Princess Anne’s title could be handed to Princess Charlotte after the youngster went on a “royal crash course” with her great-aunt.
Charlotte, nine, has reportedly been learning about royal etiquette and the ways of being a princess from 74-year-old Anne. It comes as Charlotte has made more public appearances in recent months, including a trip to Wimbledon with her mother Princess Kate.
Insiders suggest Anne is now “training” Charlotte on how to be a royal, with the youngster said to be excelling in areas where Kate is said to have struggled when she joined the Firm. An insider told Woman magazine: “Anne’s ‘training’, if you will, isn’t just about rank, file, and curtsies either.
“She’s shown her how to spark conversations, but also how to end one and move on without upsetting anyone. That was a tough one for Kate to learn, but Charlotte was born to royalty so is used to the subtle signals and messaging the royals give to stay in control of a situation.”
It has prompted royal fans to query whether Charlotte could confer the title of Princess Royal when Prince William takes the throne. The title is traditionally given to the monarch’s eldest daughter and is considered the highest honour that can be given to a princess.
The title is however not automatically passed down, with Anne not being given the role until 1987. This means it would be up to Prince William to decide whether Charlotte would take over the role from his aunt.
Speaking on the Palace Confidential podcast, Daily Mail Diary Editor Richard Eden said: “Traditionally the Princess Royal would be the eldest daughter of the monarch so when William becomes king, it is likely that Princess Charlotte, if Princess Anne is dead, may be our future Princess Royal.”
When asked if Charlotte could possibly turn down the role, Eden added: “Yeah, she could do, who knows. Who knows what the future holds but that has been the tradition in the past that it is the eldest daughter of the monarch.”
Should the King outlive Anne, there would be no immediate successor to the title, as Charlotte would only be eligible once William takes the throne. The late Queen Elizabeth II was never given the title Princess Royal because her aunt, Princess Mary, was made Princess Royal in 1932 after outliving her brother King George VI.
The title Princess Royal has been used since the 1600s. It was believed to have been taken from the French styling “Madame Royale”, which was used for unmarried daughters of the monarch.
