Princess Anne, admired for her straightforward approach, had a snappy comeback when asked by a student about the Royal Family’s quarters. During her 1990 visit to Moscow for a two-week journey across the Soviet Union, Princess Anne faced a captivating question from a student who boldly inquired: “How does it feel having Buckingham Palace as your private property? ” With a quick grin, she crisply retorted with just seven words: “Well, I don’t know because it isn’t.”
After eliciting chuckles from the audience of students, she elaborated: “No, it’s a state-owned establishment. I wasn’t actually born there, I have my office there and the Queen [Queen Elizabeth II] lives there but it’s not really private property.”
The viral exchange has been rediscovered by Royal enthusiasts on TikTok, prompting an outpouring of comments. One admirer expressed: “Princess Margaret is just great. Intelligent, strong and extremely witty.”
                              Princess Anne is known for her ‘no nonsense’ approach
Another humorously pointed out how Princess Anne nearly replaced “the Queen” with “mum” during her explanation about Buckingham Palace’s residents. A fan praised: “Love the princess royal! she’s humble and a class act.”, reports the Express.
Princess Anne’s fierce retort during a horrifying kidnapping attempt on March 20, 1974 in the UK is well-known. Ian Ball, the man behind the attack, fired at Anne’s Rolls-Royce as she and her then-husband, Captain Mark Phillips, were returning to Buckingham Palace from a reception when another car blocked their way.
Ball, who was hoping for a multi-million pound ransom, ordered Anne to exit the vehicle. “Not bloody likely” she replied with remarkable composure. That night, journalist Brian McConnell, Anne’s chauffeur Alexander Callender, and police constable Michael Hills, along with Mr Beaton, were all shot but fortunately survived.
