How Princess Anne Used To ‘Boss’ Prince Charles Around

Prince Charles and Princess Anne have reportedly been at odds with each other ever since they were younger. The two children of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were born two years apart, but the two siblings could not be any more distant. Not only were their roles completely different from each other, but their personalities and interests were so vast that it had caused issues even as they grew up.

The Prince of Wales is the heir apparent, and his duties put him more in the forefront, while Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, lagged to 14th in line for succession after the birth of baby Archie. The difference in their outlook and approach definitely caused some friction between the two, with Charles as a bit of a playful trickster while Anne a more quiet serious type. What further frustrated the future king, however, was the special attention that his father, Prince Philip, poured on to Princess Anne.

Royal expert Ingrid Seward noted in her book “My Husband And I: The Inside Story Of 70 Years Of the Royal Marriage” how the Princess Royal was very close to the Duke of Edinburgh. The father and daughter pair had much in common, bonding over their love for sports and the outdoors. Philip reportedly did not understand his eldest son, causing a bit of a rift between the two.

Princess Anne was also observed to be quite domineering of her brother. Her treatment of him was as severe as to almost call it bullying. Seward writes about how the princess would “boss” her brother around, taking what she wished, especially if her brother liked it as well.

“‘If she was a toy she wanted, she would grab it,” she wrote. “She also grabbed everything that Charles wanted — and everything he had she wanted.”

In a particularly rough spat, the Princess Royal even hit Prince Charles with her riding crop, causing the young prince to cry. The Queen was reportedly very exasperated upon finding out the mischief, exclaiming at the difficulty of raising the two children.

“Anne had just returned from a riding lesson and set about her brother with her riding crop,” retold Seward. “Charles burst into tears as the Queen opened the door. In exasperation, she shouted: ‘Why can’t you behave yourselves!’”