in private jets
If you're a bit of a royal fanatic, then you know that two direct heirs to the British throne — think Prince Charles and Prince William — technically aren't allowed to travel together. While the rule is in place for rather macabre purposes, it does bring attention to the ways in which royals travel. Princess Anne, for example, has been known to travel privately, which has landed her in hot water. As noted by Express, Anne has flown on private jets throughout Europe, and, on one particular occasion, her decision to charter a private plane made her the target of some less-than-pleased constituents.
In October 2020, Anne used over $22,000 of taxpayer money to fly in a private jet from England to Italy to catch a rugby game between Italy and Scotland's teams. Given that you can snag a plane ticket from one country to the other for about $135, the lavish decision cost Anne some popularity points — and even made her a topic of conversation on the "Pod Save the Queen" podcast with Daily Mirror Royal Editor Russell Myers. Word to the wise: fly commercial.
She attended an exclusive boarding school
Education is one of the biggest indicators of wealth and status, and, for Princess Anne, her days in academia screamed lavish. Anne was the first child within the royal family to not be educated exclusively at Buckingham Palace, and, in 1963, she was sent to the Benenden School, an all-girls boarding school. And, while some of us may have the impression that boarding school is basically like a fancy prison sentence with uniforms and a plethora of rules, Anne has remained clear that her days in boarding school were some of the most formative in her life.
Anne conducted a rather rare sit-down interview with Vanity Fair to mark her 70th birthday. During the conversation, she shared her perspective on boarding school and the benefits Benenden brought to her life — she's even the president of the school's society. "I was ready to go to school," she said. "I think boarding school has been demonized by some when in fact it's a very important aspect to have available and many children actually thrive in it."
The royal lives a private life at her lavish estate
If you think that Buckingham Palace is the only royal residence, think again. The British royal family has a number of estates to call home. Princess Anne, in particular, resides in two locations: St. James Palace in London and her lavish countryside home on the Gatcombe Park Estate. As noted by Architectural Digest, Queen Elizabeth purchased the home in Gloucestershire for Anne in 1976, and, in the decades since, the estate has served as Anne's primary residence. Of course, her St. James Palace residence is incredibly helpful when the royal is in London, making her commute after appearances and charitable events a bit easier.
The COVID-19 pandemic allowed fans of the royal to get a bit of an inside look into her estate, and, as described by Architectural Digest, Anne's home is an interesting mix of opulence and homey textures. Her living room, for example, has the usual fixtures like many homes — a television, a bed for her dog, framed photographs, and books. Of course, Anne's home isn't like everyone else's in that it not only serves as her residence, but it's also the site of the Festival of British Eventing, an annual equestrian event.
The princess shops at stylish local boutiques
It's fair to say that royals and fashion go hand in hand. Many royal family members are known for their opulent wedding looks, their statement handbags, and their dazzling formal ensembles. Princess Anne is not only known for her couture — she is also a dedicated shopper who has made a habit of supporting local businesses while searching for her favorite designer pieces. As noted by Hello!, Anne has made it a point to give independent shops her patronage and has been known to frequent the boutique stores in the village of Horsley, located close to her home on the Gatcombe Park Estate.
Hello! got to chat with Sophie Martin, the manager of the boutique Shibumi, who shared what Anne is like as a customer. "She chose to shop with us which is really lovely," Martin said. "We're local to her, about 15 minutes or so away. She bought most of [her] outfits at the end of 2019, with a view to wear them in 2020 ... and she's chosen to wear them now." We love a lady who knows how to shop — and the fact she supports local businesses is even better.
She's no stranger to wearing a stunning tiara or two
There's jewelry, and then there's jewelry – for Princess Anne, her life has been adorned with some of the most lavish tiaras in British royal history, and they point to just how different her life has been from us non-royals (unless you're royalty, which would be a bit surprising). As noted by The Court Jeweller, Anne has been known to wear a number of different tiaras, but two that are especially lavish are the Cartier Halo Tiara and Princess Andrew's Meander Bandeau.
Let's start with the tiara from Cartier. The famed jeweler designed the tiara for the Queen Mother, and Anne wore it for the first time when Queen Elizabeth gave it to her on loan. It was a favorite of the princess as a teenager. Princess Andrew's Meander Bandeau, another favorite of Anne's, was originally owned by Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark. It was gifted to Elizabeth for her wedding and passed down to Anne in the 1960s. The headpiece has remained a staple in Anne's collection; the tiara certainly stands the test of time.
Princess Anne requires her food to be served in a specific fashion
Food allergies or intolerances can make life difficult at times; when you have to be gluten-free or can't stomach dairy like you once could, you have to be extra careful about what you eat. For Princess Anne, she, too, has food specifications, but they point to her lavish lifestyle rather than an allergy or intolerance. Anne reportedly requires her staff members to serve her a specific kind of breakfast. Along with her bowl of fruit each morning, Anne requires a banana that is so ripe it's almost black, and, no, we're not kidding.
