On September 23, 2026, Princess Anne made a poignant gesture of respect to the Norwegian Royal Family following the passing of Princess Astrid, sister of King Harald V. Princess Astrid had sadly died on September 11, just two days after her brother, King Harald V, was laid to rest in Oslo on September 9, 2026, as reported by Marie Claire. At Princess Astrid’s funeral, Princess Anne, though unable to attend in person, sent a wreath of creamy white roses from Buckingham Palace. The accompanying notecard bore her signature, “Anne,” and a deeply personal message: “With love and happy memories,” according to Town & Country Magazine.
This personalized tribute stood out among other floral arrangements sent by foreign monarchies, including King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark, and King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, none of which featured a personalized note. Princess Anne’s connection to the Norwegian royals is significant; she is the godmother to Norway’s new monarch, King Haakon, and was a second cousin once removed to Princess Astrid and King Harald. Her personal capacity as King Haakon’s godmother also led her to attend King Harald’s funeral earlier in September alongside Prince William, who was there as an official representative of King Charles, Marie Claire noted. Princess Anne has a further engagement in Norway scheduled for October 5-7 as patron of the Anglo-Norwegian Resistance Commemoration Project, which explained her inability to make another immediate trip for Princess Astrid’s funeral. She last visited Norway in this capacity in 2024, touring the country’s Resistance Museum with then-Prince Haakon.
A “Withering” Encounter Recalled
In stark contrast to this compassionate gesture, Earl Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, has offered a less flattering portrayal of Princess Anne in his new memoir, Swan Song. The book, which provides insights into his life growing up with Diana and an honest portrait of his late sister, recounts an awkward encounter between Spencer and Princess Anne at a formal dinner at Buckingham Palace. This event took place two nights before the wedding of Charles and Diana, when Spencer was only 17 years old, as detailed by Woman & Home.
Spencer describes being seated next to Princess Anne and attempting to initiate conversation by asking about Zara. However, his attempt at small talk was met with a famously blunt response from the Princess Royal. According to Spencer, Anne “stopped, looked at me witheringly, and asked, ‘Tell me, how’s a christening supposed to go?’” Spencer recalls blushing bright red and feeling utterly speechless. He later compared his uncomfortable interaction with Anne to the ease with which his brother-in-law Neil engaged in conversation with the Crown Princess of Japan about rice cultivation on the other side of the room. This anecdote left Spencer feeling “small,” leading him to reflect that evening on whether one was “placed next to a royal who was happy to make you feel small, or one that had the grace and manners to look for common ground, wherever it might be found,” Woman & Home reported.
This depiction aligns with Princess Anne’s well-established reputation for being direct and no-nonsense, often eschewing superficial pleasantries. Her own past comments on royal protocol, such as her stance on shaking hands during walkabouts—“The theory was that you couldn’t shake hands with everybody, so don’t start. So I kind of stick with that, but I noticed others don’t”—underscore her adherence to a more traditional, less effusive approach to public engagement.
Navigating Public Perception and Royal Narratives
The simultaneous emergence of these two narratives—Princess Anne’s personal warmth in a diplomatic context and her perceived assertiveness in familial settings—highlights the complexities of public perception surrounding the British Royal Family. Her tribute to Princess Astrid demonstrates a capacity for genuine connection and thoughtful gestures, particularly within the intricate web of European royal relations.
Conversely, Earl Spencer’s account reinforces the image of Princess Anne as an individual who prioritizes substance over ceremony, a trait that, while admired by many for its authenticity, can also lead to perceptions of aloofness or severity. These anecdotes contribute to a broader understanding of the individual personalities within the monarchy and how their interactions, both formal and informal, are interpreted by the public and by those within their inner circle.
The publication of Swan Song also adds to the ongoing public discourse surrounding royal memoirs and the historical accounts they present. Buckingham Palace has already issued a rare statement in response to other claims made in Spencer’s book, specifically his assertion that the King told him, “we’ll forget her soon enough,” referring to Princess Diana. The Palace stated, “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.” Despite this, Earl Spencer reaffirmed his claims in an interview with the BBC, declaring, “I can tell you here and now, those are exactly the words he said.” This ongoing tension between personal recollections and official narratives continues to shape the public’s understanding of royal history and relationships.