The two 'strict rules' Princess Anne had her children follow on Buckingham Palace balcony
The Princess Royal sticks to the rules!Princess Anne reportedly had two rather strict rules that her children had to follow while on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Anne, 75, is a mum to Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips. She shares her children with her ex-husband Mark Phillips, whom she divorced in 1992.
And growing up, apparently Anne always made sure her children were on their best behaviour whenever they appeared on the royal balcony at Buckingham Palace.
Princess Anne’s rules for children on palace balcony
Over the years, several royals have stepped out on the iconic balcony for memorable events, from a family wedding to the late Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday.
Princess Anne and her children, Zara and Peter, have often popped up and made an appearance too. But according to her son Peter, Anne had two rules she implemented when he was a child.
In an ITV documentary celebrating the Princess Royal’s 70th birthday in 2020, Peter opened up about his mother.
He recalled the rules that she made them follow, saying: “You then get a clip round the ear and say, ‘Right, behave yourself, you know, we’re going out on the balcony. Don’t pick your nose and you know, don’t yawn.'”
What’s more, back in 1987, Anne was seen attempting to calm down an excited Prince William, who was four years old at the time, during Trooping the Colour, the monarch’s official birthday parade.
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Princess Anne one of the ‘hardest working royals’
Anne has long been a favourite with royal fans and it’s no surprise as she remains one of the hardest-working royals.
In a 2020 interview with Vanity Fair, Anne opened up about ensuring she plays her part by protecting the traditions of the royal family.
Describing herself as “the boring old fuddy-duddy at the back saying, ‘Don’t forget the basics,'” Anne also gave a warning to the younger generation to the family.
She said: “I don’t think this younger generation probably understands what I was doing in the past, and it’s often true, isn’t it? You don’t necessarily look at the previous generation and say, ‘Oh, you did that?’ Or ‘You went there?'”
She went on: “Nowadays, they’re much more looking for, ‘Oh let’s do it a new way.’ And I’m already at the stage, ‘Please do not reinvent that particular wheel. We’ve been there, done that.'”
Anne ‘did most days of work in 2025’
Last year saw Princess Anne revealed as the second hardest-working royal out of the whole royal family, with just her brother, King Charles, beating her in terms of engagements undertaken.
2025 saw the king carry out more than 500 royal engagements, despite his continued cancer treatment. Anne, meanwhile, carried out 478 engagements last year.
Speaking about the king’s achievements, royal reporter Patricia Treble told The Mirror: “Considering he spent the entire year undergoing regular cancer treatment, the king set the pace when it comes to royal duty for the House of Windsor.
“There’s a common belief that Anne is the hardest-working royal. I beg to differ. Though the Princess Royal did the most days of work (186) in 2025, it was her big brother who did the largest number of engagements.”
Anne doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon, either. When asked recently whether she’d considered retirement, she said it “isn’t really an option”.
Read more: Princess Anne’s ‘true feelings’ over King Charles’ ‘treatment’ of brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
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