Princess Anne once turned down an actress’ invitation with an amusing seven-word response, it has been claimed. Anne has earned a reputation not only for her steadfast work ethic, but also for her wit, dry sense of humour and fearless streak — memorably telling a would-be kidnapper “not bloody likely” when she was just 23.
As further evidence, when the chance arose to take to the skies in a hot-air balloon over her Gloucestershire residence, Gatcombe Park, the “indomitable” Princess Royal admitted she’d “always wanted to”.
It was British actress Rula Lenska, who played Coronation Street‘s Claudia Colby, who issued the invitation. A qualified balloon pilot, she invited the royal to join her after touching down on the estate.
She told The Mail’s Richard Eden: “We landed in Gatcombe Park and she said to me, ‘Oh, I’ve always wanted to go up in one of those’. I said, ‘Hop in, Ma’am, and I’ll take you for a ride’. She said, ‘I don’t think Mummy would like it’.”
View 3 ImagesRula invited the royal to join her after she touched down on the estate
(Image: Getty Images)
It follows reports that Anne gave her son-in-law, former rugby pro Mike Tindall, a telling-off after beating her beloved Scotland side in a match. Mike tied the knot with her daughter, Zara, in 2011.
A former Gloucester, Bath and England player, Mike had squared off against Scotland in the Six Nations Championship many times. Meanwhile, Anne has been patron of the Scottish Rugby Union since 1986.
Mike recounted the story to Closer magazine: “Most fellas want to get something over on their mother-in-law. It’s quite niche if you’re the captain of the England team and you play Scotland at Twickenham and, when you win, you’re receiving the trophy from your mother-in-law.
“I don’t like the majority of the RFU (Rugby Football Union), but I shook every one of their hands and I kept her waiting.”
View 3 ImagesAnne has earned a reputation for her steadfast work ethic
(Image: Getty Images)
Explaining her reaction, he added: “She was like ‘Move on, Michael.’ I was like ‘Debrief over lunch tomorrow?’, and she said, ‘Move on, Michael.'”
Elsewhere, Anne was recently urged to “slow down” by Second World War veteran Robert (Bob) Piper during The Not Forgotten Association’s garden party at Buckingham Palace.
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The Princess Royal, who is widely regarded as one of the hardest-working royals, reportedly joked with the D-Day veteran as she met guests from the organisation.
Robert told the Press Association: “I said to her, you know, she’s got to slow down. She’s done it so many years and she is a pro, she knows all the answers before you do.”
At the event, guests told the royal that she had “brought the sun”. In response, the 75-year-old laughed and said that it’s “never anything to do with me, I promise”.