Why Princess Anne Is the Princess Royal: The Tradition That Began With Princess Mary in 1642

Princess Anne has carried one of the British monarchy’s rarest titles for nearly four decades, but the title did not begin with her. King Charles I created the royal style in 1642 for his eldest daughter, Princess Mary.

A series of specific royal decisions shaped the title’s history. Anne received it in 1987, Queen Elizabeth II never had the opportunity to use it, and Princess Charlotte cannot simply inherit it from her great aunt.

The rules are unusually strict. Only one woman can hold the title at a time. She keeps it for life, and even a princess who appears eligible has no automatic right to receive it.

How Princess Mary Began the Tradition

Princess Mary was born in 1631 as the eldest daughter of King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria. Her mother was a French princess and the daughter of King Henry IV of France.

Henrietta Maria knew the French court style Madame Royale, traditionally associated with the French king’s eldest daughter. Charles I introduced a British equivalent in 1642, making Mary the first Princess Royal.

Mary’s life was already connected to European royal politics. In 1641, when she was nine, she married William II, Prince of Orange, who was 15. She later moved to the Netherlands and became Princess of Orange.

William died in 1650. Their son, the future William III, was born several days later. He eventually ruled England, Scotland, and Ireland alongside his wife, Mary II.

The first Princess Royal never saw her son become king. She died of smallpox in 1660 while visiting England, at about 29 years old. Her marriage, move to the Netherlands, and connection to William III are recorded in this biographical account.

A Title the Monarch Must Choose to Give

Princess Royal is usually reserved for the monarch’s eldest daughter, but birth alone does not create the title. The reigning monarch must formally grant it.

A princess may meet the traditional condition for years without receiving the distinction. The monarch can delay the decision or decide against making a grant.

The title is also held for life. A change of monarch does not cancel it, and another woman cannot receive it while the current Princess Royal is alive.

The small number of holders shows how restrictive that rule has been. Only seven women have received the title since 1642, even though many British monarchs have had daughters.

The Seven Princesses Royal

After Princess Mary, monarchs granted the title at irregular intervals instead of passing it through a direct line of inheritance.

The second holder was Princess Anne, daughter of King George II. Princess Charlotte, daughter of King George III, became the third. Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Princess Victoria, became the fourth and later served as German Empress and Queen of Prussia.

King Edward VII granted the title to his daughter Louise in 1905. After Louise died in 1931, King George V gave it to his daughter Mary in 1932.

Princess Mary held the distinction until her death in 1965. Princess Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, became the seventh holder in June 1987.

The long gaps are an important part of the title’s history. It does not move automatically from one royal daughter to another, and it does not need to remain continuously occupied. The seven holders and the title’s lifetime rule are detailed in this historical overview.

Why Queen Elizabeth II Was Never Princess Royal

Queen Elizabeth II was the eldest daughter of King George VI, so she appeared to meet the usual condition. Yet she never became Princess Royal.

Princess Mary, the daughter of King George V, held the title throughout George VI’s reign. Because two women cannot hold it at once, it was unavailable to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth became queen in 1952. Princess Mary died in 1965, thirteen years later, but Elizabeth was then the sovereign rather than the sovereign’s daughter. The traditional qualification no longer applied to her.

Elizabeth had no opportunity to receive the title. Princess Mary was still alive when George VI died, and Elizabeth’s accession immediately changed her status from a monarch’s daughter to the monarch herself.

Why Anne Waited Until 1987

Anne was born on August 15, 1950, as the second child and only daughter of the future Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. When her mother became queen on February 6, 1952, Anne became the sovereign’s only daughter.

She did not receive the title at that point because Princess Mary was still alive. Anne continued to be known formally as Princess Anne even after the title became vacant in 1965.

Queen Elizabeth II waited until June 1987 to grant it. Anne was 36 and had already spent years performing public duties.

The change took effect on June 13, 1987. Before that date, her formal style was Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne, Mrs Mark Phillips. On that date, she became Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, a change recorded in the official public record.

She began official engagements in 1969. In 1971, she won the individual European Three Day Event at Burghley and was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year. In 1976, she joined the British equestrian team at the Montreal Olympics, becoming the first member of the British Royal Family to compete in the modern Olympic Games.

Anne’s record makes the decision understandable, but the official account does not identify one achievement as the reason for the timing. The confirmed explanation is that Anne was Elizabeth II’s only daughter and the Queen chose to bestow the title. The June 1987 grant and Anne’s public career are confirmed in her official biography.

Why Anne Kept the Title Under King Charles

Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, and Anne’s brother became King Charles III. Anne remained The Princess Royal because she holds the title for life. It did not return to the Crown when the reign changed. It also did not become available for another royal woman.

Anne continues to represent the monarch in Britain and overseas. Her work includes ceremonial appearances, charitable responsibilities, official visits, and investitures conducted on the King’s behalf.

Could Princess Charlotte Become Princess Royal?

Princess Charlotte is often described as a future Princess Royal, but that outcome is neither immediate nor guaranteed.

She is currently the granddaughter of the reigning monarch. The custom applies to the monarch’s eldest daughter, so Charlotte could become eligible only if her father, Prince William, becomes king.

Even then, Anne could no longer be holding the title, and William would have to grant it. Charlotte would not inherit it from her great aunt.

Charlotte’s position could eventually make her a candidate, but the decision would remain with the future monarch. Her place in the line of succession would be a separate matter from whether she received the Princess Royal title.

A Rare Title Based on Timing and Choice

Princess Anne is The Princess Royal because Queen Elizabeth II granted her the distinction in June 1987. That decision follows a tradition that began more than three centuries ago.

Charles I created the tradition for Princess Mary in 1642. Since then, the title has remained personal, discretionary, and limited to one living holder.

Anne waited 35 years after her mother’s accession. Elizabeth II had no opportunity to receive the title during her father’s reign. Charlotte may qualify in the future, but only the monarch can create the next Princess Royal.