Princess Anne holds her nerve as royals face angry crowd

Princess Anne maintained her composure as anti-monarchy protesters heckled members of the royal family.

During the annual Commonwealth Day service, senior members of the royal family including King Charles and Kate Middleton were heckled outside Westminster Abbey. 

The royal arrival was met with chants and placards from demonstrators linked to the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic.

As the Princess Royal attended the ceremony alongside her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, she appeared unfazed by the jeers from the crowd. 

As quoted by People Magazine, Anne quietly advised her husband to ignore the noise, telling him: "Don't listen to them, ignore them."

This comes amid renewed scrutiny of the monarchy following Andrew's recent arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. 

An insider told the outlet about the situation being faced by the British royal family, "Other events have rocked the monarchy, but something from within — where someone is being arrested — is very different. This is much more serious."

It is pertinent to mention that despite the disruption, the historic Commonwealth Day service proceeded as planned.