Princess Anne is 75-years-old (Image: Getty)
Princess Anne is a hard-working member of the Royal Family but there was one time when she broke royal protocol. Anne is known for being a diligent member of the Royal Family, carrying out her duties with care.
The 75-year-old met with Louise Pragnell, one of Britain’s leading portrait artists, who often paints royals and celebrities. When Louise arrived at her first sitting with Anne, she was given strict instructions about where to stand, what to say and when to curtsey to ensure she did not offend the royal. But Anne abandoned all protocol.
Princess Anne makes a huge amount of appearances at royal engagements (Image: Getty)
Hello Magazine reports: “She walked in and looked straight across and waved and said, ‘Hello!’,” Louise says. “The people around were thinking, that didn’t go how we’d planned. She’s really cool, she just gets on with it.
“She’s a seriously impressive person. Her first sitting was her fourth engagement of the day. She had to stand in these heavy robes for two hours. Halfway through, I said: ‘Ma’am, do you need a break?’ She was like: ‘No, do you need a break, Louise?”
Louise has built a strong reputation for her work, creating everything from personal commissions to ambitious group portraits.
She first met the princess in 2010 when Anne unveiled her painting, the Officers of the Household Cavalry.
Princess Anne has since sat for Louise on two occasions. In 2025, the artist created a 2.5-metre portrait of the royal, commissioned by the Worshipful Company of Saddlers.
The painting shows the princess in formal Intelligence Corps Mess Dress, with each colour carefully chosen for its historical significance.
The princess is the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II (Image: Getty)
Louise also recalled another moment involving the royals. In 2023, she unveiled her portrait of the Irish Guards to the Prince and Princess of Wales.
However, just before the royal couple arrived, she discovered the easel was beginning to tip forwards.
Speaking to Hello! Louise remembers how just minutes before their arrival, there were people with screwdrivers under the painting trying to fix it.
The royals have a huge collection of art – from landscape paintings of their residences to portraits or even cartoon adaptations of themselves.
