Princess Anne’s shocking take on royal life revealed

Princess Anne called one royal tradition “patently absurd.”

Princess Royal has recently claimed the top spot among popular British royals, over ranking even her older brother king Charles.

As she is known for her blunt nature, an old interview of hers has resurfaced, in which she bluntly criticized a royal tradition of greeting the public by shaking hands.

"I mean we never shook hands. 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," Princess Anne remarked at the time.

She added, "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."

"I'm glad I'm not starting now, because at least you had people to talk to, and now you don't really," the royal figure further added.

King Charles' younger sister expressed her frustration on people using phones and taking pictures during royal meetings, stating, "Phones are bad enough, but the iPads, you can't even see their heads. You don't know who you're talking to. And I do get slightly, I either don't bother, or just say 'Look if you want to ask, you know, meet somebody, I suggest you put that down.'

"It is weird, as people don't believe that they've experienced the event unless they've taken photographs. And usually you're standing immediately in front of them," she also noted.

Notably, the late queen was much like her daughter, as US ambassador, Matthew Barzun told Tatler that Queen Elizabeth referred to the selfie trend as "disconcerting" and "strange".

"She was essentially saying: 'I miss eye contact,'" Matthew shared.

Apart from her outspoken nature the popular Royal is also known for her dry wit, Princess Anne once shared an interesting incident of King Charles during his visit to a home center where he wore a kilt.

"My brother tells a story of having visited an elderly care home in Scotland, and at the time he was in a kilt. And he actually heard, when he was engaged in conversation down the other end, an old lady saying, 'Is that the Princess Royal?'" she recalled.

When the laughter settled, she went on, "Thought it was quite funny. And I am wearing trousers today!"