Once again demonstrating her unwavering dedication, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal is scheduled to undertake a series of official engagements in the forthcoming week. On Tuesday, the 71-year-old will travel to the Isle of Wight, where she will visit Mountbatten Hospice as part of the celebrations commemorating 45 years of hospice care on the Island. The Princess Royal is also expected to officiate the opening of a new accommodation facility at the United Kingdom Sailing Academy, visit the Cheetah Marine Boat Building Factory, and attend the Centenary Youth Week at Royal Lymington Yacht Club.
Princess Anne has long been commended for her exemplary work ethic, and according to an unearthed clip from the 1980s, her admirers included the late Diana, Princess of Wales. While it has been widely speculated that the two princesses were rivals, a video of Diana discussing her relationship with Anne may suggest otherwise.
The clip, which is part of a much longer interview undertaken by Diana and her then-husband Prince Charles in 1985, was uploaded to Tik Tok by the user princessdiana.editssss. With the backdrop of Kensington Palace, broadcaster Alastair Burnet sat down with the couple for a candid interview about marriage, family, and the media.
In the years following Diana’s entrance into the royal family, there were persistent rumors of a rivalry between the new Princess of Wales and Queen Elizabeth II’s only daughter, the Princess Royal. These speculations suggested that the two women were competing for public and institutional recognition. However, in the interview, Diana seemingly dispelled the gossip, expressing her admiration for Anne and describing her as “wonderful.”

When asked about the alleged state of rivalry between them, Diana responded with a formal tone, stating, “None at all. Princess Anne has been working incredibly hard for the Save the Children Fund, and I’m her biggest fan because what she crams into a day I could never achieve.” She further added, “We’ve always hit it off very well, and I just think she’s marvelous.”
The reports of a strained relationship between Diana and Anne were heightened in 1984 when the Princess Royal was not named a godmother to the Prince and Princess of Wales’s second son, Prince Harry. Diana addressed these rumors, explaining that the possibility of Anne being a godmother was considered if their child had been a girl, but since Harry was a boy, they opted for a male godparent.
Speculation surrounding the alleged rivalry was further fueled when Anne did not attend Harry’s christening. According to reports, Anne was said to have been hurt by not being chosen as a godmother for the second time and snubbed the event due to her displeasure. However, Anne denied any animosity during a television appearance, stating that the rumors were mere “fairy stories.”

Despite both princesses denying any rift, they were rarely spotted together in public. Royal experts have claimed that Anne and Diana did not get along from the beginning, with Anne reportedly considering Diana “a silly girl” and disapproving of her approach to royal duties.
However, in the aftermath of Diana’s tragic death in 1997, Anne reportedly stepped up to support her nephew Harry during his time of grief, taking him on outings and providing him with companionship during their time at Balmoral.