There’s a royal privilege that Princess Anne was denied that all her brothers had - and it’s never happened since!
- The Princess Royal was the only one of Queen Elizabeth’s children not to be born in a particularly significant place.
- Since Prince Edward was born, no other members of the immediate Royal Family have been welcomed at this location.
- This royal news comes as we revealed Queen Elizabeth’s washing up habit that has blown our minds and she didn’t want a former Prime Minister changing it!
Over the years Princess Anne has consistently been found to be one of the most hard-working members of the Royal Family. Earlier this year Princess Anne’s coronation portrait position showed King Charles’ immense respect for her and she took a key role as Gold-Stick-In-Waiting on the day. She was also appointed as one of His Majesty’s Counsellors of State despite being 17th in the royal line of succession. Despite her importance to the monarchy there’s a royal privilege Princess Anne was denied that all her brothers had. And it’s one that no other descendants of Queen Elizabeth have had for decades!
Princess Anne was born in 1950 at Clarence House where King Charles and Queen Camilla currently live. Whilst this might sound like a pretty impressive - not to mention unusual - place to be welcomed into the world, it’s not quite as magnificent as where King Charles, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward were all born.
All three of Queen Elizabeth’s sons were born at Buckingham Palace which has traditionally been the monarch’s official London residence. The royal residence is one of the most iconic of all the Royal Family’s homes and some might well be intrigued about why it was only Princess Anne who was denied the privilege of being born there.
It turns out that this choice was down to nothing more than practicality and according to Hello!, Princess Anne was born at Clarence House because Buckingham Palace was being renovated.
During the Second World War the palace sustained damage and in 1950 Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth were living at Clarence House as they waited for the renovations to be complete.
Since Princess Anne’s youngest brother Prince Edward was born in 1964, none of the Queen’s grandchildren or great-grandchildren have been born at Buckingham Palace. Instead, perhaps in a reflection of the modernisation of the monarchy, royals have chosen to give birth in hospitals.
The Portland Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital in London have remained favourites across the generations. The newest royal arrival, Princess Eugenie’s second baby Ernest, was born in May at Portland Hospital like his mum and brother August.
Princess Anne’s children Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall were born at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital. Like their mum they missed out on being welcomed into the world at Buckingham Palace, but they also didn’t receive titles as Princess Anne turned down Queen Elizabeth’s offer of them.
Princess Anne’s very forward-thinking reason was revealed by the senior royal on the 2020 documentary, Anne: The Princess Royal at 70.
“As a member of the Royal Family living with that sort of pressure is hard,” Princess Anne declared. “And the expectations that come with it is hard and that might have been at the bottom of the list, that it may be less difficult for you. But, actually, understanding where they sit within the family and what happens next, it made much more sense.”