While many of us reserve blackened bananas for banana bread and other baking habits, Anne requires her staff to designate the overripe fruit for her morning meal. Why? We'll let former royal chef Darren McGrady answer that. "She almost always preferred the bananas almost black – overripe – because they digested easier," McGrady dished to Today. So, there you have it — if you want to eat like a royal, opt for fruit that is almost inedible. We don't make the rules.
Her lifestyle has enabled her to become a style icon
As aforementioned, Princess Anne has a thing for shopping (and shopping locally, at that), but it's thanks to her lavish lifestyle that she transformed into a style icon. Anne has been known for her head-turning ensembles, and, as she emerged on the scene in the 1970s, she really knew how to dress and grab the attention of the public through her outfits. As noted by Vogue, Anne embraced 1970s fashion with unapologetic fervor, with her hemlines and silhouettes transforming the young princess from an up-and-coming royal to a bonafide star.
Looks such as her 1968 double-breasted yellow dress-and-coat ensemble, or her turquoise dress that turned heads in 1969, solidified her as a royal with a knack for high fashion. As she grew up in the public eye and found a style that worked for her, Anne became known for her equestrian-inspired looks and, of course, her sporty sunglasses seen on her person on a regular basis. While her bold looks of the 1970s and 1980s may have calmed down with time, it's safe to say that Anne's access to designers and couture certainly helped her transform into a style icon for the ages.
She wore two different dresses for her engagement portrait
Weddings can often feel like events of a lifetime, but royal weddings are in a league of their own. From the historic venues to the pomp and circumstance to the gorgeous gowns, royal weddings certainly mark significant moments of a royal's personal and public life, and Princess Anne's first wedding to Captain Mark Phillips — even though the marriage didn't last — still stands the test of time.
Months before the wedding, Anne wore not one but two dresses for her engagement shoot alone. As noted by Hello!, Anne wore a gown from designer Zandra Rhodes that was said to be so see-through that she had to wear a second dress underneath. We wouldn't want her engagement shoot to encroach into the scandalous.
Anne's dress on the day of her wedding still stands out as one of the most gorgeous royal wedding dresses ever — and it looks just as current and stunning today as it did in 1973. Designed by Maureen Baker, Anne's wedding dress featured a high neckline and gorgeous sleeve detailing. Of course, she wore a diamond tiara as well.
The royal's 1973 wedding was as lavish as it gets
Now let's discuss the lavish event that was Princess Anne's wedding. As Queen Elizabeth's only daughter and the first of her children to get married, Anne's wedding was an amazing affair that was quite opulent. A cool 2,000 people packed into Westminster Abbey to watch Anne and Captain Mark Phillips tie the knot, and thousands of spectators filled the streets to get a glimpse of the bride. It's estimated that 500 million people watched on television as Anne became the first young royal of her generation to get married, and if that doesn't show just how lavish her life has been, we really don't know what to tell you.
Along with her aforementioned gown, Anne wore the Queen Mary's Fringe and a veil that featured intricate floral embroidery. Her wedding ring was made from the royal family's historic Welsh gold, which is often used to make the royal wedding bands. All in all, it was an event that certainly stood out to the public and, undoubtedly, to Anne herself. While the marriage didn't last, the impact of the day certainly did.
Princess Anne competed in equestrian events at a young age
Does anything say lavish more than equestrianism? We don't really think so, and it should not come as a surprise that one of Princess Anne's most beloved hobbies is horseback riding — and not just casual pony trots around her property, either, but bad-to-the-bone equestrianism that took her all the way to the Olympics. She began riding at an early age, and when she was just 11 years old, she was already competing in equestrian events. In 1971, Anne went as far as winning the European Eventing Championships and became the first member of the royal family to bring home a European gold medal. If that wasn't enough, Anne was named the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year.
Anne's proven abilities as an equestrian took her all the way to the Olympics, but, due to a couple of competition setbacks, her hopes of taking home a medal were dashed. But fear not — the princess' skills were later rewarded with both individual and team silver medals at the 1975 Championships.
Despite her lavish life, the princess doesn't indulge in lunch
Life as a royal seems quite unique, and when we think about what we would do if ever given the chance to step into Princess Anne's shoes for a day, one of our first thoughts is taking advantage of the royal chefs. If adulthood has taught us anything, it's that cooking every single meal gets tedious, so why wouldn't we jump at the opportunity to have anything we wanted cooked at our demand? But, despite the presence of royal chefs, Anne doesn't indulge in one seemingly lavish practice: lunch. As she told Vanity Fair, Anne often skips the meal or has a "quick luncheon" if it's an aspect of an event. "I think during the day, eating's not really an issue," she said. If only we had the same perspective.
