Princess Anne, 76, takes her role within the royal family very seriously, racking up a whopping 478 engagements in 2025. Despite being a decade past retirement age, the Princess Royal spends her days travelling up and down the country to greet people and represent the monarchy. When she does get downtime, she retreats to Gatcombe Park, her beloved country home in Gloucestershire, away from the glare of the spotlight. Insiders tell ***** O! what life is really like at her private home.
"Gatcombe is her bolthole, where she is not the Princess Royal – she is Anne," says Ailsa Anderson, a former communications secretary to Queen Elizabeth II. "It's a lot less formal; she has Zara and Mike still living on the estate, and Peter and Harriet nearby." The Princess Royal's daughter Zara lives at Aston Farm on the estate with her former rugby player husband Mike Tindall and their three children, Mia, Lena and Lucas.
Gatcombe is surrounded by gorgeous grounds (@ Alamy Stock Photo)
Royal author Robert Hardman agrees with Ailsa. "Gatcombe is her happy place; she's fundamentally a country person," he says. Her relationship with her children and grandchildren is "very no-nonsense", he adds. "It's very normal; there isn't any standing on ceremony, and she's the only one with a ***** le.
"She's a very good grandmother. She's hands-on, but like all grandchildren, I think they can get away with things. She dotes on them."

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