Princess Anne, 74, lives a relatively private life at her secluded estate, Gatcombe Park, in Gloucestershire, but this weekend she is opening the gates for a rare special event.
The vast grounds will play host to Gatcombe Food Festival on 26 and 27 July, where TV chefs will be doing live cookery demonstrations, amazing foodie stalls and fun for all the family with hands-on workshops. Celebrity names include The Great British Bake Off star Howard Middleton and Ready Steady Cook star Lesley Waters.
The VIP area is now fully booked, but those with golden tickets will be treated to a welcome cocktail designed by Anne's son-in-law, Mike Tindall, and his fellow rugby pal, James Haskall, who have their own gin brand.
Stalls cost a minimum of £200 for a vendor to hire, and tickets to the event cost £21.60 for an adult.
Cancelled event
Anne's grounds used to host the annual Festival of British Eventing but for a few years now it has been unable to run.
An explainer on the Festival of British Eventing website published on 4 March 2024, read: "It is with great sadness that we announce the Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park will not take place this year.
"Despite great determination from the organising team, the current economic climate has made it unviable for the event to go ahead. Following the adverse weather experienced at Gatcombe last year, which led to the abandonment of the event, and due to the ever-increasing costs associated with operating on a green field site, it has made the event unfeasible to run."
Event Chairman and Anne's former husband, Captain Mark Phillips, said at the time: "It’s truly a great sadness that the original model and indeed the sport has changed so much. Since Covid, costs, particularly insurance, have risen so much that the numbers no longer add up. It is an end of an era, the next 40 years of the sport will be different, let’s hope it can be equally special."
Anne's pesky plants
During an interview with The Telegraph, Anne discussed why she has to find a "delicate balance" with the plants on her estate.
"My biggest row at home is ragwort," she admitted. "Lots of people think that ragwort is absolutely brilliant because butterflies love it, but it’s not good for the horses [it is toxic]. I would say don’t take all the ragwort out, just where the horses are – but it’s quite a delicate balance."