We're not entirely sure how Anne has the stamina to accomplish everything she does, but, clearly, she makes it work because she was named the hardest-working royal in 2021. As noted by the Daily Mail, Anne narrowly beat her brother and heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, with the number of official engagements she held. In 2021 alone, Anne attended 387 engagements, whereas Charles attended 385.
The Princess Royal's home office is reportedly ornate and indulgent
Few of us would have predicted that working from home would become the norm, but here we are years into the COVID-19 pandemic, and working from home definitely seems to be the foreseeable future. And it wasn't just those of us who work in the common sphere who were impacted — Princess Anne has largely worked from home, too, and due to video calls and Zoom appearances, we got to see a glimpse of her home office. While we mentioned earlier that her home at the Gatcombe Park Estate is rather opulent, her office serves as yet another reminder that the life of a royal has its perks.
As noted by the Daily Mail, Anne's office has a variety of decorative items that scream lavish. Her glass cabinet housing animal and bird statues, for instance, was caught on screen as well as a number of impressive paintings. Like many of ours, Anne's office also features framed photos of her family members — pictures from her daughter's wedding, for instance — as well as a formal portrait of her family. As the outlet pointed out, if there was one piece that really stole the show, one could argue it was the large gold mirror hanging up just behind her head.
Princess Anne has several luxurious modes of transportation
Private jets aren't Princess Anne's only luxurious mode of transportation, since the royal does have a few fancy cars. Princess Anne was known to drive Middlebridge Scimitars for instance, ever since she got her first one from her parents for her 20th birthday. She apparently liked the British classic car so much that she bought seven more ,and was pulled over by police twice in two days for speeding in one of them in the late 1980's.
You could say that Princess Anne has a need for speed because she was stopped again by police in 2001, after they clocked her driving 20 miles per hour over the speed limit. That time, however, she was driving an expensive Bentley and didn't pull over right away. Per ABC News, the clerk of the court explained, "She saw the police car and believed it was waiting to escort her on her journey."
Yet Anne doesn't always drive herself, considering that she sometimes has a chauffeur. Most notably, she was riding in a super glamorous Rolls Royce when a gunman famously attempted to kidnap her in 1974. Luckily, she was unharmed. As a royal, Anne also sometimes rides in a horse and carriage at certain events. That doesn't mean she's above taking the Tube either though. A worker who once spotted her on the subway told Daily Mail, "She came through with another older woman and her security ... Hardly anybody seemed to notice them."
Princess Anne has taken glamorous vacations
Like most royals, Princess Anne has been able to take some pretty glamorous vacations when she has time off from her official duties. For example, the mother-of-two seems to have enjoyed spending some of her New Year's holidays skiing in exotic locations. One of those is reportedly in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, where she was photographed enjoying time with her father, the late Prince Philip, and her brother, King Charles III, in 1965. Another is Morzine, France, where she was seen hitting the slopes with her daughter, Zara Philips, in 1989.
Anne isn't just into cold weather destinations, considering that more recently, she's vacationed on the Caribbean island of Grenada as well. In 2018, Architectural Digest reported that she had stayed at the lavish Spice Island Beach Resort, which features large rooms with private pools and stunning ocean views. It's safe to say though that Scotland is one Princess Anne's favorite places to take trips, despite her usually going there for royal events. According to Scotland Mag, she even once said, "Scotland is such a beautiful country with such passionate people, who could fail to want to be a part of it?"
While Anne definitely has the means to take fabulous vacations, it doesn't appear that she takes that much time off from work to do so. In 2023, for instance, she worked 457 events. Royal biographer Dickie Arbiter explained to The Telegraph, "She just gets on with it, often carrying out multiple engagements in one day."
Princess Anne has thrown opulent birthday parties and royal events
Princess Anne has been known to throw some grand parties, especially when she's celebrating a big birthday. One of those regal gatherings was in 2000, when the royal rang in her 50th birthday with a ball of 500 guests at Windsor Castle. Ten years later, she had something similar for her 60th birthday, with 500 people being invited to another soiree. However, that time, her mother, Queen Elizabeth II, threw her a garden party at Buckingham Palace.
Yet Anne, apparently prefers a birthday trip over a huge party and did just that for her 60th as well, by taking her family on a cruise. A source claimed to Daily Mail, "If it were up to Anne, she wouldn't have so much as a cake, never mind candles." While her 70th birthday bash was canceled due to COVID-19, she still found a way to celebrate: The princess went sailing with her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, instead. As Laurence dished in an ITV doc (via Daily Mail), "Our ideal break ... is to go up to our boat on the west coast of Scotland and spend a few days sometimes getting wet and cold."
