Grant Harrold says Princess Anne is one of the most laid-back members of the Royal Family. He also describes her as a workaholic and says he does not see any sign of her slowing down her royal duties.
Harrold, a former Highgrove House butler, said Anne has been “absolutely lovely” and warned that “you don’t want to get on the wrong side of her.” He added that she is “very much like her father—she will catch you out.”
Grant Harrold on Princess Anne
Harrold said Anne is “one of the most relaxed Windsors” and that she has “always been very detail-oriented, like her mother, Queen Elizabeth.” He also said, “If you look over the past couple of years, she hasn’t stopped.”
That assessment comes from a former royal insider who presents Anne in two ways at once: easygoing in public, relentless in the work. Harrold said, “But while she is often in work mode, she is also one of the most laid-back members of the Royal Family, but don’t let that catch you off guard.”
Princess Anne at Glasgow
Harrold’s comments were tied to Anne’s weekend appearance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, where he said it was “nice to see her more laid back.” He also said, “We usually see her dressed to impress and in work mode, but she has really stripped it back.”
He added, “I think she is starting to lean into the new era of the Royal Family and the modern way they are doing things.” In the same remarks, Harrold said Anne is “absolutely lovely” and said he “truly think[s] she will continue working like her mother up until a very old age.”
Royal Family duties
Anne’s public schedule still points in the same direction. She attended King George Day at Ascot Racecourse on July 25, joined Hugh Graham at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, and Harrold said she has not stopped over the past couple of years.
The practical takeaway is straightforward: Harrold expects the pace to continue. He did not limit that view to one appearance or one event, but to a broader pattern of duty that, in his telling, still defines Princess Anne’s role in the Royal Family.
