Princess Anne’s softer side: the family moments, warm embraces and unexpected humour that reveal a different side of the Princess Royal

Princess Anne is known for being direct, disciplined and famously unflappable. Yet behind that formidable public image are years of moments that show a much warmer side of the Princess Royal, from supporting her son-in-law Mike Tindall’s father to doting on her grandchildren and sharing rare public displays of affection with her daughter Zara.

That softer image has come into sharper focus following claims made by Earl Spencer in his new memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. The book, released ahead of the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death next year, focuses heavily on King Charles, but also includes an unflattering recollection involving Princess Anne.

Earl Spencer says he was left feeling “small” after a formal dinner at Buckingham Palace two days before Diana’s wedding to Charles. According to his account, he asked about the christening of Anne’s daughter Zara in 1981, only for the Princess Royal to respond dismissively.

Royal biographer Robert Hardman noted that Earl Spencer has a tendency to “lob a casual potshot into a story”, suggesting that recollections of Anne’s personality can vary considerably.

Whatever the interpretation of that particular encounter, there is a substantial public record of moments in which Anne has shown affection, compassion and a playful sense of humour.

A quiet gesture at Zara’s wedding

One of the clearest examples came at Zara Tindall’s wedding to former England rugby star Mike Tindall in 2011.

Mike’s father, Phil Tindall, had been living with Parkinson’s disease for more than 20 years. Mike has described the illness as “brutal”, and his father was struggling with his health at the time of the wedding.

A photograph from the day captured Princess Anne helping Phil, then 65, through the venue. Wearing a pleated skirt and embroidered jacket, Anne stayed close to him and offered support as he made his way through the ceremony.

Mike later recalled that his father was “really struggling” at the wedding and underwent an operation on his spine shortly afterwards.

Phil Tindall died aged 80, and Anne will likely have been an important source of support for Mike and the wider family following his loss.

The moment offers a very different picture from the stern public image that has long surrounded the Princess Royal. Rather than making a show of her emotions, Anne’s support was expressed through a simple, practical gesture.

Anne’s growing family at Gatcombe Park

Family life has also given Anne plenty of opportunities to show her affectionate side.

Earlier this year, Princess Anne was reported to have welcomed her newest step-granddaughter, 13-year-old Georgina, “with open arms” following the marriage of Anne’s son Peter Phillips to NHS nurse Harriet Sperling.

A source described Anne as an “amazing mother and grandmother”, saying she has embraced Georgina’s arrival and has a natural ability to make people feel comfortable.

Georgina is the stepsister of Peter’s daughters Savannah, 15, and Isla, 14. She has therefore joined an already close-knit group of grandchildren who form an important part of Anne’s family life.

Peter and Zara both live close to their mother at Gatcombe Park, her 700-acre Gloucestershire estate. That proximity means Anne can spend time with her grandchildren regularly, despite the demands of her busy royal schedule.

Royal author Robert Hardman has previously described Anne’s relationship with the younger generation of her family as remarkably normal.

There is little ceremony when they are together, he has said, and Anne is very much a hands-on grandmother. He also described her as someone who “dotes” on her grandchildren, adding that, like many grandparents, she allows them to get away with things.

The grandmother seen away from royal ceremony

Images from equestrian events have often provided a glimpse of Anne away from the formality of royal engagements.

Her grandchildren have frequently been seen around Gatcombe Park, where the family shares a deep connection with horse sport. Anne can appear markedly more relaxed in those surroundings, often dressed in practical country clothing rather than formal royal attire.

Ailsa Anderson, a former aide to Queen Elizabeth II, has previously spoken about Anne’s relationship with her grandchildren, describing how she enjoys spending time with them at horse trials and showing them things.

The contrast is striking. The Princess Royal, who is rarely associated with overt displays of emotion, can be seen looking relaxed and affectionate when she is with the younger members of her family.

That side of Anne has also been visible in her relationship with her own children.

The hug that changed how many saw Anne

Perhaps the most memorable example came after Zara’s triumph at the European Eventing Championship at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire in 2005.

Zara, then known as Zara Phillips, had just secured individual and team gold riding Toytown. The FEI records confirm that she became European Eventing Champion at Blenheim, following in the sporting footsteps of her mother, who had won European eventing gold in 1971.

After Zara completed her winning round, Anne rushed forward and embraced her daughter.

It was an unusually emotional public display from the Princess Royal. Anne, then 55, was generally regarded as reserved, yet the significance of Zara’s achievement appeared to overwhelm that restraint.

