Princess Anne made big decision after 'slipping down the line of succession'

Princess Anne and her husband, Captain Mark Philips, made the decision to not give their children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, titles so they could have more 'normal' lives

Christopher Sharp Trendswatch Reporter

17:00, 10 Sep 2025

[ASCOT, ENGLAND - JUNE 19: Princess Anne, Princess Royal and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh attend day three of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on June 19, 2025 in Ascot, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)]

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A royal commentator has claimed Princess Anne had a realisation when she slipped down the line of succession(Image: Samir Hussein, Samir Hussein/WireImagevia Getty Images)

A royal commentator has suggested that Princess Anne may have viewed a royal title for her children as more of a hindrance than a help, following her descent in the line of succession.

Royal expert Afua Hagan was commenting on the fact that neither of Anne's children, Zara Tindall or Peter Phillips, hold royal titles. This was a decision made by Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Philips, after their births.

Upon their marriage, Mark was offered an earldom by Queen Elizabeth II, which he declined. Similarly, when Zara and Peter were born, they were reportedly offered titles, but Mark and Anne, who were married from 1973 to 1992, also refused them, reports the Mirror.

Discussing why they might have done so, Afua shared with a new Channel 5 documentary: "Princess Anne, on seeing herself slip down the line of succession probably realised that a royal title would be a hindrance rather than a help."

[Princess Anne and her first husband, Mark Phillips]

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Princess Anne and her first husband, Mark Phillips(Image: Getty)

The narrator of the documentary, titled 'Mike: The Royal and The Rugby Player', added: "Both Zara and her older brother Peter were also offered royal titles.

"However, Princess Anne and Captain Philips decided to turn them down in the hope they would live a more normal life."

In a 2020 interview with Vanity Fair about the decision, Anne continued to defend her stance. She stated: "I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles... So I think that was probably the right thing to do."

[Zara Tindall and her brother Peter Phillips]

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Zara Tindall and her brother Peter Phillips(Image: Getty)

Zara and Mike Tindall tied the knot in 2011, having first encountered each other eight years prior during the 2003 Men's Rugby World Cup in Australia.

Their participation in major public engagements has grown considerably since that time, particularly following Queen Elizabeth II's passing and the cancer diagnoses of King Charles and Princess Kate.

Consequently, their public standing has become increasingly prominent, with the couple speaking more openly about Royal Family life and their views on receiving royal titles.

When asked about this specific matter, Mike told Closer Magazine at a charity fundraising event that it wasn't something he'd be keen to add to his credentials. He remarked: "I would definitely turn that down."

[Zara and Mike Tindall]

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Zara and Mike Tindall(Image: Getty)

Zara has expressed similar sentiments, telling the Seven: Rob Burrow, The Total Sport Podcast: "From my point of view, I was obviously very lucky that my mother didn't give us any titles so I really commend her on that. We were very lucky that we got to do it a bit our own way.

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"My family has a great work ethic as well which I'm hoping they instilled in me and is still going to this day. Hopefully, we can pass it onto our kids.

"Now, my brother and my cousins love to go back and do the same things and I hope that our children have the same experiences that we did when we were growing up. You don't really appreciate that until you're older and you've got kids."

Zara and Mike: the Royal and the Rugby Player will be broadcast on Saturday (September 13) at 10pm on Channel 5.

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