Royal Fans Are Praising Princess Anne for Unexpected Reason

Princess Anne shakes someone's hand at a reception at the British Consulate General, ahead of the opening of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy, on February 5, 2026

(Image credit: Kevin Coombs / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Princess Anne is a fan favorite for a reason. For instance, even after suffering a head injury, the Princess Royal still managed to be crowned the hardest working royal in 2024 for carrying out 217 engagements in just one year. Now, royal fans are praising Anne for a surprising reason, after the princess attended a Six Nations rugby match between Scotland and Italy on February 7 at Rome's Stadio Olimpico.

As reported by the Daily Mail, Anne—who is patron of the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU)—"was seemingly unprepared for the attention of onlookers and looked somewhat perplexed as legions of sporting fans cheered in her support."

Commenters shared their positive opinions of Princess Anne on an Instagram post showing the royal appearing on the big screens during the match. "Equestrian Olympian and all round great gal," one person wrote.

Princess Anne at the Guinness Six Nations 2026 Round 1 match between Italy and Scotland at Olympic Stadium. Final scores — "If anyone deserves a standing ovation, it's Her Royal Highness Princess Anne."

"If anyone deserves a standing ovation, it's Her Royal Highness Princess Anne," another commenter shared. Concurring with everyone else, one fan wrote, "So deeply respected!!! What a woman!!" Basically, Princess Anne's appearance at the match was a roaring success.

Yet more social media comments highlighted just how popular Princess Anne remains with royal fans. "She didn't realize the cheers were for her till someone told her," one person noted, per the Daily Mail. "Love that smile."

According to the outlet, one fan commented on Anne's "dignity and grace," while someone else reportedly said, "She looks so much like the [late] Queen at times...Hardest working royal." Additional commenters labeled Anne as a "no frills princess," saying that she "just gets on with serving and representing" the Royal Family.

It seems as though Princess Anne's work ethic hasn't gone unnoticed amongst royal fans.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.