Zara later described the victory as a “fairytale”, and the image of her mother hugging her became one of the more revealing moments in their relationship.

Anne had herself won gold at the European Eventing Championships in 1971, making Zara’s achievement particularly meaningful within the family.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams argued that the image challenged the way Anne had traditionally been perceived.

He recalled that the Princess Royal had once been viewed as severe and imperious, a reputation reinforced by her famous response of “naff off” to reporters who photographed her after she fell from her horse in 1982.

Against that backdrop, the sight of Anne openly celebrating with Zara had a particular impact.

Fitzwilliams described the embrace as a moment of “sheer, undiluted joy”, saying that seeing mother and daughter share such an emotional reaction softened the public image of the Princess Royal.

More than two decades later, footage of the embrace resurfaced online and prompted a fresh wave of interest in Anne’s relationship with her daughter.

Social media users praised her as an affectionate mother and highlighted the special bond between Anne and Zara.

One commenter recalled previously believing that Anne had said she was not maternal, only to be struck by the emotion in the old footage. Another described her as an affectionate mother.

The scene remains one of the clearest reminders that Anne’s reserved public manner does not necessarily reflect how she behaves with the people closest to her.

An unexpected friendship with Scotland’s rugby captain

Anne’s sense of humour has also emerged in one of the most unexpected royal sporting exchanges of 2026.

As patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, the Princess Royal has developed a playful rapport with Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu.

The pair first attracted attention when Tuipulotu attempted to embrace Anne after Scotland’s victory over England in the Calcutta Cup. Instead of returning the hug, Anne stepped back, placed a hand on his shoulder and continued the conversation.

The moment was consistent with the more formal approach to physical contact traditionally associated with members of the royal family.

But the story did not end there.

A few weeks later, after Scotland’s victory over France, Anne presented Tuipulotu with the Auld Alliance Trophy. Remembering their earlier near-hug, the pair opened their arms towards each other in a playful imitation of what had happened before.

Anne’s reaction showed a more mischievous side of her personality, and the exchange was widely shared online.

Then came Scotland’s final Six Nations match against Ireland on March 14.

This time, the joke finally ended with the hug Tuipulotu had been trying to get.

Anne warmly embraced the Scotland captain, completing a running joke that had developed over the course of the tournament. Scottish Rugby shared footage of the moment under the caption, “Sione finally gets his hug.”

The match itself took place at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, where Ireland defeated Scotland 43-21. Tuipulotu captained Scotland that day.

The embrace attracted plenty of attention because it was so at odds with Anne’s traditionally reserved public persona.

Fans praised the Princess Royal for appearing relaxed and playful, with some describing her as down-to-earth and saying that Tuipulotu would remember the moment.

The exchange also showed that Anne is perfectly capable of playing along with a joke when the circumstances allow it.

A softer side that has always been there

The public image of Princess Anne has been shaped largely by her reputation for hard work, practicality and an unwillingness to indulge in unnecessary ceremony.

That reputation is not necessarily contradicted by the warmer moments that have emerged over the years. Instead, the two sides of her personality can exist together.

She can be fiercely private and still show deep emotion when her daughter achieves something extraordinary.

She can be reserved in public and still be a hands-on grandmother who dotes on her grandchildren.

And she can observe royal protocol in one moment before laughing and joining in a running joke with a rugby player weeks later.

Her relationship with her own mother, Queen Elizabeth II, also revealed a deeply sentimental side. Anne remained at the late Queen’s side during her final hours on September 8, 2022.

After the Queen’s death, Anne returned to public view at Balmoral, where she greeted mourners and thanked them for their flowers. She also comforted grieving children in Glasgow after accompanying her mother’s body to London.

These moments provide a more rounded picture of a royal who has spent decades cultivating a reputation for plain speaking and duty.

The account Earl Spencer gives in Swan Song presents one particular encounter and one particular impression of Anne. His description of their dinner at Buckingham Palace left him feeling “small”, and the recollection has inevitably added another layer to the public discussion surrounding her personality.

But the archive tells a broader story.

From helping a seriously ill family member at Zara’s wedding and embracing her daughter after a major sporting victory, to welcoming a new step-granddaughter and finally sharing a long-awaited hug with Scotland’s rugby captain, Anne has repeatedly shown that beneath the famously practical exterior is a woman capable of considerable warmth, humour and affection.

That contrast may be one of the most revealing things about the Princess Royal. Her softer side is rarely announced. More often, it appears in fleeting gestures, family photographs and spontaneous moments when the formal royal persona briefly gives way to the person behind it.