Princess Anne could defy Prince Charles' attempt to slim down monarchy

Heir apparent to the British throne Prince Charles has been warned about curbing Princess Anne's role.

There are speculations that Princess Anne could defy Charles' attempt to slim down the monarchy when he takes over the throne.

Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth, has been singled out for "doing all the heavy lifting" in the Royal Family. This comes amid speculation that the lady, known as a very hard-working royal, could be cut from royal duties once her brother Prince Charles takes the throne. 

Royal commentator Richard Palmer, speaking on the Royal Round Up, feared that Princess Anne slowing down would see a dramatic change in the number of royal engagements that the monarchy offer.

One viewer, Val Vigus, commented on the possibility of Princess Anne being cut out, posting: "Princess Anne should NOT be slimmed down unless that's her wish, she is a real hard worker for her charities and does it all without making a big fuss about it. She would have made a great Queen."

Palmer compared the Princess Royal to the Cambridges, explaining: "The Cambridges have made the odd appearance, with the Commonwealth Games, but they have been off an awful lot. The positive side of that, they are keen to give their children a normal an upbringing as possible.

"But Princess Anne is very hard-working. She does a lot of the heavy lifting. The Cambridges tend to do a lot of campaigning, and they get a lot of coverage, but they do fewer engagements than Anne does. She is less interested in campaigning and more into the bread and butter side of it, the old-fashioned aspects of the monarchy."

Mr Palmer said the future of Anne was uncertain, telling the programme: "It's possible that, but not certain, that there will be a role for her [Princess Anne] in the change of reign. [Although] she may want to take a back seat."

Charles, the eldest son of the Queen, has long wanted to create a slimmed-down monarchy amid question marks over the future roles of Sophie, Edward as well as Anne.