Princess Anne's strict rule that means she didn't celebrate her birthday

Princess Anne turned 76 on Saturday, but her birthday this year seemed to be very understated due to one strict rule she follows, a royal expert has claimed.

Last year, the royal rang in her milestone 75th birthday by redirecting the spotlight to her patronages, hosting an abundance of charities at Buckingham Palace. For her celebrations this year, the Princess Royal stayed under the radar, once again shying away from the limelight. 

According to royal expert Roya Nikkhah, Anne has a "no-frills" approach to her birthday celebrations, which hinges on one single digit. "Anne's policy is: 'I will do things for my birthdays that have a zero, but I won't do things for my birthdays that have a five'," the expert said on the Royals with Roya and Kate podcast.

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The royal spent her last major birthday, her 70th in 2020, sailing along the west coast of Scotland with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. Plans for a big family celebration had to be scaled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. 

Birthday messages

Members of the royal family sent their birthday well wishes to the hard-working Princess Royal on Saturday. Anne's elder brother, King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, were among the first to send a public message. 

© Max Mumby/Indigo

Taking to the official social media channels for the British royal family, the King and Queen penned: "Wishing a Happy Birthday to the Princess Royal." The photo in question was a beaming photo of Anne, smiling as she shook hands with Scotland's rugby captain, Sione Tuipulotu, at the Six Nations in March.

Anne, who has been patron of the Scottish Rugby Union since 1986, appeared at the stadium in Edinburgh, aptly dressed in purple tartan. 

The Prince and Princess of Wales wished a "happy birthday to the Princess Royal" on social media alongside a photo of Anne at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

Anne's significant birthday 

The Princess Royal, who has more than 400 patronages to her name, kicked off her birthday celebrations last year by choosing to keep the focus on her charities rather than herself. The royal hosted many of the charities at Buckingham Palace for a major event. 

© Alamy Stock Photo

"This personifies what Her Royal Highness cares about," a Palace source said. "She didn't want to do anything for her birthday but bring her charities together to hear more about their work and how she can help them."

Colonel John Boyd, Anne's Private Secretary, welcomed guests to the Palace's ballroom, telling them: "There has been a significant amount of interest in HRH's 75th birthday celebrations. As you are aware the princess has given decades of time and support to more than 400 charities and patronages.

"It probably won't come as a surprise, given HRH's commitment to you all, that the way the Princess wants to celebrate this milestone is to replicate what she's done on previous significant birthday and hold this charities forum again to once again understand how she can help you, at a time when the third sector is facing unprecedented challenges and transformations."