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British RoyalsFeaturesPrincess Anne and Family

Princess Anne, Cover Star

There have been many royals to grace the cover of magazines – the Duchess of Cambridge, the Duchess of Sussex, Diana, Princess of Wales and Princess Eugenie just to name a few. However, it was the Princess Royal who became a regular cover star for Vogue in the 1970s.

In 1971, the Princess did a shoot to mark her 21st birthday with photos being taken by Norman Parkinson. The Princess would once again star on the cover of Vogue in May of 1973, and November of 1973. Photographed by Norman Parkinson in November, again, the magazine had a colour portfolio celebrating the engagement of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Philips. The two married on the 14th of that month at Westminster Abbey. An estimated 100 million people are said to have tuned in for the televised event.

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Fast forward to 2020, the Princess graces the cover of Vanity Fair as she prepares to turn 70 in August. Anne, giving a rare sit-down interview to Vanity Fair, has spoken about the value of going ‘back to basics’ when it comes to philanthropy as well as discussing the younger generation of royals.

During her interview. Anne claimed that younger royals try to ‘reinvent the wheel’ when it comes to the approach of royal duties and she tells the magazine’s royal correspondent, Katie Nicholl, that she’s a ‘fuddy-duddy’ when it comes to the tried and tested approach to philanthropy.

Anne goes on to explain that she spent 10 years putting in the groundwork with Save The Children, one of her patronages, before she felt she had a true understanding of what it takes to take part in any sort of public debate regarding an organisation.

“I don’t think this younger generation probably understands what I was doing in the past and it’s often true, isn’t it?”

The Princess adds, “You don’t necessarily look at the previous generation and say, ‘Oh, you did that?’ Or, ‘You went there?’ Nowadays, they’re much 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. Some of these things don’t work. You may need to go back to basics.”

The full feature in the May issue of Vanity Fair will be available via digital download and on newsstands Friday, 17th April. Fifty years on, Princess Anne is still making magazine covers her own.

About author

My name is Sydney Zatz and I am a University of Iowa graduate. I graduated with a degree in journalism and sports studies, and a minor in sport and recreation management. A highlight of my college career was getting the chance to study abroad in London and experiencing royal history firsthand. I have a passion for royals, royal history, and journalism, which led me to want to write for Royal Central.