Throwback video of Princess Anne’s unapologetically candid pre-wedding interview resurfaces

Over the years, Princess Anne has earned a reputation for being a no-nonsense, hardworking member of the British Royal Family.

Now, a newly unearthed video of Princess Anne’s pre-wedding interview with her first husband, Captain Mark Philips, showcases just how authentically unapologetic the royal has always been.

The video, which was recorded in November 1973, shows the then-22-year-old Princess Royal being asked a series of tricky questions, beginning with a question about whether she would “make a good housewife” and if she could cook and sew.

To which she replied, “Well, that’s hardly up to me to say,” before later adding, “Yes, I’ve done a bit of cooking in my time.”

She was then asked if she would “like to cook” Captain Philips’ breakfast in the morning.

“I can manage that. That’s easy. Especially when he’s eventing because he’s not going to get more than a cup of coffee,” the Princess said.

She was then questioned about her sewing skills, “Can you sew? Can you put on a button?” the interviewer can be heard saying.

“Yes, I’m not totally useless. I was quite well educated, one way or another,” Anne bluntly replied.

This isn’t the first time the Princess Royal has given blunt responses during an interview. In a 2020 interview with Vogue magazine, the senior royal took a swipe at younger royals for the way they approach their royal duties.

“It took me probably 10 years before I really felt confident enough to contribute to Save the Children’s public debates because you needed to understand how it works on the ground and that needed a very wide coverage. So my early trips were really important,” she told the publication.

“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?’ Nowadays, they’re much more looking for, ‘Oh let’s do it a new way’.”

She also urged younger members of the firm not to try and “reinvent the wheel” when it comes to the way the monarchy approaches philanthropy, describing herself as “the boring old fuddy-duddy at the back saying, ‘Don’t forget the basics'”.

She added: “We’ve been there, done that. Some of these things don’t work. You may need to go back to basics.”