Princess Anne has been a monarchist all her life.
But given she was quite literally born into it can you blame her?
The now 72-year-old has long been a firm believer in the necessity of the British monarchy, steadfastly supporting her mother – the late Queen Elizabeth II – and now her brother, the newly minted monarch King Charles III in all their royal endeavors.
But over time, and as the family has aged into a world, calls for the monarchy to be scrapped entirely have only grown louder, many questioning its relevance in modern-day society.
WATCH NOW: Princess Anne visits the Sydney Royal Easter Show in 2022. Article continues after video.
But according to Anne, the monarchy is not just a relevant institution, but a necessary one, despite society today and of yesteryear being vastly different.
“It [the world] changes a bit. I mean, it doesn’t sound like a good idea from where I’m standing, I have to say. I’m not quite sure what else, you know, we can do,” the princess said in a rare interview with Canadian public broadcaster CBC.
When asked if she knew about “conversations about relevance” [of the royal family in the 21st century] Anne was polite but firm in her response: “There will be, everywhere,” she replied.
“[But] it’s not a conversation that I would necessarily have.”
“I think it’s perfectly true that it is a moment where you need to have that discussion. But I would just underline that the monarchy provides, with the constitution, a degree of long-term stability that is actually quite hard to come by any other way.”
The royal then went on to add that whilst recent polling suggests a drop in the number of people who would like to see the monarchy continue, it meant nothing and that her family “don’t” need to take any action to “deal with” their lessening popularity.
“Well, we don’t in many respects need to deal with it, not least of all because it is the monarch that is the key to this, and the constitution that underpins the monarchy,” she said.
“We as a family see ourselves there to support that role. What we do, we hope, contributes to the monarchy and the way in which it can convey continuity, of not just interest, but of service, of understanding, the way that people in communities want to live their lives.
“And I think so often we get the chance to see communities and the people who do things really well and are very generous with their time in a way that, if you look at the media, you tend not to get that impression.”
So what of her elder brother, King Charles III?
Does her devotion to him compare to that of which she served her mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, and the institution?
“Well, you know what you’re getting [when discussing what kind of King Charles will be], he’s been practicing for a bit, and I don’t think he’ll change.”
“He’s committed to his own level of service. That will remain true.”
“[Ultimately], there is genuine benefit from this particular arrangement, the constitutional monarchy, and I think it has good long-term benefits. Commitment to long term is what the monarchy stands for.”
