Princess Anne does not have the reputation of being the warmest member of the British royal family. Yet, her attitude towards Meghan Markle, when the latter was still part of the Crown, surprised many.
Rare are the moments when we saw Princess Anne smile, in recent years. Rather discreet by nature, the younger sister of Charles III has always shown herself to be up to her job, without making too many waves. The arrival in the Windsor clan of the tornado Meghan Markle, in 2017, however, did not leave her unmoved. This Thursday, March 16, The Express recalled the surprising behavior of the wife of Timothy Laurence towards the Duchess of Sussex, when she was still part of the Firm.
“Anne has never really been in the habit of taking under her wing or befriending young royal wives,” body language expert Judi James assured them. “His attitudes with women such as Diana may have suggested that he might have been irritated by the fact that they were friends,” she added in the British media. As Judi James rightly reminds us, the princess has indeed never developed close ties with her sisters-in-law, Lady Diana, Sarah Ferguson or even the current queen consort Camilla. However, with Meghan Markle, although far from corresponding to the criteria of the model wife, the current is passed.
Princess Anne and Meghan Markle united by their sense of humor
“Meghan turned out to be much more interesting than the typical profile normally favored,” revealed Judy James. Far from being the most reckless of the royals, Princess Anne seems to have perceived a passion and commitment in the American actress that appealed to her. “Her eloquence, along with what appears to be a shared sense of humor, resulted in photos where the two women appeared genuinely happy in each other’s company,” the expert admitted. Snapshots of Prince Harry‘s wife and her 72-year-old aunt appearing together are rare, but it’s true that in the few that do exist, Meghan and Anne share many smiles.
During the wedding ceremony of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018, the Duchess and the Princess are indeed sitting side by side in the second row and seem to giggle together. According to Judi James, “[Anne’s] rounded cheeks and squinted eyes suggest genuine pleasure,” while Meghan’s body language is described as “a mix of flattering politeness and fun intimacy.”
Ditto a year later, at the 50th anniversary reception of the Prince of Wales’ investiture at Buckingham Palace on March 5, 2019. Prince Philip’s daughter and her niece by marriage, pregnant with Archie, chat alone with a smile on their faces.
Adept at stoicism and far from regularly dating young celebrities, Princess Anne stepped out of her comfort zone when the impetuous Meghan Markle entered the family. And while she had a hard time putting up with the explosive Diana Spencer in the 1980s, it didn’t take long for Elizabeth II’s daughter to bond with the Suits star, who is far from the impeccable Catherine Princess Of Wales. After all, opposites attract.
Photo credits: Agency / Bestimage