Princess Anne, 75, was the belle of the ball last week while attending the Veterans' Foundation's 10th anniversary celebrations in London. The Princess Royal looked elegant in a lace column dress with wrap detail and corsage at the waist as well as puff sleeves and a demure Queen Anne neckline. The design was made in a pared-back pale yellow hue, which gave it a modern feel.
Although Anne is the Queen of rewearing, we haven't seen this particular garment in her royal rotation before. King Charles' sister perfectly accessorised the elegant gown with a pair of Opera-length gloves, pointed court shoes and pearls.
© The Veterans’ Foundation / Steph Friend Weddings & FilmThe glamorous evening event included Anne meeting veterans as well as Veterans' Foundation ambassadors Simon Weston CBE and Mark Ormrod MBE.
Chair of Trustees for the Veterans’ Foundation, Andrew Anderson, said: “The event was about recognising the extraordinary people who make this work possible - our supporters, our partners, the charities we fund and, above all, the veterans and families at the heart of everything we do.
© The Veterans’ Foundation"It was a tremendous honour to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal as we marked this milestone together. Her longstanding commitment to the Armed Forces community reflects the values that have guided the Foundation over the past decade. What we have achieved in ten years is remarkable, but our ambition for the future is even greater."
Why does Princess Anne always wear gloves?
There are a combination of reasons behind Princess Anne's decision to wear gloves on royal occasions. Firstly, she is a lady of tradition, and this practice is a long-standing royal tradition. Then, you've got the hygiene theory, as touching hands is a common way for germs to spread. Then, thirdly, she could be doing it to prevent her delicate clothes from being damaged. The royal is the queen of rewearing and recycling, so avoiding oils and dirt from hands transferring onto the vintage clothes will help.
© Nicky J SimsBut surely she doesn't need gloves if she doesn't shake hands anyway?
It turns out that Anne does shake hands (case in point above); she just doesn't start it with members of the public, and there's a logical reason why.
In the ITV documentary Queen of the World, which aired in 2018, the late monarch's daughter explained how the rules have changed. "I mean we never shook hands," she said. "The theory was that you couldn't shake hands with everybody, so don't start. So I kind of stick with that, but I notice others don't."
"It's not for me to say that it's wrong, but I think that the initial concept was that it was patently absurd to start shaking hands. And it seems to me that it's become a shaking hands exercise, rather than a walkabout, if you see what I mean. So that, it has changed."