Anne has also hosted some impressive royal functions. Her most notable event is The Festival of British Eventing, which is a three-day fair that she holds once a year at her massive Gatcombe Park home. While it's more of a horse competition than a party weekend, it does include a lush shopping village.
Princess Anne collects expensive things
Diamonds aren't just a girl's best friend, they're also something Princess Anne seemingly collects, along with sapphires, pearls and other jewels. The royal is said to have an expensive and ornate jewelry collection that goes beyond the aforementioned tiaras. In fact, as of 2022, Anne reportedly has $7 million worth of jewelry. The assortment of jewels and baubles includes Empress Marie Feodorovna's sapphire brooch, as well as Queen Elizabeth II's three-strand pearl necklace. The $1 million necklace, which was originally a gift from King George VI, was passed down to Anne after the queen's death.
However, it appears that Princess Anne has her own favorite piece of jewelry. "There is one dramatic, classic and opulent diamond necklace that Princess Anne clearly adores because she has been photographed wearing it, again and again ... the Festoon necklace," diamond expert Charlotte White told Express. Perhaps that's because the necklace was gifted to her by her parents for her 18th birthday. It's also just gorgeous, with White adding, "The necklace is ... a flowing design of ribbons, bows and pendant drops."
Anne isn't only into collecting jewels though, because from the looks of the inside of her home, Gatcombe Park, she also possesses an assortment of potentially costly art. She has a variety of landscape paintings on display around her living room, in addition to multiple animal figurines that she keeps safe in a glass case.
Princess Anne can afford to have a lot of animals
With a collection of jewels and art, it's obvious that Princess Anne is into the finer things. However, she's also always been interested in animals, so she spends her riches on keeping them too. The royal has a large farm at her Gatcombe Park home, where she takes care of over 200 animals. According to the royal family's website, Anne's menagerie includes Highland cows, white park cows, and Wiltshire horn ewes. She also has two Gloucester old spot sows, which are an English breed of pigs, that she was photographed petting in 2020.
Of course, Anne is known for her love of horses especially, ever since she was young. While we previously mentioned that she is an established equestrian, it's worth noting that she's had the means to have her own horses for a long time. "Horses were always there," she told Horse and Hound in 2019. "I started on ponies before I had a conscious memory. I've had more experience with horses than anything else."
Like many members of the royal family, Anne also has dogs. Yet, unlike her late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who adored Corgis, Anne is particularly fond of English Bull Terriers. Some of her English Bull Terriers have landed her in hot water, however, as they've attacked other dogs and people. Anne presumably has been able to afford any of the fines she's faced for her dogs' behavior over the years.
Princess Anne lives lavishly but makes it a point to give back
Princess Anne may live a sumptuous life, but she does apparently make it a point to give back.In 2020, the Daily Mail revealed that she was the most charitable royal, since she was involved with 73 charities that year alone. It seems that one of the charities that's most dear to Anne's heart is the national Riding for the Disabled Association, which she has served as a patron of since she was 19 years old. "The observation that being on the back of an animal ... can make a huge difference to mental and maybe physical wellbeing is as true today as it was then," she told Horse and Hound, on the charity's 50th anniversary.
Also at just age 19, Anne became the president of Save the Children UK, which she still serves to this day. She even credits them for teaching her how to become a good patron to all the charities she works with. "If you've got children involved, it's about health, it's education," she once said (via Express).
In 1970, Anne did her first solo trip with Save the Children when she went on a tour of Africa. While she was praised for being great with the children, she admitted that it took her a decade to feel fully confident in her role. She explained to Vanity Fair, "You needed to understand how it works on the ground and that needed a very wide coverage."
Princess Anne enjoys the perks of being royal but dislikes the fame
Princess Anne has clearly enjoyed the perks of being a royal. But while she may indulge in the riches that come with being part of the monarchy, it seems that she's not a huge fan of the fame. Anne has always kept her life as private as she can, so it's no surprise that she wasn't happy to be in the 1969 "Royal Family" documentary, which showed the family behind closed doors. "The attention that had been brought on one, ever since one was a child, you just didn't want any more," she explained (via HuffPost).
Anne has also admitted that she despised doing "walkabouts" since she was a teenager, and as an adult, refuses to take selfies with fans. She even said in the 2018 documentary "Queen of the World" that if someone approaches her with a phone, she asks them to put it down. "People don't believe they've experienced the event unless they've taken a photograph," she said (via E! News).
Anne does use her fame for good though, by bringing attention to her charities and the good works that the monarchy does. Royal aficionado Nick Bullen summed it up well to Fox News: "She's never been caught in the middle of fame. She's never cared for celebrity. And I believe that's what people admire the most about her." So while Anne may live the good life, she's done a lot of good in her life too.